Diaries Capturing Barford in conversation to build a unique picture of our lives today.

Conversation with: Hadley Marsh, Site Manager, Taylor Wimpey Nursery Meadow
Date: 30.04.2015
Location: Taylor Wimpey, Nursery Meadow

Diary Entry: Recording by Edward Kirkby. Hadley Marsh approached me as I was walking on site. His first concern was that I was walking around the site without a Hard Hat on, so we hurriedly went off to find me a Hard Hat. He wasn't at all aggressive, in fact he was quite chatty and turned out to be quite an emissary for Taylor Wimpey. It was a cold and wet morning and I had arranged to meet Sarah Farr from Taylor Wimpey Marketing at 11:00am, but she was a little late, which gave me the opportunity to chat to Hadley. The noise you can hear is that of a very larger bulldozer, which was operating very close to where we were chatting as you can see from the photograph. I have now bought myself a Hard Hat, for my next chat with Hadley...!!!

Conversation with: People in the queue at the Taylor Wimpey Nursery Meadow Launch
Date: 16.05.2015
Location: Taylor Wimpey Nursery Meadow

Diary Entry: The sales office opened today at 11:00. I arrived at about 11:20 and there was already a queue of thirty plus people with cars to match.

A good cross section of ages in the queue from single people to couples with babes and some with young children and also some middle aged people.

The weather was warm and sunny and people were in good spirits, happy to have the opportunity of buying a home in Barford.

Apparently Taylor Wimpey were launching six houses today, presumably to sell 'off-plan'. I didn't go into the sales office as they were obviously very busy.

This was actually my first attempt at interviewing people on the street so to speak, and I was a little nervous to start with, but then a saw Mark and Amanda Griffin and their Daughter Evie in the queue so I took advantage of a friendly face. Most people were happy to chat, although some refused, I think perhaps they didn't want people to know they were there...!!!

Conversation with: Amanda Griffin
Date: 28.09.2015
Location: New Mill House, High Street

Diary Entry: Barford lost its last remaining shop when Barford News and Post Office was sold in February 2005. The shop was closed for 6 months and then re-opened by a tenant, who attempted to run the shop but lived some way away so opening hours were limited and the stock range was restricted. Some newspapers were finally sold but the Post Office never re-opened.

The shop closed for the second time in February 2006. A Parish Meeting was held in May 2006 with a unanimous vote that Barford wanted to reinstate the village shop. As a result, the Barford Village Shop Action Group was formed, which set up small parties of volunteers to look at possible locations, which services and stock the village wanted and how it could be funded.

Amanda Griffin was one of the original team of five people who setup the New Barford Village Shop and here is her story...

Conversation with: Kirsty Healey
Date: 20.11.2015
Location: 22 Keytes Lane

Diary Entry: Barford lost its last remaining shop when Barford News and Post Office was sold in February 2005. The shop was closed for 6 months and then re-opened by a tenant, who attempted to run the shop but lived some way away so opening hours were limited and the stock range was restricted. Some newspapers were finally sold but the Post Office never re-opened.

The shop closed for the second time in February 2006. A Parish Meeting was held in May 2006 with a unanimous vote that Barford wanted to reinstate the village shop. As a result, the Barford Village Shop Action Group was formed, which set up small parties of volunteers to look at possible locations, which services and stock the village wanted and how it could be funded.

Kirsty Healey was one of the original team of five people who setup the New Barford Village Shop and here is her story...

Conversation with: John Murphy
Date: 28.11.2015
Location: 4 Bridge Street

Diary Entry: John Murphy was born in Birkenhead on Merseyside at a very early age...!!!

Apparently his mother foretold at an equally very early age that John would become a vet, which of course he eventually did. The family moved to North Wales and then on to Mickle Trafford in Cheshire. An interesting fact about Mickle Trafford is the A56 from Chester to Warrington passes through it, which perhaps gave John the idea of the benefits of a 'bye-pass' who knows?

John moved to Barford in 1979 and has become a key figure in the community and in the Joint Parish Council.

