station court express november 2013

8/13/2019 Station Court Express November 2013

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E.ditlion no.1 November 2O13there is always a ticket to a smileI

Station Court ExpressWoodford Halse -home to Station Gourt -as it was a long time agoStation Court today

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A new ventureI RememberAre your ancestors worth finding ?DDH does more to reach the starsThe games we playedManagers . . . and friendsKeith Turner's Fishy DishThe place where lwas bornThe Perks of being over 70Remember humour when it was funny?

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2 station court express A New Venture;ffi r}ffi B{'ff ,.::";':: ::':* ;,;:';-ff;.ry4ffi things cnunge shape and colour. Many oldL,Ff' -J iAY,&ffi railways, once considered important, nowlook like the picture on the right.They are a bit like people in this respect,although I'm sure we all believe that theolder we get we become a little wiser andhope that we still have something tocontribute to others and do not look toomuch like old railway embankments

That is what this smallmagazine is about. Those of -,- ,-the Woodford Halse populatio., 'ti -i;*.-: ,rj, ij;- j -41'ti5r''.';";;f':.3,1?,.1ti",:"#:. :l"J';:J: -,'lreffi -F;;'T:',"#. "llT' J" "[?.1-i; Hlff :; :,,l:T'o 1,",,T. ;x''TT: *'i;'Jffi ,.#' 't.,.;.,:: ,,, #,;,and had a life the younger'Fi:-s.ffi '

expresslon.There are stories to be told that even our closest neighbours arenot aware of except, possibly, only in the most general terms. Wedidn't actually save the world, but some of us put in a year ortwo believing we were offering something towards that end.And so here we are, setting off on another adventure, providing alittle bit of interest to a generation who might like to read bitsand pieces of a lifetime we all shared in one way or another, andwho may wish to contribute and share their own memories andbring back more memories to the rest of us.


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station court express 3'l Remember' by Dennis WheatleyHave a job to get about now:sit in a chair, walking stick atthe ready.But there was a time when Icould walk about on one ofthese - even at speedMotor Torpedo Boats-M.T'B'sas they were known - were fast'we were part of the Royal Navy's Light coastal Forces operatingmainly in the channel and the North sea, especially in the buildup to the Normandy invasion of 1944. They were also used intlie Mediterranean and Norwegian campaigns. They raided StNazaire and Dieppe. They were used to attack German convoysand their E-Boat escorts, carry out raids and landings and pickup secret agents in Norway and Brittany.

I was a ?om Pom'gunner stationed inLowestoft, "pom pom" coming from thesound the guns made when Iiring.Here's one, looking like a group ofherald's trumpets. People were quitecaring in those days if they could be."Whefe are you from" asked the newCommanding Officer. "Putney sir", Ireplied."You would be happier nearer home I imagine"; and with that Iwas posted to Tower Pier in London - where I was bombed andblown up by an enemy I couldn't reach. Even so I was luckierthan some who didn't survive.As they say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"

The war in Europe finished and the crew werecalled together for an important announcement.. 4 l^ we thought. It was somebody's home right1 enough - not ours; we were straight on our way toI / West Africa They have a bigger coast there| / Dennis


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4 station court expressAre your ancestors worth finding?Remember the song, "You musthave been a beautiful baby"?

, ffiHere I am; my first photograph. ._* $,{'i#ul*-d

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Babies grow up of course and Ibecame an angel who could sing.

Years later, in- uniform, I hadlost the angelic look; butstill a handsome devilDescended fromHarold of Hastings, Icould be the real King ofEngland. You can see the

,, likeness in the very oldphoto below where Haroldn.seems to be holding a;Terry's chocolate oralge forcoming second at the Battle of Hastings when he was struck by

an arrow in his eye.William the Conqueror insistedall his archers must be able to hit atree at 50 paces. One Frencharcher could not hit the tree. "Yottare out " said the recruitingsergeant. The archer was so upsetthat William the Conqueror tookpity and said to the sergeant: "Lethim join; but put hlm in theback rout, otheranise he uill haue

sorrte poor deail's ege out "Are there skeletons rattling your family closet? Imagine the funyou could have on a computer searching them out

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t,**station court express 5does more to reach the stars

Daventry & District Housing provides 3,100homes across Northamptonshire and has builtan excellent record for top qualityperformance.we are in the top 2.Lo/o of housing associations and wereawarded a two-slar rating with excellent prospects forimprovement within its first two years following an inspection bythe Audit Commission.we invest in local communities through new partnerships andsuccessful initiatives. Our Community Chest Fund provides vitalfunding for local projects, which make a real difference toneighbourhoods. Here's an examPle:Rural Housing Week raisesawareness for affordable housing tokeep rural communities, villages andbusinesses alive. DDH led on a'scheme Swap', allowing residentsfrom older people's schemes in threehousing associations in the Brixwortharea to socialise.

