May 2002 - June 2003
For correspondence from May 2014 - December 2015 (page 9) select here
For correspondence from January 2011 - April 2014 (page 8) select here
For correspondence from January 2011 - December 2012 (page 7) select here
For correspondence from November 2008 - January 2010 (page 6) select here
For correspondence from January 2008 - November 2008 (Page 5) - select here
For correspondence from August 2005 - December 2007 (Page 4) - select here
For correspondence from June 2004 - August 2005 (Page 3) - select here
For correspondence from July 2003 - May 2004 (Page 2) - select here
6th June 2003 Quote from our regular correspondent and donator of old Newmarket pictures, Roger Newman, in response to the controversy about the future of the Clock Tower Roundabout.
12th May 2003 from Robert Smith
2nd May 2003. Jeanette Carter from Somerset e-mail: Jeanette.carter@tesco.net
23rd April 2003 from Roger Newman.
21st April 2003. From Jenny Balfour-Paul e-mail J.A.Balfour-Paul@exeter.ac.uk
6th April 2003, from Jean Getchell in California. E-mail Cjgetchell@aol.com See also her e-mail of 31st May 2002
30th March - from A. Grimmer
16th March 2003 - An e-mail from Australia
5th March 2003 from Jenny McCallum, after we had confirmed that the picture she sent (see e-mail below) was of Newmarket's Volunteer Fire Brigade with their new uniforms issued in 1887.
3rd March 20003. From Roger & Norma Newman who live in Stafford and who visited Newmarket on 1st March.
20th February 2003
15th February 2003, from Kathleen Oliver
8th February 2003
4th February 2003 from Jim O'Neill
25th January 2003 from Tony Wickham, after receiving a copy of our reissued book 'One Afternoon in February'.
24th December 2002 from Alan Haynes.
15th December from Ken Harris. An answer to the 'One lady power' milk delivery transport picture featured previously.
14th December from Steve Macaulay, head of the Cambridgeshire Archaelogical Field Unit, regarding the Dane Bottom Site.
7th December from C Pluck (see his query 17th September 2002 below)
5th December, from Roger Newman in response to the recent report that Newmarket Town Council are to consider demolition of the King Edward VII Memorial Hall as an alternative to modernisation.
20th November from Roger M Newman e-mail Rogermichael.newman@ntlworld.com
After e-mailing Roger with some information about H R Sherborn the Newmarket photographer and also putting him in touch with Peter Norman, we had a reply, some of which is reproduced below (Rod Vincent):
16th November - e-mailed query about Newmarket Railway Tunnel
From: Norman Dockrell-Fisher
Date: Tue Sep 24 19:15:53 2002
URL: http://shirley@dockrellfisher.fsnet.co.uk
Message: Samson Dockrell-Fisher, stable lad to Fred Archer, his
Mothers maiden name was Halewin. Samson was born in
Woodditton Feb 1869, are there kinsfolk still in
Woodditton. How very nice to read the entries in the guest
book and the photos of the village. It really brings
history to life.
17th September 2002. A query from C. Pluck
10th September 2002. An e-mailed query from Kathryn Hughes who is researching for a book on Mrs Beeton to be published by Harper Collins.
September 11th 2002. The bombing of Newmarket on 18th February 1941 is etched in the memory of many of the older residents of the town and is well recorded in the Society's book 'One Afternoon in February'.
