Memories of Childhood 

in and around Yeading hayes growing up.

I did plane to spend the day sorting out odd jobs, and writing, answering questions on my two books for a blog sight interview and fixing the car. And starting to write book 3, well wright down the idea anyway. But I have sidetracked again, by a memory. I think as you get older, the memories of childhood come back very strong, well they do in me anyway.

One of the most significant discoveries as a boy were finding out about the old MOD sight they run from the Ruislip road to the canal and over to bike field, and to the old ICI sight in Yeding.

What fun and the danger we encountered there, fleeing from the security men who would chase us on their bike. The MOD sight was a remanence of the second world war, and they made small arm and flares and many other armaments there during the war. And when we as kids found it, it was still protected by government staff, but the sight was empty, and in the same condition it was left in when we found it in as it was left after the war. We could not get up to much as to the security guys, and we would pretend to be commandoes and creep up on there guard station that was the main entrance on the Ruislip road. Then run like hell if we were spotted by them and we would hide in the buildings we could get in. One day we crept up on the guard house to find it empty? They had gone the sight was now ours to do with at will, and the fun began.

I will start with this one, I think as its uppermost in my mind. There were many buildings looked up we could not get in. So there was the challenge for a group of boys. We had found a small Hospital, and that was fun. Then found out that the metal doors in some buildings let into The air raid shelters that were within the middle of each building so in the event of an air rade you could enter them from the buildings both sides, we spent hours down there exploring. And using our imaginations. But it was the locked ones that intrigued us. And one, in particular, along building that at one end had large wooden doors, as kids we were convinced there may be a spitfire in there. Now looking back, it makes me laugh, and smile. We worked out by climbing on the asbestos roof that the air vents could be lifted off, leaving a square howl sunfish for one of us to get through. But it was a drop to the inner floor of at least 15 feet. We found some old telephone wire, well we tool it down as it ran between every building. Then took it up on the sloping roof then one of us the bravest of us voluntary to be lowed into the building, so we raped the wire around his waist, then thankfully it was decided to do a test run, so we lowered him off the side of the building. Off he went with us holding on to the wire, and at the point of no return, he grunted he could not breathe! And by the time we lowed him to the ground, he had past out! We clamber down from the roof and thankfully as we got to him, he came around. So that was no gone then, it took us some time to get in after that only to find no spitfire it was empty and was a large lorry greige.

Again, no one was told it was never talked about until now, we went on to have many more adventures in there. You do not realise at the time, but it was growing up and learning pushing the limits. It made us my generation who we are today.  That little band of brothers what mischief we got into but what bludy good fun we had, returning home filthy and torn knees and ripped clothing and many a small cut and bruise. We never told when asked, “what did you get up to today.” As it was our time, our world, our secrets. That little band of brothers.

In memory of Alane Berch, one of the band of brothers now past away who was part of us that day.