Memories of Meldreth Memories of Meldreth and the War by George Newell is one of the latest pages to be added to Meldreth Local History Group’s website. After George’ died in 2013, his son Colin found George’s handwritten memories and kindly allowed the History Group to include them on its website. The following extract concerns George’s memories of Meldreth, where he lived from 1932 until 1947. To read the whole article, including information about George’s wartime work at the Engineering Laboratories in Cambridge, please see our website: www.meldrethhistory.org.uk/new-contributions/memories-of-meldrethand-the-war. In late 1932, when I was 8 years old, my family and I moved to Meldreth. Dad had just retired from the Police Force and had, a year earlier, purchased Cornwall House and its orchard in Stone Lane, North End from his brother-in-law, George Nodder. I started at Meldreth Village School in December 1932. I went there until I was 11. The headmistress at this time was Miss Grace Butler. There were two other mistresses, sometimes three. Although my mother tried to ‘push’ my education, at that time I was not too willing a pupil.
George Newell Supplied by Colin Newell
I can remember the Jubilee sports (George V & Queen Mary) mainly for the astonishing performance my father showed in several of the events. I remember he won the 100 yards sprint followed by the slow bicycle race. He was a very fit man. I used to either walk or cycle to school, about a mile each way. We sometimes played marbles on the way in the summer or had whipping tops. In the winter time many of us had hoops of steel approximately ¼ inch round section and 2 – 2½ feet diameter, which we trundled 7