Some months ago the NLHS Newsletter as well as an article on this page featured a query about the prototype Gloster Whittle single-engined jet plane known as E28/39. Information was sought as to whether this flying test bed for Frank Whittle's pioneering jet engine ever visited Newmarket Heath. The leading avaition historians were emphatic that it never did. However, recent new evidence from an eyewitness adds to others who are certain that they saw this small bright yellow plane flying at Newmarket in the latter part of 1942, when it was known locally as 'the whistler'. It looks as though the experts may have to think again.(RHV)
V1 Flying Bombs (Doodlebugs). May 2002. We have received a query from Andrew Elliott-Hunter in San Diego California about Doodlebugs reaching Newmarket in WWII. I remember seeing one pass over in September 1944 which I believe crashed near Burwell. A V2 rocket also passed over or near the town in November of that year and impacted near Fulbourn. There may well have been others, can anyone add to these incidents? (Rod Vincent - Recorder)
We have also had an e-mailed query from Diane Marelli asking about Stamford House Newmarket, an ancestor of Diane's (Lewis Pudvine) worked there as mansion caretaker around the end of the 19th century. According to Joan Shaw, the Society's authority on old Newmarket buildings, the house took its name when owned by Lady Stamford and was the middle (and largest) one of the three residences that were created when Panton's House in the High Street was divided up. Stamford House became the Kingsway cinema in the nineteen twenties and is now the 'M' night club. The end one of the three, nearest to The Avenue, was owned by Lady Cardigan, after whom Cardigan Street was named. Diane's e-addesss is dianemarelli@tiscali.co.uk
An intriguing query from a Mr Shan Jayran from the Forest of Dean which we reprint in full:
June 15th We have had an e-mail from Denis Boisclair who was evacuated to Newmarket during the war and now lives in Cheshire. He attended Newmarket Secondary School and has some fascinating memories of life in Newmarket during the war years some of which are reproduced herewith. Does anyone recall Denis? His e-address is denis@boisclair.freeserve.co.uk
Some of Denis's snippets of memories from Newmarket 1939-45:
From Jean in California
Current correspondence from January 2016 (page 10) select here
15th June 2003
I wonder whether you could help?
My grandfather, George William Norman, was a jockey at Charles Archer's Ellesmere Stud.
I have the race card of the first race he won, in 1891.
Is there any information available on the stud - particularly a register of employees?
I do not have the 1891 Census for Newmarket. This should, of course, help.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Best wishes.
John Mead
www.archivecdbooks.org help me in my research
John Mead
Belsize Cottage
3 Broad Street,
BOXFORD
Suffolk, CO10 5DX
"it has been messed about with so much over the years that the best solution is to go back to how it was in the fifties."
Hi I wonder if you can help me :I have just read a book that states that there was an admiralty shutter telegraph station based at Newmarket on Side Hill at a location known as the "Kings Chair" during the Napoleonic Wars.
I have been able to locate Side Hill on an Ordnance survey map dated 1890 but have not been able to locate "Kings Chair "which the book says was named due to connections with King Charles the 2nd.
Do you have any information on a site in Newmarket that might answer this description?
Thanks for your help and best regards Bob
Yes Bob, we do have information on the old Shutter Telegraph station at Newmarket opened in 1808, one of the chain running from the Admiralty in London to Yarmouth. The precice location of 'King's Chair' is not known. However, Hodskinson's 1783 map of Suffolk shows it on the high ground of what is now known as Long Hill, part of the Jockey Club's training grounds about one mile to the east of the town. This would put it just north of the Moulton Road and provide visual communication with the next stations on the Gogmagog Hills, near Babraham Cambs and at Icklingham Suffolk. The present day Side Hill is south of the Moulton Road and is a less suitable site as the view east to Icklingham would be obscured by high ground. Apparently King's Chair was a favourite resort of Charles II who discovered it when walking Newmarket Heath.
My husband's Great Grandad was at The Blackbirds
Inn Ditton Green around 1891. He went on to
be publican of the Black Horse Inn, Newmarket High
Street. His name was George Bowler if anyone has any
information regarding him or his family I would be very
interested- wife Elizabeth and five children - George,
Maud, Alice, Arthur and Emily. Emily was born in the pub
and is my Husband's grandmother.thanks for any help.
