CONTINUING our series focusing in and around Turville we look at the childhood of another reader who was brought up in the area.

Chris Featherstone, who is the local studies specialist at Wycombe Library, has vivid memories of Turville.

Chris was brought up in the village shop at Northend, where her parents ran the post office, shop and petrol station.

She remembers turning the handles on the manual petrol pumps and delivering groceries with her father to Mrs Hoare-Nairne who lived at Turville Park, pictured.

During the 1950s Mrs Hoare-Nairne would fell trees on the estate herself and sell the wood.

She drove an enormous black car which local residents gave a very wide berth to, as she would reverse off the common into the path of any unwary vehicle and then proceed to lecture them about careless driving!

Chris also remembers that the pond at Northend "provided us children with many hours of pleasure. We used to skate on the ice, fish for tadpoles and feed the ducks".

Another use for the pond was that during the summer months the carts that were used to transport chairlegs made by the bodgers to High Wycombe were kept there.

This prevented the wooden wheels from drying out and the metal rims from falling off.

Several famous people used the village shop.

They included the calligrapher Irene Wellington and John and Myfanwy Piper.

In those days, half a century ago, the names of John and Myfanwy Piper rang out much more resoundingly than they do today.

He was one of the best-known artists and designers in the country; she, a noted author and librettist.

Another regular shopper was John Mortimer, the novelist, playwright and former barrister, and his parents.

Readers may be interested to know that Chris Featherstone retires from the Library service at the end of the year.