Several readers have been in touch regarding the reminiscences by Mike Maddox, now living in Australia, about his time at the Daws Hill Camp and then Sands School in the 1950s, which featured in previous editions of the Nostalgia page.

Vicki Smith writes: “I so enjoyed reading your piece in the BFP because my family did exactly the same as Michael Maddox’s family at that time. 

“We lived at the Daws Hill Camp until just after my sister was born in 1949 and then moved into a two-bedroomed end-of-block of four houses in Field Road on the Booker Hill Estate. The joy of the brand new house in Field Road with running hot water was wonderful.

“Whilst we were living at the Daws Hill Camp I started my school life at the Church of England School in Loakes Road. 

“I remember walking with my Mum pushing the pram up the steep Marlow Hill back home to Daws Hill, with my sister in it and a bag of coke (from the Gas Works) on the pram too!

“After we moved to Booker Hill I went to Sands School. Some of the friends I still have were at the school at the same time. I have a photograph of us standing in the playground, with our bags of sugar.

“I don’t remember anything about a Mrs Graves I’m afraid, I thought we were given the sugar to mark the end of rationing.

[It has now been established that the children at Sands School were twice presented with bags of sugar, once by Mrs Graves of Washington, DC, and the other by a donor from Winnipeg, Canada, which is probably what Michael Maddox and Vicki are recollecting.]

“I remember very cold winters with our wet clothing hanging on the tortoise stove railings in the class room; also the boys putting my plaits in the ink-well behind me. My Mum made a loop with my plaits after that! 

“When the new Booker Hill School was finished my friends and I moved there for our last year of primary education. Mr Frazer was our teacher.”

Members of the family of Mr Frederick S Berry, including his son Roger, have also been in contact. Frederick Berry was the headmaster of Sands School for 23 years, from 1935 until his retirement in 1958.

His family have sent a copy of the “Sandcastle”, the newspaper of St. Mary and St. George, Sands, which published an article about Mr Berry to commemorate his retirement.

Frederick was born on February 2, 1898, the eldest son of Frederick and Sarah Berry. 

His father was an upholsterer. As a ten year old boy he entered the Royal Grammar School, being one of the first boys to receive free admission. 

At the age of 15 he started as a Student Teacher at Spring Gardens School, before service in the Great War intervened. 

In mid-1916 Frederick was employed at the local Recruiting Office under Colonel Tawke, where he served for 18 months. 

He enlisted in the army on January 1st 1918 and was posted to the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment, being promoted to Lance Corporal a month later.

After being demobilised in 1919 Frederick spent sixteen years as a teacher at Priory Road School before being appointed headmaster at Sands School in 1935. 

He succeeded Mr Field, who had been headmaster since the school was opened in 1908. During the second world war he had the additional responsibility of taking-in children who had been evacuated from London, the number of children at the school reaching 450 at one point.

It has been estimated that about 2,400 children received their primary education at Sands School during Frederick Berry’s tenure. 
He enjoyed a long retirement and died in 1977.

I am intending to research the history of the primary schools in High Wycombe and therefore would appreciate any information which readers may have in their possession. 

Please contact Mike Dewey 01494 755070, email deweymiked@aol.com.