I have recently seen an old print, dated 1829, called "A VIEW ON THE ROAD TO NEWMARKET RACES" In the middle of it is a pub and from the sign, it is called "The White Lion" It does not appear to be like the present building but looking and comparing it with the postcard I have that was postally used in 1916, showing the White Lion, there are a lot of similar features between the building on the print and the p/card. I was wondering if you have any knowledge of a refubishment or even demolishment and rebuild of the pub on the same site early last century. The people and horses in the print are travelling right to left i.e. going towards the racecourse.
The present White Lion was built around the nineteen thirties on the site of a very old pub of the same name. (R.H.V.)
I am currently writing a book about James Machell's older brother. I have the book about him by Richard Onslow but wondered if you had any other information or whether there had ever been any other publications or papers about him - or any archives?
Thank you, Jenny Balfour-Paul
Jean has already visited Newmarket and intends to visit again in Sept. 2003. Her great-grandmother lived at Boyce House Sackville Street. She is interested in any old tunnels under the town and we have explained that it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Society has also offered to meet her on her next visit.
Yes, the various stories of tunnels under Newmarket (The Rutland, Tindalls, The Bushel) certainly have the feel of myth to them, until one sees the very well made tunnel at Boyce House. It doesn't seem likely that my great-grandmother's house would have the only tunnel in town, but even if that were so, there has to be the other end of the tunnel somewhere. I wonder why the English Heritage people were not interested in the tunnel that
might have been a part of the house at one time. Perhaps they did not know of the tunnel's existence at the time they were there.
You mentioned a tunnel going to Nell Gwynn's Cottage in a previous email.
Since that house is not open to the public, can you tell me if it is a
private residence? Since that structure probably has not undergone extensive modification over the years, do you know if anyone has looked at its cellar for traces of a tunnel? I have read stories that there was one from the Palace and one from Tindalls!
Yes, I am familiar with the two volume book on the History of Newmarket. I purchased a copy when I was in Newmarket over a year ago and have enjoyed poring over its many interesting pages and wealth of photographs. (Nothing,
however, on tunnels except for Nell Gwynn's.)
Jacky Hibbert has not yet contacted me, but I will be happy to help her in
any way that I can.
In September, God willing, I hope to be in Newmarket and will get in touch.
Please could you tell me about the wonderful statue on the roundabout as you enter Newmarket,we have passed it a few times but never been able to stop to see if there is a plaque with details. When was it erected, we are having a disagreement with friends as to how long it has been there.
Thanking you in anticipation
A.Grimmer
(It is called the Newmarket Stallion and was created by Marcia Astor and Allan Sly and stands on the roundabout close to the July Course entrance. It was installed there in October 2000 and recently had the additional feature of illumination at night - RHV)
Hello my name is Bill Ellis and I have recently come into possession of
photos of jockeys by Clarence Hailey at Newmarket. Are they of any historical value.
Bill Ellis
Many thanks to Eric Dunning and yourself for the help and confirmation.
I wonder if anyone locally has similar photos, it will be very interesting to see what sort of feed back you get from showing the photograph.
I won't keep you as I am sure you are very busy just a short note to Thank you for the email
Thank you kindly
Jenny McCallum
They were met by Eric and Yvonne Dunning, Rosemary and Russell Foreman, Rod and Audrey Vincent and David Occomore. Roger had brought some of his superb collection of old postcards of Newmarket, many of which we had not seen before. We hope to be able to publish a few of these in due course.
Dear Rod and all other members,
It was so very nice to meet the members of the society on Saturday morning and talk about Newmarket and its history. I thought that Norma would feel a bit left out of it but she has stated how very welcome a NON townee was made to feel, she has always said that she liked Newmarket though!!
Eric's enthusiasm for the society showed itself avidly and his hopes and aims are superb and I hope that my collection can assist in this area as regards to future publications.
I was very pleased to realise how much people appreciated my collection of postcards. I will try to get them onto CD as soon as I can so the selected ones can be used as the society sees fit.
I did visit the Antique fair at the Leisure centre on Sunday before we left and managed to add another to my collection, not a rare one but one I did not have.
