The National Forest’s LANDshapes project interview with Gordon Beardsley

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LANt008 Gordon Beardsley
LANDshapes Oral History interview summary

Can you remember when a bomb dropped on Melbourne? Gordon Beardsley talks about his life in the Melbourne area of The National Forest. 'Planes seem to provide a thought provoking link in this recording, from the Luftwaffe to the passenger airliner that you can hear passing overhead. Gordon relates his memories of the effects of war on the area and talks of the time that a bomb was dropped on Melbourne killing 9 people. He recalls how his school was made into a gas cleansing centre "there were several classrooms filled with showers - so if they [the Luftwaffe] ever did drop gas we could get showered off". Listen to memories of Melbourne's well-known market gardening industry and hear a strange tale of 'serendipity' when Oral Historian Roger Kitchen discovers that he is staying that night in Gordon's old home!

Interviewer: Roger Kitchen.
Interview Date: 22/02/2005
Landshape Zone: Melbourne Parklands
Parish: Melbourne
Location: Melbourne, Derbyshire,
Date of birth:1928
Location of Original: Originals held with The National Forest Company.
Reference LANt008

Last updated: 15/9/2005
East Midland Oral History Archive Web maintainer
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