10 Ditton Fields

History of 10 Ditton Fields

Source Cambridge Directories:

1939

William Kitchener, b 1886, L N E railway guard

Elizabeth H, b 1890

Maud B, b 1870, unable to work

Ronald L, b 1915, instrument maker Granta Works air ministry

Walter H, b 1919, painter and decorator

Reginald A C, b 1922, laboratory assistant Dept Pharmacology

?

Kenneth A, b 1928

In ‘Memories of Abbey and East Barnwell’ Ken Kitchener described his early life: The Kitchener family lived at 44 Ditton Walk [?] and I was born in March 1928, the youngest of the family… As a very small boy my first memories of the aerodrome were of autogyros coming over, which to me looked like large spiders, and my reaction was to run down the garden path and hide in our house. … The entrance to the aerodrome was down an unmade up lane, known by local as Cut Throat Lane, which is still there, being the back entrance to Cambridge United football ground. This led past the Aero Club barn to a five-bar gate which prevented the public wandering into the aerodrome, but to me, this was my vantage point to see the flying. At times air pageants were held, to which I was drawn and was thrilled to watch the aerobatics, flour bombing etc that took place. I well remember the visit of Monsieur Mignet’s Flying Flea Aircraft in about 1936 … Because the use of the aerodrome had increase i… it was decided to move further along Newmarket Road, this took place in 1937/38 and I was present with many others at the official opening by Sir Kingsley Wood of the new Teversham aerodrome, which was marked by the visit of 19 Squadrons new Spitfires from Duxford…. I achieved my ambition of working on and flying in aeroplanes of my childhood, joining Marshalls in 1943, retiring in 1993.

Marie Clark moved here with her family, probably in the 1940s.

1962

Kenneth Brigham