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"Ipswich"

I'm thinking of moving near Ipswich, as part of the company I work with are relocating to Marlesham Heath.
Could anyone tell me if this is a nice area, and what the best places to live within a 15 mile radius of Martlesham Heath are?

I used to live in Harrow Road Langley from 1957 until 1974, it was my mum and dad's first house as we had lived in a relatives house before and even though to my mum it was a small house and very cold, there was only one fire in the living room at the time, it was a great house and neighbourhood, the people were very friendly and we were happy there at the time.

i went to what is now called Langleywood but used to be called Langley Secondary Modern, my friends and i used to have great fun, as they used to have a fair every year in the rec as we called it, dont know if they still have one but it used to be excellent.

I cant quite remember if the pond was still there at the time but we were all told stories about it being a witches ducking pool, whether that was right or wrong i dont know but it was interesting to hear the tales.

I also worked by Langley rail station in a caravan for the local taxi company, before they got a proper office and it was great fun, it was a bit unnerving at night though sometimes as the pub was just across the road and they used to bang on the doorshouting they wanted a cab but i knew that the drivers would rush back to help if trouble started. I also did a stint as a special constable and really enjoyed it, i wouldn't have liked it now as things are a lot rougher but at the time it was fun as well as serious.

Thank you for creating a nice website on Langley. I came to Langley as a small boy in 1958. My father was an estate manager for the LCC (the forerunner of the GLC) and he was working on the new residential estates. Slough had many new residents, drawn by work opportunities on the Slough Trading Estate.
Langley was then a fairly new residential estate, built in the early fifties to house those displaced by the aftermath of the bombing and the consequent road and building development in London. He told me that many people who had been offered been offered a house in Langley were displaced by the building of the M40 and the Westway in West London.
Langley Estate continued to be developed and finished throughout the fifties, and what is now called Kederminster Park, between Reddington Drive and the A4, was undeveloped open ground and still contained a big dilapidated house somewhat similar to Langley Hall in your photo (the big coach gates to the houseI think are still there, just a few yards before Langley Grammar School on the A4.)
My father went onto tell me that it was always important to make people who have just moved not miss their former homes too much, even though the Langley houses were considerably better than slum houses from where they came. Just to make them feel at home though, the Langley estate houses were built with outside toilets, would you believe (there was a perfectly modern one on the upstairs floor, so the outside loo was good for storing lawnmowers and things. They must have all been ripped out now, surely!)

I remember that pond in the village too. It must have been there until 1960 at least.

Slough has always been developing by drawing immigrants. Many residents today are Asian but I went to school (St Ethelberts and Slough Grammar School) with many children who were the first generation of Polish people displaced by the 2nd World war. Many classmates were called Bogush, or similar.

Thank you again for creating a nice website on Langley.

Peter Rainey
(formerly of Langley Broom Ave, Langley - 1958 - 1969)

Hello again, I didn't have time to read all the information on your website, I now have gone a bit further.
As far as I can remember, the War Memorial was partly demolished by a boy-racer, a few years ago, before it was moved to its present site.
It may have been in the wrong place, as far as road users were concerned, but Nov.11 made all users at least stop for a while,if not to think what they were stopped for!
There are quite a lot of Langley folk, still around, who know what the village was really like 50yrs ago.
Where I live, the original lamp-posts, concrete, were changed for more up-to-date ones recently, and my son said "Oh no, another bit of my childhood memories gone".The fact that we can now see much better, if we do venture out in the dark, is a bonus.

I just had to write yesterday, because you make Langley sound a lot more desirable than it now actually is,almost like a travel brochure. Unfortunately the village is no longer a village, no pond, and lots of other changes as well, the powers that be

took the pond away a long time ago, do you remember that being there?

Langley has grown to such an extent, in 48yrs, and sadly it is not served well by the council to which we HAVE to pay our rates, namely the dreaded Slough. As I said yesterday, the buses no longer give people, especially those who live north of the Langley Road, a very good service.

Whoever makes the decisions on Bus routing gives no consideration to the many residents, who can not even get a bus which goes through the Main Road to Langley. Most buses now go all round the houses to the West of the village or South, round the council estates, and leaves the rest alone, and try carrying your shopping home, if you live in one of the areas to which I refer!!

Thanks for your reply, you may regret hearing from me, as I do resent a lot of the changes that have been foisted on we residents of Langley, without a thought on the part of the council,who are quick enough to take our extortionate tax,but give not a lot back.

A.E.Walsham

From: astrid walsham

I have just gone to your site on Langley and am totally gobsmacked, to read there, that the village has a"range" of shops .

Without meaning to be rude, may I ask when YOU last shopped in Langley Village? The only "shops" we have are a greengrocer, butcher, chemist, the Post Office,an optician,which is hardly used on a daily basis by residents, far too many & various eating/fastfood establishments, 3 hairdressers, and far,far,far too many estate agents, OH!!! and,a very manky 5th rate Budgens.

While these may seem to cover most requirements of Langley residents, you can be sure they most assuredly DO NOT. Not a shoeshop, dress or suit shop, we have very little choice in Langley. Yes we could go to Slough but, have you tried to get a bus which runs all along Langley Rd.? I think not!

I speak only of what is available(?) in what was considered the old village, as it was known 48 yrs ago, when I first lived here. I grant that the place has grown considerably with the passing years, but well served for shops? I dont think so!!!

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I'm thinking of moving near Ipswich, as part of the company I work with are relocating to Marlesham Heath.
Could anyone tell me if this is a nice area, and what the best places to live within a 15 mile radius of Martlesham Heath are?