Kindest regards, Roger and Norma
Hello My name is Jenny,
My Great Grand father appears in a photo that I have with Newmarket and Clarence Hailey printed on the cardboard frame along with 7 other gentlemen in uniform.
I am curious to find out if anyone has any knowledge of the service he was involved in there.
I recently emailed the photo to a chap who feels they may be firemen approx. 1890's. but cannot confirm this .
As you are the Newmarket history site I presume you would be the persons to contact.
Who knows, the other gentlemen may be related to other locals with an interest in their family history shall I email an image to you?.
I can only send an image as my mother holds the original in New Zealand
Perhaps someone may know something of the photographer who can be credited for the image.
A Reply to this email would be greatly appreciated especially if I can acquire more info about him
His name is Thomas Henry Hill .
He was thought to be a postmaster but I am in doubt of this.
I have an interest in Suffolk as a whole as many of my ancestors were born and raised in surrounding areas there.
looking forward to a reply.
Regards,
Jenny McCallum, Peterborough
We have acknowledged Jenny's query and now have the image from her which we hope to reproduce soon. (RHV)
Dear Sir: I wonder if you could help me. I am looking for my great grandfather who was a jockey there many years ago. I was told by the jockey club that the Newmarket public library has copies for each year of the racing calendar and the steeplechasing calendar. These contain the lists of all races run in a given season, but at the front you wll find a list of jockeys and apprentices licensed by the Jockey Club. My grandfathers name was Thomas Keely . He apprenticed under Mr. F. Lynham, at Lambourn, was travelling head lad, and his patrons included Sir John Astley. He rode between 1875-1900 (approximately) I would like to obtain some copies of these calendars and would expect to pay for them. As I live in Canada I'm not able to retrieve them myself. Could you advise me as to where I would have to inquire? Any information you could give me would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time....sincerely, Kathleen Oliver ...dkoliver@telusplanet.net
Footnote. By an amazing coincidence our Society Chairman, Eric Dunning, has some distant family connection with Thomas Keeley, who is buried in Newmarket Cemetery (died 1946). Eric was able to furnish Kathlen Oliver with some details of the research he has carried out. R.H.V.
Hello:
I am doing some family history research and as I am in Canada I would appreciate some advice. I am trying to check the birth of a William Race born it looks like in Newmarket in the June 1/4 of 1843. If he is "mine" his full name would be William Samuel Race and his father would be Edward Race. I had a very kind volunteer in Cambridgeshire check the All Saints records for me and there was no match but I've been told there is another parish for Newmarket which comes under Suffolk. Is this correct? If you could give me any kind of advice as to how I can check this I would greatly appreciate it. It is hard being so far away. Thank you.
Glenys Wall
B.C. Canada
We have replied explaining that All Saint's Church previously came within Cambridgeshire, St Mary's remaining in Suffolk (R.H.V.)
Hope you can help.
I own the Marlborough Club in Newmarket and I am more than interested in any historical facts and photographs associated with Kingston House and the site it stands on.
I am informed by Professor Tony Baggs of Cambridge University that James I built a country palace around 1605 on the site of Palmers department store which in 1605 was a pub called the Griffen.
In 1635 Charles I built his palace on the same site which I believe is part of the Marlborough Club and Moons Toy Shop. Behind Threshers wine shop was built a Prince's residence (Charles II )
In around 1650 Cromwell and his troops ransacked the building and Christopher Wren having been summoned from London declared the building a "vacant lot".
The building at some point was then purchased by the Duke of Kingston, hence Kingston House.
I've now received my copy of the book and found it
very interesting. The raid bears so much resemblance to what happened here in New Milton. No apparent purpose apart from spreading fear.
KREMLIN STUD
It would appear that if the planning application to develop this yard is successful, we will lose the benefit of a wonderful Victorian built training establishment, together with approx. 10 acres of paddocks close to the heart of town.
This would appear to be to satisfy the greed of an absentee landlord whilst the yard is temporarily unoccupied. In the long term this would deprive any up and coming trainers of the use of 41 boxes and a very useful yard situated conveniently close to the new horse walk on Fordham road.