Top Ratings for Sheltered Accommodationwe have received top ratings for the quality of our sheltered andsupported housing services.Getinvolved...t and make things happen. We offer a wide range ofinvolvement methods for our residents to be able to influencedecisions about their home and neighbourhood. By gettinginvolved you can meet with other residents, develop new skillsand have your say on important decisions.

Much more about us - and you -local computer. Just clickfutureshg.co.uUddhThere's always someone to show you howon our site you can read on Youron http://www #


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6 station court expressThe games we played

Recently, a schoolmaster had to write to parents to see if theywould allow their children to play "conkerso' For us who used tlrestreets to play all the games of our youth, this is almost unbelievable.Here are some of the games we played, painted in 1560 by pieterBruegel, a Dutchman. This is only part of his painting.You can see hoops similar to those we hooped round the streets.

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hfThere are lads playing leapfrog and, down in the bottom rightcorner, what we called'Mopstick'.We had marbles. Depending on your wealth, or lack of it, youcould have marbles that looked like brown aniseed balls orbeautiful glass creations filled with coloured whirls and patterns.Each game had its season. In the autumn we played conkerswhich had fallen or been knocked out of the trees by boys armedwith big sticks. We had never heard of health and safeff

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station court express 7. and friends we made

On winter's nights we kept warm with winter warlners. Thesewere cocoa tins with holes punched in the sides containing rags wehad set alight. We swung them round our heads on a long string tosend a draught through the holes so that the rag smouldered and thetins became very hot. Whatever else we didn't have when weyoung, string always seemed to be available.Girls were more inclinedtowards intelligent gamessuch as hopscotch-as youcan see hereSmoking may well beharmful, but if everyone hadthought so sixty or seventyyears ago we would neverhave enjoyed collectingand swapping 'fag' cards insets. We had 50 famousfootballers and 50 famouscricketers; 50 butteflies and moths and 50 flags of all nations.I liked 50 famous torturesBut conkers, cards and marbles were not just for collectingand exchanging: they were for playing against the roadside kerbs towin your opponents collection or increasing the value of your own.If you had a conker that had smashed ten other conkers you owneda 'tennsr' which, if it broke an opponents 'sixer', became a'sixteener'. It was surprising that boys who were no good atarithmetic in school had a fantasticgrasp of numbers when it came toconkers and other games. Did you neverwonder who invented Stock Exchanges,Corn Exchanges and the like? Men whowere once small boys of courseGirls were always good at skipping.


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B station court express ManagersI suppose it's just possible there is someone who came bytrain to Woodford Halse, only to discover they couldn't usethe return half of their ticket because the railway line hadbeen closed.

"Has the train gone? What d'you mean; it was the last one?'o

The train may be gone, but you are here Shian.What exactly are the duties of what was once knownas Warden, then Scheme Manager and now SupportServices Officer at Station Court? I realise you will{d "'our own liues, likes and problems uith which, sometimes, weneed a little assistance.We like to feel thot we can help people liue their oun liues.But we also utant to prouide a place where those utho sotuish can meet withfriends and neighbours in a place that isclean, warrn and uell-kept. If gou haue a blocked sink gouhaue to unblock it or find a plumber. Here, we deal uith it.Most of all, mg job is to ensure that eueryone feels safe.Some will see out the rest of their dags here. In gour words,"the train mag haue gone", but the Guard has staged behindto keep watch and cqre


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station court express I. and friends

"sheltered Accommodation" can make it appear residents arefrail' Yet all the people I have met here, whatever their ages, seemto be as active as many of my neighbours; moreso in some cases.There is little difference between liuing here than in a priuatehouse or Jlat in the uillage. Each person has his or her ownfront door and comes and goes as he or she pleases.Some residents are quite elderlg and all haue access to helpfrom DDH staff, uhich can be quite an ad"uantage. Security isalso a big benefit here.

And what about you Georgina? Apart from being'out on a limb' as someone described WoodfordHalse to me; there must be far less peaceful placesto live. Yet there are notices outside advertisingapartments to let. Why is this?Oiginallg, there utere mainlg small bed-sits here,but ouer the gears ue haue made conuersions tooffer more spacious apartments. As theg becomeua"cant ue carry out the uork needed to enlargethem and those to let are usuallg in the process oJ orawaiting conuersion.

If I lived here without my own car, how would I get to Banburyweekly for my shopping and perhaps a meal out?There is a regular bus seruice into Banbury; a toun withexcellent shops and places to eat. As mosl of our residentshaue buspasses, this means free trauel.We also haue "Rural Wheels" run bg uolunteers to get peopleto doctors and hospitals.We also haue quite a few shops in Woodford together withfirms who deliuer to us here. One of the benefits of helpingresidents use a computer is they can order their goods on-Iinefor deliuery from Tesco, Waitrose or anA other of the largesfores.What do you think is ttre greatest advantage in living here?Secaritg and a social life and companionship. But that's justmg uieu. Reallg, that is a question to put to the residents.


