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Chesham objects in other collections

Have you spotted an object associated with Chesham in another museum? If so, we would love to know about it. Chiltern Toys had a factory making wooden and other toys in Waterside, Chesham until the outbreak of WWII. This Chiltern Toys bear is in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

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Chesham Stories

Daisy Rose Hunt (nee Puddephatt):
Teenage years

I went to work at the age of fourteen years at Lewis's Brush Factory just up the side road opposite The Nashleigh Arms Pub. I always loved housework so I decided to answer an advert "Wanted Housemaid". I got the job and left the brush factory, my boss said "if you don't like it you can always come back". I did like it, but missed my freedom as I only had half a day a week and a separate night a week off. The money was wonderful and the food delicious and I got on well with The Lady of the House, the cook and the chauffeur. But I went back to the brush factory and eventually the Second World War came and I was sent to High Wycombe on War Munitions, not my choice but the government's. We had to go into lodgings as the bus service was too poor for me to travel home to Chesham Vale each day. The government paid some of our rent for us. I found out I could get special exemption and return to Chesham, because having lost my mother at the age of eleven years I had been cooking and cleaning for my father and brothers ever since and now they were finding it hard to care for themselves. So I went before a "Court Tribunal" and I was allowed to return home.

I went to the British Legion dances sometimes and there were two cinemas in Chesham, The Astoria in the Broadway and The Embassy in Red Lion Street, sadly all gone now. Sometimes we would go to The Regent cinema up in Amersham-on-the-Hill. On sunny days we would stroll sedately through the avenue of elm trees in Lowndes Park pretending to ignore the boys! Our family couldn't afford holidays so instead we would have the odd day out at the seaside by local coach.

Daisy Rose Hunt (nee Puddephatt)

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