Progress. I DON'T THINK SO!.
Hallo.
The photo featured is Mrs Margerat Harris (nee Claydon) she was born in 1909 so this photo is probably around 1929. How do I know, because the lady in question is my Mother.
Cheers Ken !
Like all archaeology (despite the Time Team!!) until you actual dig it you can never really tell!. The trouble with cropmarks is the timing of a photograph and whether you are looking at a geological feature, old river channel etc. It may well be a settlement. Don't be too mislead by the Icknield Way theory. The Icknield Way was a very broad route way which is thought to cross the Devils Ditch from the A1304 across down to Stechworth and Wood-ditton. Not just a single trackway!
I will have a closer look and when I am in the area I will try and visit. Stephen
Re: U.S. 805th Hospital Center.
I hope that you can remember me? I wrote to you back in September and asked you if you any idea where the U.S. 805th Hospital Center was located. If you can recall I had fairly good accounts that this unit was located close to the town of Newmarket.
Just recently I was able to obtain documented historical reports for the 805th via the archives in Washington DC.
The reports state that the 805th was located at Beechwood Stud, Exning near Newmarket. The officers of this group were billeted over the stalls, while the nurses were lodged in the village of Exning.
Egerton House, two and one half miles south west of Newmarket was the site formerly occupied by Headquarters Eastern District.
Quote from a segment of the report. “the personnel of this HQ are quartered in a small manor house (officers) and in rooms above the stalls (enlistedmen), this plant having previously been a stud farm. The actual administration is in two Ministry of Work huts.
The site is known as Beechwood on the Exning Road, near Newmarket.”
“The receiving and evacuation section handles the movement of patients arriving or departing the U.S. hospitals in this area”.
It would be interested to learn if these establishments are still standing? If you or your group have information or photographs of these buildings I would be most interested to learn about them.
Kind regards,
Christopher Pluck
We have informed Christopher that the former Beechwood Stud was demolished to make way for housing and have also sent him a more recent picture of Egerton House from our archive collection with information about its Royal connections. (Recorder)
"As regards the Memorial Hall, THAT IS WHAT IT IS, built in memory of someone, there is no way it should be pulled down to be replaced by some modern mostrosity. I do actually have a picture of what I believe is possibly its opening. Just imagine the hue and cry if it was suggested that the Clock Tower was pulled down to allow the traffic to flow more freely."
I have just acquired a book entitled Views of Newmarket, published by H.R.Sherborn. The seller stated that it was from the 1920's but I believe it to be nearer 1900.
It comprises 14 full page prints of various views with six of the High Street and the others include the Severals, July course, Limekilns and Bury Road. Four of the pages comprise multi pictures mainly of horses with one of them being six churches. I do have many of the photos as postcards in my collection of Newmarket of which I have over 1000.
I was born and bred in the town and hence my reason for the collection which I have acquired over the last few years. I lived up, to when I joined the Royal Navy in 1959, near the White Lion Hotel and do visit the town two or three times a year to visit my late parents graves in the cemetary.
None of the pictures have any sign of a motorised vehicle on them which makes me believe they were the date I have stated. Have you any info as regard the dates that H.R.Sherborn was practicing his trade in the town? I know his shop was where Quants shoes was for many years in the High Street and later on it was a florists, the first shop down from the Rutland Arms. Thanks very much.
"Unfortunately, I live in Stafford which is precisely 142 miles away which is a little bit too far to travel fo an evening meeting although when I do visit the town, it is usually just for the day to visit old friends, attend to the graves and pick up some Newmarket sausages which cannot be bettered anywhere. Just down the road from me is a place called Rugeley and living there is Pamela Quarton whose father was landlord of the White Lion for many years from the 40's to the 60's. I purchased some sausages for her last time I visited as well as she agrees with my sentiments.