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10 station court expressHoop driving school

There was a man whorepeatedly failed his drivingtest. He even fell off a bicYcle.The examiner persuaded him totry a hoop to gain some idea ofroad sense.He went to the cinema oneevening, leaving his hoop in the

car park. When he came out he found it smashed to pieces."What are you going to do about this", he demanded of thecinema manager."Can you come back totnorrow, Sir? We are just about toclose.""Tomorrow's all very well, buthow am I going to get hometonight?"

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He may be smilingnow. Just wait until hegets his knucklesrapped

These pictures will bring backmemories to the boys amongstus.


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station court express 11Keith Turner's Fishy Dish

Take two-thirds white fish, cod, haddock or similar, and one-third smoked fish. You will know how much for one person.Lightly cook in the oven in milk with a little salt and pepper.Allow to cool and then flake, removing any bones and placethe fish into the dish from which it will be served. Add a fewfrozenpeas and prawns if you have them.Make enough white sauce to cover the fish: (see below).Smash up a packet of crisps and sprinkle over the sauce. Gratea bit of cheese over the top and bake uncovered until nicelybrowned; probably about 10 to l5 minutes.White Sauce.Put about l2g (%oz) butter in a saucepan over a medium heatand stir in l0g (desertspoon) of flour. When it froths, removefrom the heat and add 110 ml (7 tablespoons) milk all at onceand stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Then return to theheat and simmer, add salt and pepper and cook for 5 -10minutes, adding a little milk if sauce thickens too much.This is very tasty served with few frozen chips cooked in theoven and a little bit of steamed or boiled asparagus.Should look a bit like this.

Keith Turner is a solicitor who plays golf.


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12 station court expressSylvia takes us toI was born and lived in'I,earrr', as the loca-ls called it.I suppose most folk think theirbirthplace was somethingspecial; but

Leamington Spareally was to me.This is TheParade as it waswhen I wasyounger than I am,t,,,r,-.qi

In ow. Queen'Victoria's statue ison the right infront of the Town'Hall. She helpedto popularise the spa and the medicinal qualities of its waters.The artistic view below of the Pump Rooms with the gates of theJephsonGardenson thisside of theParade, isvery much

as you cansee ittoday. Theband standis stillthere.

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station court express 13The Jephson Gardens on the banks of the River Leam are ajoy towalk in throughout the year.

The shops in The Parade and adjoining streets can fill an hour or

Saints Church, seen here in this lovely painting by local artistOavid Lewis, and the top of The Parade seen in the old picture.There is more of course,but I hope this gives youan idea of my love for mybirthplace.

Sylvia

;The Mill Suspension Bridge$ tt"" lovely views of the river."{+:,hllJ:..

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14 station court expressPerks of being over 70

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.2. As a hostage you are likely to be released first.3. No one expects you to run - anywhere.4. People call at 9 p.m. and ask, " Did I wake you?"5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.7. Things you buy now won't wear out.9. You enjoy hearing about other people'soperations.10. You stop trying to hold your stomach in nomatter who walks into the room.11. Your eyes won't get much worse.{2. Nor will your hearing.13. Your joints are more accurate than the TVweather forecasts.14. Your secrets are safe with your friends becausethey can't remember them either.


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RainThere are holes in the skyWhere the rain gets in,But they're ever so smallThat's why rain is thin.Spilre MilliganThe Al Read Show was one of the most popularradio comedy shows in the UK in the 1950s and1960s. Up to 35 million people listened to it eachweek. Remember him being called in to deal witha householder's simple problem tike fitting awasher?

"Hello; who put this lot in then? That'll have to come out.We shalt have to have the floor up. You'll be lucky if wedon't have to take the roof offDon't touch the dog, he'll have your leg off"ooAfter all these years, I still tinglewhen you touch me. Iom not sure if itoslove or poor circulation.oo

.. .rf'|l[".rs {ooSmile firstthing in themorning.Get it overwith.ttW.C.Fields1879-1946 " u RoLo 6Y ,,, PLE oS t , tloL0 "


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STATION PLATF'OFIMDOOlls r----lHaveyou got Ibooks youwant to read,borrow, lendout, or exchange? Tell me, I'lldo my best to help.Joa n Pa rlett

WIIAT'S ON IN WOODF'ORD ?Use our own computer to read Woodford Halse Village SignpostAsk Phil on Friday.

When Joan Parlett was a girl she could\ probably fly round alamp-post with the best of'em. How do we know if,,.'l

.a wartime spent as a,'' - " member of the Womenos,," Auxiliary Air Force was. . the result?'1 . Find out next time in

, r' oI Remembert.

DID YOU EiOY IIII'TAGAZIilE?

Any suggestions? Let usknow. Leave a note with Shianor Georgina, or send an emailto

$^6_/q.cG\Z\Jz-t;philip.goodwin @outlook.com

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station court express november 2013

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