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[5] Christine Reason: real life story 1939

Christine's portrait on a Christmas greetings card.
Christine’s portrait on a Christmas greetings card.

This idyllic childhood came to an end on 3rd September 1939, when war was declared against Germany.
Yes this was my real life story 1939.

A few weeks before the outbreak of hostilities during the summer holidays, my Mother and I left London, never to return, and travelled to Buckinghamshire to stay with my Haydon grandparents, and so that I could be a bridesmaid for my Aunt Edna’s Wedding to Robert Brown on 3 September 1939 (see picture below).
I believe that she made the dress for me to wear, which was pale turquoise, and her dress and jacket were in the same colour, with wine red hat, gloves etc.

Uncle Bob was a craftsman in wrought iron, and together with his brother, David, owned a blacksmith’s forge in the village of Chalfont St. Peter.
As well as shoeing the occasional horse, Bob designed and made gates of intricate design, one commission being from the then Duchess of Kent, whose residence was in Iver, Bucks.
A commemorative plaque can also be seen in the village which was made by Bob.
They also made lampstands, grates and the tools for open fires.
I used to love to watch them at work in the forge, using bellows to bring the fire up to heat, and in later years, using acetylene welding equipment.

1936 Grandfather Rev John Haydon with Christine.
1936 Grandfather Rev John Haydon with Christine Whitehead.

Edna was the fourth Haydon daughter, and was in her thirties at the time of her marriage.
They had a new house built for them up Joiner’s Lane, which was not far from the forge.

My grandfather had been Baptist Minister at Gold Hill, Chalfont St. Peter from 1928 to 1932.

Goldhill Common now (2017) at Chalfont St. Mary.
Goldhill Common now (2017) at Chalfont St. Mary.

After he retired in 1935, he and my grandmother came back to live there in a detached house overlooking Gold Hill common, called ‘Hampden’, (after the Puritan John Hampden)?

1939 Bob Brown and Edna Haydon's wedding on the day war broke out.jpg
1939 Bob Brown & Edna Haydon’s wedding.

For next article see: [6] Christine Reason: real life story 1939 to 1940

Or the first in this series: [1] Christine Reason: My story, the years 1922 to 1930

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Published 5 March 2012By Christine Reason
Categorised as Real life stories Tagged Christine Reason, real life story 1930's

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[4] Christine Reason: pre-war story 1936 to 1938

Quote from the bible:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:16-18

All quotes from the Bible are from the New International Version unless it says otherwise.

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