Around and About: Berkshire – Maidenhead

....and Buckinghamshire – Taplow

Thursday 19^th May 2011

Maidenhead and Taplow are on opposite sides of the Thames, just over 30 kms from London. They are in different counties.

Crossing the Thames from Maidenhead to Taplow

When Ben was about 6 years old (1941), the Second world war was coming too close to his home in Kent, and he, with his mother and sister were evacuated, first to his mother’s sister, Aunty Florrie and then to her brother Bert’s house in Taplow. Bert is Cynthia’s father so their memories of the war years are shared, being cousins there together.

Walking along Cynthia's old street, Ellington Rd

Ben remembered his time in Taplow and Maidenhead.

“We walked down memory lane to the places close by where I lived, swam and played as a kid!”

The house stood as if waiting for them.....

....down memory lane

Their swimming spot at the end of the road

“This was also a nostalgic return to the Brunel’s Sounding Arch,

Sounding Arch

still the widest brick span bridge in the world.”

1838

The plaque reads " 1838 The Sounding Arch. I K Brunel (that man again) designed this bridge. The brick arches are the widest and flattest in the world - each span is 128 feet with a rise of only 24 feet. "

It seems he was forbidden to remove the formwork for fear the bridge would collapse. It eventually fell off in a storm.

We coo-eed and shouted into the arch and each time, the sound returned five times very distinctly.

Sounding the arch

Maidenhead Bridge.....

...with a train crossing

Many London celebrities choose to live in Maidenhead as it is close to London, yet serene and unhurried. Here is Rolf Harris’ house on the river.

Rolf Harris lives here

Buckinghamshire – Burnham

Friday 20^th May 2011

Aunty Florrie's Interment

Our time in England was intended to include a visit to Aunty Florrie, as we had done two years ago when we were there. We missed seeing her by a month or so, as she had passed on at nearly 96. We arrived in time to attend the interment of her ashes in the Hulm family grave in Burnham churchyard.

Burnham Churchyard

The family gathers

for Auntie Florrie's interment

Vi and Carol

Sarah's Family

Ben reflects -

Aunty Florrie

'With joyful memories for me and distant memories of Burnham as a kid, I came again to meet the family. The service was short but fitting in the graveyard, she and I had previously visted on our own and the only place she wanted to rest. SHE HAD MADE IT. The sun shone and all was well.'

We then adjourned to a pub for nuts and chips in the public bar before going on our merry ways.