Readers may remember that the Nostalgia page on January 12 featured an article from Michael Maddox.

This recounted his memories of living in The Camp in Daws Hill Lane from 1946 to 1949, after it was used to house United States Air Force personel during WWII. 

In 1964 Michael emigrated to South Australia. He now continues his reminiscences:

“In 1949 we moved from the primitive Nissen hut in Daws Hill Lane into a new life in a newly built council flat at 32 Highwood Crescent, in the brand new estate of Booker Hill.

"Our upstairs flat had a beautiful view looking north out over a small field, where Birchwood Close would eventually be built, and across the Lane End Road valley, to the woods at Toweridge. 

"The woods, fields and hollowed out hedgerows, where we hid and smoked Old Man’s Beard, was to be a playground for my brother and I.

"The flat had two bedrooms. Our bed, in the smaller room, was squashed between a window and a cupboard, which housed the electricity meter. 

"The coin-in-the-slot gas meter was down the stairs by the front door, and often was the time someone had to rush down to put in another coin before the gas went out. 

"The occupants of the flat below had a record player and we could hear that they were great fans of Mario Lanza.

"A new house meant a new school, which was to be Sands Primary School, as the proposed Booker Hill Primary School had yet to be built.

"In those days, Sands was a very quiet area with the school being the main building on the crossroads. 

"Other buildings were the adjacent Hour Glass pub, two small wooden huts at the junction of New Road and Lane End Road (both since destroyed), and a blue police box on the opposite pavement.

"The school principle was Mr. Berry, who lived nearby in New Road. 

"He was fond of relating the story of how he named his house after the location in France where in WW2, he survived being struck on his helmet by an enemy bullet. 

"To encourage students, he would award postage stamps for exemplary schoolwork. These could be stuck into booklets as a form of savings.

"School lunches were an interesting process. With no dedicated dining area in the school, sittings were held in one of the wooden huts across Lane End Road.

"Food was brought to the hut in large containers and served to pupils sat on forms at long tables under the watchful gaze of teachers. 
It was probably nutritious, but I don’t recall it as being appetising, especially the rice pudding, semolina and tapioca (frog’s spawn!) which was often served. 

"On one occasion I was made to stand on my seat, along with a handful of others, to be named, shamed and lectured on waste. It did no good, and to this day they remain on my not-to-be-eaten-under-any-circumstance list.

We quickly fell into the daily rhythm of school life:
• Drinking 1/3 bottles of free milk each day, often too warm in summer.
• Playing cricket in the front playground before school, with the wicket being the base of the flagpole at the northern end. You were out when caught, or bowled, of course, but also if you hit the ball into the road.
• Pricking bubbles in the softening tarmac playground in summer.

"One day, the school was presented with a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica in a polished wood revolving case. 

"This occupied pride of place on the hall stage. I don’t recall the volumes ever being opened by students! 

"Another time, a tropical fish tank appeared and over the weeks, we marveled at the fecundity of guppies, neon tetras and swordtails.

"Then there was the presentation of small packets of sugar of what I believed to be maple sugar. 

"These were from Canada to every school child in appreciation for Britain’s support with the disastrous Winnipeg floods in 1950, but then I may be confusing separate events.”

Michael is indeed confusing two different events – the sugar was donated to the county of Buckinghamshire by a lady living in Washington, DC.

Mrs. Graves sent to this country a gift of 5,040 lbs. of sugar, 4,500 lbs. of which was distributed among the schoolchildren of Buckinghamshire. 

The balance was sent to the homes of needy people nominated by Mrs. Graves.

Sands was among the fifty six schools in Buckinghamshire which shared in the gift. 

Two hundred children, seven to 11 years of age, each received a pound of American cane sugar to take home to their parents. Before the presentation Mr J.W. Moss (Divisional Education Officer) explained how the distribution was arranged. 

With 56 schools and many thousands of children in the district concerned he decided to give every boy and girl between the ages of 7 and 11 years a pound of sugar, because the children of this age numbered just 4,500. 

And he reminded them to tell their parents that this gift had come all the way from a very kind friend in America.

Each bag of sugar was presented by Councillor J.R. Avery, an ex-Mayor of High Wycombe. He told the children that the following day he would be having tea with someone from the same town as Mrs. Graves but he would not send any messages on their behalf. They must do that themselves.

The headmaster, Mr. F.S. Berry, told them that Mrs. Graves’ address would remain on the blackboard so that they could all write their own letters and the Post Office would tell them which stamp to put on the envelope. 

Judging by the many whispered consultations with next door neighbours, many of the children decided on the spot that they would write and thank Mrs. Graves for her gift. 

And the three rousing cheers "loud enough to reach America" left no doubt that they really appreciated it.

Do any readers remember receiving a bag of this sugar, or indeed have memories of the new housing estate at Booker Hill.

Please send your reminiscences to deweymiked@aol.com or ring Mike Dewey on 01494 755070.