Title suggestion from Dora, my Great Aunt, who very kindly wrote us a bit about the history of the land and Reynolds Close. Here is her message, typed through the fug of a heavy cold. Thank you, Dora!
Dear Kate and Nick,
You asked about how Reynolds Close came to be, at any rate my recollections unfettered by reference to sources. But I am copying to Fabian for his comments additions, corrections etc. as he has a better memory than me.
1919 Dad back from german prison, got a post with Agricultural Research Council at their Cambridge center to improve, by his trainimng in genetics, the various breeds of cabbage (later changed to chickens). Married Mother in January and started looking for a house, preferably outside Cambridge and near the ARC farm. So Girton obviuos choice. Mr Hall, a local farmer offered a shack in strip where the entrance now is to Gretton Court. Parents weren't too struck with it, corrugated iron roof, one storey, three or four small rooms only. They looked over the hedge, saw a large field with view of Madingly ridge, a high boundary (?enclosure) hedge and four stately elms. Decided to buy and build.
Got gov't subsidy for small dwellings, Therefore two large army huts. First house in 50 years to be built in Girton. Very hot summer and Mother pregnant with Joanna kept seeking shade under elm trees, while Dad layed out the garden with Irvine King's help. Wedding present, possibly from one of the dons in the big houses at Girton Corner, of two wheelbarrowfuls of plants immensely helpful. Heavy clay as you know. All very different from Surrey, ?Hampshire( Bedales), and Germany, where Dad organised prison garden.
House extended in 1950s with annexe from Mother's money. She had also bought cowfield inlate 1920's, so they had cows, goats, ducks and hens, two orchards. Mother was in charge of the dairy side.
House called Reynolds Close, as tribute to Grandfather Edward Reynolds Pease. Wedgwood family suggestion of "the Pod" turned down..
Mr Hall put his stockman, Walter Mathews, wife Elizabeth, and two sons , Cyril and ?John, in the cottage rejected by parents. In 1950/60's Hall wanted to evict them, so Dad bought the strip to safeguard them, and ccreated a thid orchard, once he had cleared out the very decrepit but yummily delicious greengage trees. Very soon the Matthews parents were given a council bungalow in the new St. Vincent Close, and and Dad was presented (?by Mother ) with a greenhouse, where he could grow tomatoes.
Dad died in 1966, and I think what with death duties, and wanting to run a smaller show, Mother and Bas ? and Joanna decidedto sell the Matthews' strip plus a chunk of Dad's garden and the land between it and the stream to the founders of Gretton Court.
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Excerpts from subsequent messages between Dora and Fabian (her brother, my Great Uncle):
Fabian: Dora has given a far fuller account than I could have done and I have nothing to add. One minor cavil which is that the Playroom was not an army hut but was put together later (dunno when) and is of inferior quality than was the original army hut which had been a 'sick quarters' as Dad claimed that the medics always got the best huts.
Dora: I think the playroom was a hut of that period, but I agree the "Army Hut" was far superior. My understanding was that it had been the VD clinic which is how Dad got it cheap. The original Reynolds Close had an earth closet in the Army Hut which Dad (very ecologically minded) always used and Fabian and I were supposed to use during the day. The WC was upstairs and for Mother's use.
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