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		Construction of the New Road The flyover - in the1930's there was very high unemployment - Government started a programme of road improvements - including Watling Street. A classic example is the Dunstable cutting - the A5 into Dunstable had to go a longer way than it does now. Now they cut the cutting through the chalk. Early 1930's. They improved the A5 all the way down, there was a by-pass intended for Loughton. Where soil was excavated from Denbigh bridge up - was put in a great big heap behind Co-op, that was supposed to be the foundation for bridge. That was about 1938/1939. Beyond fire station (towards Stony Stratford) there is a wide chunk at the side, that was all bought, the hedge, fence, that was all part of the A5 renewal, all done before the war. Roadworks stopped with the war. so the bridge wasn't built until much later. Just before M1, it was a test bridge for M1 bridges. Got prestressed concrete beams, just the same as the bridges on the M1. Nice brick facing on it - that's what they spent the money on, but under this it's the same as the M1 bridges. Heap of earth was known as Wimpey's Hill. Gun emplacement on top during war. Between Mr Daniels cottage (up near The Bell) and cottages behind Talbot was a spare piece of land, wooden hut for Home Guard. 0.22 firing range at the back. Hut originally belonged to Shenley Cricket Club. After war, went to Bell field as a changing room for footballers. Watling Street was the boundary between Loughton and Shenley parishes. Boundary is now V4 - houses on V4 side of London Road had previously been Shenley, now Loughton. Changed in the late 1970's. Went to Shenley School. At 11, went to Bletchley generally. 11+. Passed, went to Wolverton. Tippling pole - it was there to stop people falling in the brook. Used to be open. Piped now, under front school field. Distantly related to Mr Daniels. Father's second cousin or something like that. Reasonably distant.
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