Even though it is many years since I lived in the town, I have always considered it as home and like to visit when I can. I would love to be able to afford to purchase a property and move back but the prices nowadays are inhibitive as are a lot of places.
As you say, there is something about it I like and still get that buzz when I approach from the Cambridge end and see the wide open spaces of heathland. I have a large Victorian print entitled The Plantation at Newmarket and it is of the July course with a legend giving the names of the principal people in the picture including the Prince of Wales who became Edward V11 on the death of his mother."
Can you please tell me of any book/s which detail the making of this Tunnel ?
I live in Newmarket .
Thanks
Warwick Hirst
Footnote. Warwick came to a meeting of the Society and met members who were able to help. The tunnel was excavated (not bored) and apparently the top is only a few feet below the Warren Hill training ground in places).
Re: US Army 805th Hospital Center, Newmarket. 1942-45.
I am an historian, living in Atlanta, GA, USA. My interest and research is with the US Army Hospitals and Service Units based in the UK during WW2.
I am aware that the US Army 805th Hospital Center was based in or close to the town of Newmarket during the Second World War.
The 805th supported the majority of U.S. Station and General Hospital groups that were located through East Anglia. The unit’s commanding Officer was Col. Rawley C. Chambers.
Can you please inform me where the hospital was actually located in Newmarket?
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Christopher B. Pluck - Email: cpluck@bellsouth.net
"I am writing a biography of Mrs Beeton, the first one in 25 years. In August 1857 young Isabella and Sam Beeton visited Mr and Mrs Robert English who lived at Warren Villa, Newmarket. A few days into their visit their three month old baby died, a tragedy from which neither of them ever recovered.
I am trying to find out more about the Englishes. I think that Robert English was connected with racing in some way. Mrs English (I don't have a Christian name) seems to have known an awful lot about the Rutland/Manners family (she insists on introducing Mrs Beeton to the Duke of Rutland's cook, a Mr Orpwood). By the 1861 Census Mr English, who was born in London and is 57, seems to have been a widow. By 1864 he is no longer listed as living at Newmarket in the various local guides.
Can anyone help me at all in tracking down more details about Mr and Mrs English? Does the fact that they lived in Warren Villa, (Old) Station Road offer any clues as to Mr English's occupation?"
Kathryn's e-address is kathryn.hughes@btopenworld.com
Not generally known is that the Dornier 17Z bomber which caused such loss of life and damage may not have made it back to its base in occupied Europe. The crew of a Wellington bomber from No 99 Squadron taking off from the airfield on Newmarket Heath at the time of the bombing and heading in a south-easterly direction saw the clouds of smoke ahead. They then sighted the Dornier and managed to fly alongside. The pilot ordered the front and rear turret gunners to open fire and they got in some good bursts before the Dornier disappeared into cloud. When the Wellington returned to base the pilot was later informed by his Flight Commander (Sq/Leader J.B. Black) that an army Ack ack unit had reported a Dornier downed near Thetford. He said that the Wellington crew should be credited with half the 'kill'.
How do we know this? The pilot of the Wellington who left the R.A.F. as Group Captain Goodman has a very clear memory of the events and has recently recounted them to us. He is President of the 99 Squadron Association and hoped to visit Newmarket on their recent reunion, but was prevented by ill health.
Unfortunately no official records of the Dornier crashing have been uncovered, so its fate remains a mystery but there is no doubt that it was fired on by the Wellington and probably hit.
At the entrance to the Rowley Mile enclosure is a propeller blade from Wellington T 2888 R-Robert mounted as a memorial to 99 Squadron. This was Group Captain Goodman's aircraft but luckily for him he was not flying it when it crashed near Wisbech in February 1941 as he was on leave at the time. Nor was it the Wellington involved in the Dornier incident.
1st October - An e-mail from Tony Wickham whose father 'Bob' Wickham (now deceased) was front gunner in the Wellington. His story completely confirms 'Benny' Goodman's account and adds more interesting details to this fascinating sequel to the 1941 bombing raid.
