[2024] 1960s PRIVATE LIFE

9284 Our First House, at Chalvey

As, at first, Miles was in his carrycot and Sarah was downstairs in her cot, the new addition to the family posed no problems for our life at Slaidburn Street.

But we knew it wouldn't be long before we had to move -- which is what we soon did.

So we moved to Chalvey near Slough. There we had a brand new house. However, it was unusual in that it was constructed out of concrete slabs. Once the foundations had been prepared, it took just one day for the whole house to be built to the top of the roof, with the massive walls hoisted into place by cranes. I guess it was a pretty down-market house, but it was our first true home of our own. Even then we could only afford it because of my three months salary on leaving Burtons Biscuits.

But it was a comfortable house. It was a terraced house, but it had a very large lounge/dining room, running from front to back for almost 20 feet, with a galley kitchen next to the dining area. Upstairs we had two large bedrooms and one small bedroom and the obligatory bathroom. It was nice and warm, being centrally heated by hot air.

We moved into the main bedroom and Sarah had the second bedroom, with Miles cosseted in the smaller third bedroom.

It had a small back garden, which I dug out to build a small patio, with flower troughs on either side of it, as well as a sandpit area. We had potentilla in the flower troughs and there was a lovely display of these throughout the summer.

It was a very hot summer indeed in 1965 and we bought a big paddling pool, in which we all sat to keep cool. We also bought a big climbing frame with all the attachments -- various swings and a slide, which Sarah and her friends loved. Quite soon Miles was also climbing all over it, scaring the living daylight out of everyone – especially Pat’s mother!

Of course we had no furniture when we arrived, so we had to go out and buy the bare necessities from the local department store; on credit (the only time we ever did).  The suite in the living room was vinyl, looking like leather, and it folded down to provide a rather unstable double bed for visitors. The dining-room table was from Habitat, with a white Formica top which served us well for years; and I still have it in my office.

Upstairs we only had a double bed for ourselves and had to make do with coffee tables for the dressing table!

Even so we were very happy at Chalvey. We used to go for walks in Windsor Great Park or Burnham Woods.  The place was always full of children, because our climbing frame and paddling pool with sandpit attracted the whole neighbourhood.

Almost as soon as we had moved there Miles was christened at the local church.

Miles was baptised at Chalvey, in the local church. His godparents were Jenny, a friend from Pat’s (library) workplace, and her boyfriend (later her husband - twice) Michael Jackson who was later -- having divorced Jenny twice -- to become Sir Michael Jackson the Chief of the Defence Staff!  We never rated him as that capable, but it shows what is needed to get on.

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