Saturday 6 April 2013

Memories: The House That Father Built.



Lane End, Lingfield, Surrey. UK.


The multi-roofed house in the middle-ish of the above picture is where the young Cro spent much of his formative years; roughly from the age of about 4 to 14.

Unlike the other houses in the road, ours was built in the middle of the garden; set well back from the road. Much more sensible.

My father designed the house on the back of an envelope, then called in a local architect (a Mrs Swann) to draw it up with straight lines, etc. I think the house was eventually built circa 1950. I do actually remember the building stage; I remember the scaffolding, and piercing my knee with a very large misplaced nail (I still have the huge scar).

In our day there were chickens, bantams, ducks, and geese at the far end of the garden. There was a good sized vegetable garden, a small hazel-nut orchard, and plenty of fruit trees dotted around; I notice that all this has now gone. It was very much a post-war home, where 'Digging for Victory' was still practised (albeit by our gardener, Fuller).

The house itself has been added-on-to a bit recently, and some of father's adherence to classic local design has been lost; but it still feels like 'home' to me, and (in my eyes) still a beautiful place to live.


I've had to boot-up an ancient computer to find this photo. I also had to photograph the image on-screen; hence the bad quality. This picture was taken from the pathway on the left of the house in the top picture.

When I look back at my time spent in Lingfield, I realise why I do so many of the things I now do myself; the life-style it offered was certainly worth copying. I wonder if any of my own children will end-up reflecting the life-style of their early years spent here in France?

Father never built another house; one was enough.


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20 comments:

  1. Oh for the memories of our childhood. Some good,some bad. I never think to go and see where I lived as I was growing up. My memories weren't so great. I also have never been attached to any of the houses I've lived in. For some strange reason I have just never found one where I really feel 'at home' I wonder if I ever will as it looks like I'll be needing to find a place for myself in the future. Then again ... I'll be able to please myself, won't I? That might be the clincher. Can you imagine when the undertaker comes to take me away. I've finally found where I want to be. Yes ... I can see it..... Legs on the door jams ... refusing to leave! haha! Sue

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    1. Sue. Our funny 300 year old cottage, where we now live, is far too small, inconvenient, and very hard work. But it's the most friendly all-embracing home I've ever lived in. I've owned big houses, huge houses, and tiny houses, but this one is (without question) the best.

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  2. It looks like a great place for a boy to grow up, somewhere to climb, hide and run.
    I was interested by Maa's comment, as I too, have never been attached to any of my houses. I guess I'm just a nomad at heart.

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  3. What a lovely home. I grew up in a much smaller place, but this house I'm in now has more space - it is where my kids have grown up.
    I love the trees in the front!

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  4. It has a sort of similarity to the place I grew up in, but ours wasn't built by our father. Do you go back to it in your dreams too?

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    1. Certain parts of it turn up regularly. There was a 'box room' that I dream about quite often.

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  5. I was surprised to see that the architect was a woman. That was not very common back in the 50's (nor now, even).

    You grew up in a lovely home and I thought it nice that you copied the lifestyle that the home brought to you.

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    1. Funnily I never thought that odd; but now you mention it...

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  6. Looks idyllic!

    My father finally decided to build his own place. The only way he could do it to beat planning regulations was to buy two derelict cottages (he had to incorporate them into the new building) and for the duration, we lived in two caravans. We washed out of buckets, the water collected from a well, slept under mountains of blankets during the winter, caught trout out of the lake and accompanied the farmer from whom we had rented the caravans (which were on his land) lamping for rabbit. Every Sunday they invited us over for Sunday lunches I will never forget. It was marvellous for us boys.

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    1. A boy's dream. And how about the finished house?

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    2. It was terrific. Open countryside, set in a valley with a series of lakes ideal for walking the dogs. I had to report for basic training with the Light Infantry at Sir John Moore Barracks before the house was finished but it was always a 'safe haven' for me when I was on leave. The winter of 78/79 was particularly bad and all roads were blocked so I slogged thirteen miles cross country at 2am in a blizzard from the train station to get home and make the most of my weekend pass. Father was incensed but I could tell, secretly, he was proud of me.

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  7. There was one special house in my childhool and my father and grandfathers designed AND built it...while nothing as grand as the one your father designed. Since that time I have never felt any attachement to a place although this house is beginning to grow on me just in time for our plans to leave it and move on to the next phase in our lives.

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    1. I don't think father actually got his hands dirty during the construction, although he probably did most of the original tree planting.

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  8. Our children have fond memories of our home here, and some nightmares to I presume. We used them as slave labor (their words) for the full year it took us to build our house. But funny how that is one of the first ways they introduce newbies to the Compound; "We built it ourselves."
    Your home looks more like a mansion! Very nice and well done.

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    1. Not a mansion at all, but a very pleasant home.

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    2. I had no intention to offend, and sorry if I did. It is a beautiful home, and I like that it is in the middle of the lot instead of at the front like the rest. It is a lovely home. You did say they had added on to it since you were there.

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  9. A perfect place to ramble and roam. You were blessed.

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  10. It is a shame they have (in my opinion) ruined it with the huge extensions, also that NONE of gardens has vegies any more. I see Auntie's house has been extended in that photo.

    The trees in front do look good. If I ever save enough pennies to get back to Blighty I must go have a look.

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  11. What great memories you must have.

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