Rebecca Downham with her step-father Brian in Carlton Way. Rebecca Downham, step-daughter of Brian Downham, who was born at the Manor Farm in 1943 and lived there until its demolition, got in touch with us just before Christmas last year. It was a marvellous surprise for Andy, who had interviewed Brian several times in the very early days of the Arbury Archive. 'I was very nervous about starting the Archive,' he says. 'It was a big undertaking, but Sallie Purkis was very encouraging. She had been a great power behind the 'Arbury 1980' project and the 1981 book, Arbury is where we live! , knew a tremendous amount about the district as a teacher, historian and author, and she was very keen for an Arbury Archive to be established. She was very kind. Brian at work - sheep shearing time. A relative of Brian had contributed to the Arbury 1980 project and the 1981 Arbury is where we live! book and Andy was eager to hear Brian's memories. Andy recalls: 'When I ...
The Cambridge and St Ives Branch railway line is now the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway. Where was King's Hedges historically? How did the name come about? Why is the majority of King's Hedges Road no more historic than late 1970s - and nothing to do with the course of the original road? What have council planners of the 1960s and 1970s and the needs of motorists got to do with the King's Hedges presence in the historic Arbury district? All will be revealed... We're going to leave Arbury briefly and go to King's Hedges. No, not King's Hedges Ward/King's Hedges Estate (AKA North Arbury) - that area is, in reality, one of the most Arbury of Arbury areas in Cambridge historically, but the REAL King's Hedges. North of the Guided Busway. You see, the land north of Arbury Road is the site of the Arbury Camp, the Arbury/Harborough (a variation on the Arbury name) Meadows and Furlongs and the Arbury fields of Manor Farm. It has absolutely nothing to do with...