I AM indebted to the records left by Michael Eagleton for the gist of this article. About ten years ago Michael was sent three small snapshots by Claire Coltman who lived in Sturminster Newton in Dorset. With them was a note from Claire which said that these were of a Tea Room which her late mother said she used to own in Marlow, and could Michael please tell her where that was.
Always ready for a challenge and pleased to help, Michael set about investigating this. He was totally baffled at first, even having doubts that the pictures were actually taken in Marlow, until careful examination of one of the snapshots revealed a sign hanging on a wall “Oak Tree Teas”. Although these tea-rooms were before his time, Michael did have memories of the business that succeeded them on that site. Only a hundred years or so from the Marlow F C ground, they would have done a roaring trade on match-days.
Long since demolished (see picture right of the demolition in progress), the building was located on the corner of Oak Tree Road and Wycombe Road, just a grassy triangle these days. After the building ceased to be tea-rooms it was bought in 1953 by Godfrey and Florrie Godfrey and operated by them for 22 years as Oak Tree Stores.
Florrie was born in High Wycombe and educated at St Bernard’s Convent, before marrying William Godfrey in 1935. William was a shop manager for W H Smith, for their store in Stony Stratford at the time of their marriage. During WW2 he served in the British Army, after he was ‘demobbed’, he was appointed manager of W H Smith’s shop in Slough.
After he retired from W H Smith’s in 1953, the couple and their daughter Gill moved to Marlow and set about developing Oak Tree Stores. The site was eventually compulsorily purchased by Bucks County Council. During their retirement Florrie and William were enthusiastic members of the Four Seasons Club.
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