Grandad won the Military Medal and was in The Green Howard's Regiment

Mr R Goode’s I was born here on Dec23rd 1945 at Alexander Terrace. My mother was Lilly Brown and father Harry Goode’s who came from Wellingborough. Alexander Terrace was built on a slope and a stream ran down from Thrapston Road and under the terraced houses through the town and out near The Bell pub and into Holly Walks. I recall bubbles of water under the varnish on the fireplace and being able to press them and then water being able to run freely which must have indicated the condition of the houses at that time.

My grandfather Arthur had a barn in Alexander Terrace where he made handmade shoes right from scratch. I remember how he used to draw round the outline of our feet with a pen and this was the pattern he would then use to construct our shoes. He actually worked for Binley shoe factory near to the Town Hall and I think that he used to work there from 7am to until six 6pm as well as Saturday morning.

Grandad won the Military Medal and was in The Green Howard’s Regiment. He came home one day just before the Second World War broke out and announced that he had joined the Royal Air force. He would have been in his late thirties at the time. He had been gassed with mustard gas during the First World War whilst in France and this had affected his long term health.

Schooldays The first memory I have of Finedon Infant’s School was of Miss Cook who I saw putting pictures above the coat pegs in the cloakroom which are I think still there today as we speak.
I remember that there was a classroom for Reception Children where there were little camp beds for the youngest to rest on in the afternoons. Miss Barker was the headmistress. We lived with my grandparents whilst my father was away fighting in Egypt during
the Second World War. When he returned we moved into a newly built house in Cromer Road.

I remember Jack Wells at the Junior School Miss Pratt, Mr. Munns and Mr. Clark. There was another teacher though who I disliked and who I saw as a bully. Jack Wells would sometimes give us sixpence as a reward for our knowledge. We used to go to church around Easter and listen to certain readings and then have a stamp put on our card for attendance .At the Senior School there was a headmaster called Jackson and a drama teacher called Mr. Huddard who I think was a relief teacher also a couple of other teachers who I disliked. We had a history teacher called Miss Lindley and a Miss Evans.

I was always interested in the natural world with snakes etc but I was never really encouraged and I feel sad about that. I remember rescuing birds with broken wings and those that had fallen out of their nest. I used to try and hand rear them and my mum used to put them in her bra to keep them warm.
There was a man called Durden who lived in the cottages opposite the old maids cottage. He used to make coffins from walnut with brass handles; they were really well made.

Arkie Childs was the Co-op Milkman and I have memories of him coming round with his horse and cart. I recall that when I was a child mum would buy sugar cubes so that I could feed cubes to his horse every day; even Christmas Day .Freddy Crane, another milkman, lost the top of his fingers through frostbite I heard.