My chat with John covers part of his early life and a 'run-in' with a Triang cycle, and a couple of interesting characters called Phil and Den. We then go on to chat about life in Barford and why he joined the JPC and John's vision for Barford.

I hope this gives the listener a glimpse into the person behind the very public face of John Murphy.

Conversation with: Mrs Theresa Simpson
Date: 17.01.2016
Location: 4 Canon Park Road

Diary Entry: The Nursery Meadow development was launched on the 11th July 2015 with some 60 odd hourses for sale with prices ranging from £235k to £600k. The Nursery Meadow got its name as for many years is was the home of Sherbourne Nursery, which moved to Barford from Sherbourne where it was orignally located in 2002 on the Smith-Rylands Estate. Sherbourne Nursery was partly owned by Rodney Deeley until he retired.

Nursery Meadow was a fairly controversial development at the time as it was seen that 60 plus houses being built in an 18 month period would have a material impact on the community of Barford as it would struggle to intergrate such a large number of people in such a short period of time. Plus there was concern over whether Barford's infrastucture would cope, not to mention the increased traffic flows. The development was also, (then) outside the Village Envelope and there had been a statement made when the Bye-Pass was built that there would be no infill between Barford Village and the Bye-Pass, which this development obviously was.

Barford is a good place to live, which has been recognised in national surveys where it was rated as one of the top 100 places in England to live, it was also listed as one of the top ten places to live in a Midlands survey. These were due, in part at least, to the School and the Community Shop, both of which were mentioned by many of the people in the queue for the sales office when Taylor Wimpey launched the sale of the first five houses.

After saying all this, houses are about people and in some cases families, and places for them to feel secure and safe and in the case of the Nurseery Meadow in Barford to be part of a community. This is an introduction to one of the new residents of Nursery Meadow, Mrs Theresa Simpson and why she moved to Barford in December 2015...

Conversation with: Mrs Janet Peacock
Date: 18.01.2016
Location: 14 Canon Park Road

Diary Entry: The Nursery Meadow development was launched on the 11th July 2015 with some 60 odd hourses for sale with prices ranging from £235k to £600k. The Nursery Meadow got its name as for many years is was the home of Sherbourne Nursery, which moved to Barford from Sherbourne where it was orignally located in 2002 on the Smith-Rylands Estate. Sherbourne Nursery was partly owned by Rodney Deeley until he retired.

Nursery Meadow was a fairly controversial development at the time as it was seen that 60 plus houses being built in an 18 month period would have a material impact on the community of Barford as it would struggle to intergrate such a large number of people in such a short period of time. Plus there was concern over whether Barford's infrastucture would cope, not to mention the increased traffic flows. The development was also, (then) outside the Village Envelope and there had been a statement made when the Bye-Pass was built that there would be no infill between Barford Village and the Bye-Pass, which this development obviously was.

Barford is a good place to live, which has been recognised in national surveys where it was rated as one of the top 100 places in England to live, it was also listed as one of the top ten places to live in a Midlands survey. These were due, in part at least, to the School and the Community Shop, both of which were mentioned by many of the people in the queue for the sales office when Taylor Wimpey launched the sale of the first five houses.

After saying all this, houses are about people and in some cases families, and places for them to feel secure and safe and in the case of the Nurseery Meadow in Barford to be part of a community. This is an introduction to one of the new residents of Nursery Meadow, Mrs Janet Peacock and why she moved into Barford on the 20th October 2015...

Conversation with: Rod Scott
Date: 17.02.2016
Location: 37 Dugard Place

Diary Entry: Barford lost its last remaining shop when Barford News and Post Office was sold in February 2005. The shop was closed for 6 months and then re-opened by a tenant, who attempted to run the shop but lived some way away so opening hours were limited and the stock range was restricted. Some newspapers were finally sold but the Post Office never re-opened.

The shop closed for the second time in February 2006. A Parish Meeting was held in May 2006 with a unanimous vote that Barford wanted to reinstate the village shop. As a result, the Barford Village Shop Action Group was formed, which set up small parties of volunteers to look at possible locations, which services and stock the village wanted and how it could be funded.

Rod Scott was one of the original team of five people who setup the New Barford Village Shop and here is his story...