6/5/02 Reply from Andrew. "Thank you for your prompt reply. My wife was born in Newmarket, and for some time during the war her mother ran the 'Fusilier' cafe in the premises that is now an Indian restaurant, near the clock tower on Rouse Road. She can remember seeing a Doodlebug flying overhead and being reassured by her father that if it was above you and the engine was running, you were safe. She also remembers the 'red tail' and the noise it made, just the sort of thing to stick in a six year olds' mind. Thanks again, and we will continue to check your website. (Andrew's
e-address is aelliott-hunter@prodigy.net
Dear Sir,
I should be most grateful if you could help me find the basis of a romantic chapter of my family history.
My great great grandfather was the station master of Newmarket: Mr. Heaven,
this would have been c. 1895.
He had three beautiful daughters whom he adored, but was so possessive he would not permit them to marry.
Eventually the eldest, Frances Heaven, when wearing her "best bustle" met a gentleman, Mr. Spooner, "driving his curricle and four" in the High St. and eloped with him. This was when she was 28 in approx 1898.
They lived then in the South of France with their own racing stables, which I did see when on holiday there many years ago. They had one daughter, Myra.
By about 1913 Mr. Spooner had died leaving a surviving sister, but also leaving his widow penniless. She returned to England and resourcefully established her daughter in the world with a successful marriage by rather unorthodox means - but that is the next chapter!
I can find no trace of the Heaven stationmaster family via internet searches and I am handicapped for hands-on local research by residence in the Forest of Dean. Should you be able to help me solidify this delightful romance with proper dates I would happily, as a professional writer supply you with an
article, or perhaps visit to do a talk (I am an experienced presenter). E-mail address provided
(1)During the winter of 1939-40 seeing officers of the 10th Hussars knocking on the doors of houses finding billets for the troops stationed in the town: the regiment were using 'Whippet' tanks
(2)after a scattering of bombs from a raider or raiders one night visiting the wreckage of a bomb damaged house by the railway bridge on the Newmarket/Wooditton road, by the road leading to the nearby Newmarket Station.
(3)on another occasion seeing the bomb damaged iron gates by the junction of the A1304/B1506 Bury Road; were these intended for Snailwell airfield I wonder?
(4) seeing a downed German bomber (possibly a Dornier 215/217) when cycling up Duchess Drive towards Cheveley - just poking into the strip of trees on the r/h side of the Drive and seemingly fairly intact. Guarded by a soldier unfortunately, so a close inspection was not possible. Could have passed close to Wooditton on the way down to a forced landing....
(5)I recall a number of Polish soldiers being based for a while in Newmarket - and seeing several Polish officers meeting some girls in the High Street and turning on the 'charm' - salutes, clicking of heels, bowing AND kissing hands; and the Yanks were yet to arrive - what chance did our lads stand?!
cjgetchell@aol.com
Subject: Richard Prince
Date: 31 May 2002 23:31
Dear Rod,
We have corresponded in the recent past about the tunnels of Newmarket in
general and the one under the Boyce House property in particular. I was
wondering if you have had a chance, yet, to inspect the old maps of the
Saxton Hall Manor for a clue to the beginnings of that tunnel.
I also have another question: Do you know where I could find biographical
details of the life of Richard Prince? He is one of my ancestors and was a
racehorse trainer with five Derby winners to his credit around the turn of
the 1800s. I'm afraid I can't find out much from California.
Any help would be appreciated.
Peace, Jean
For correspondence from May 2014 (page 9) select here
For correspondence from January 2013 - April 2014 (page 8) select here
For correspondence from January 2011 - December 2012 (page 7) select here
For correspondence from November 2008 - Decermber 2010 (page 6) - select here
For correspondence from January 2008 - November 2008 (Page 5) - select here
For correspondence from August 2005 - December 2007 (Page 4) - select here
For correspondence from June 2004 - August 2005 (page 3) - select here
For correspondence from July 2003 - May 2004 (page 2) - select here