Timeline 1931-Present Day

1931 Loughton population was 363. 1931 Mrs. Firth and John Nicholson were both residents of London Road. Miss Chapell was a District Nurse . Herbert Edwards was a Butcher. Cpt.John Harrison owned The Fountain Hotel, last entry 1935. Arthur James Anderton Poole ran theTalbot Inn. 1932 Mr. Henry Jenkins, Shenley's milk and egg retailer was killed on London Road. There were several more deaths on London Road during the 1930s and the crossroads became a notorious black spot. The villagers were promised a by-pass but it was delayed by the war years and did not become a reality until 1955. The London Road crossroads was a dangerous corner Accidents happened with great frequency. In the time that CaptainJohn Harrison had ownership of the Fountain it became known as a Hotel rather than an Inn., although the signs advertising it called it the 'Inn that is Different'. This picture shows Withdene sporting its neon sign. This was the house where Don Foxley was born. His father Percy rented the property to The Fountain for many years. The terminology "The Inn that is Different" lasted for many years and Roger Smith even recalls one of the signs along Watling Street had a deliberate spelling mistake at one time to read 'The Inn that was Differant'. It was during these years that the rich and famous used to patronise the Fountain , often arriving by aeroplane. If they circled the Inn three times a chauffeur would go and meet them from the small airfield at Shenley Brook End .(Don Foxley and Frank Daniels make reference to this in their interviews). This shows the card that Cpt. Harrison would have handed out to his prestigious customers. This photograph may well have been "doctored" to show a plane actually circling the Fountain. 1935 Herbert Fraser Edwards was listed as a shopkeeper on London Road. There is no mention of William Foxley at this time. Frederick Arthur Finn ran the Talbot Inn. Arthur Edward Freegard ran the Bell Inn until the 1940s. 1938 First telephone at the Talbot Inn. Telephone number Shenley Church End 227. 1947 Don Foxley remembers being in a convoy of tanks that passed along London Road. He waved to the shopkeeper of the Co-op who was standing on his front step wearing his long white apron. Click here to listen 1948 Bell Inn demolished 1955 London Road by-pass completed when the fly over was finally constructed at the crossroads. The construction of this was a prototype for the bridges over the M1.(Frank Daniels) 1959 The M1 Britain's first length of motorway links N. Bucks. To London and the Midlands.This seriously affected the trade at the Talbot refreshment rooms. Coaches opted to use the faster and more direct route down the M1. 1961 Memorial Cottages handed over to the Rural District Council. Renovations to include hot water system and internal WC. 1965 Mrs. Betty Fletcher became post lady for Loughton and a small part of Shenley Church End. She eventually retired in 1986 after 21 years. 1967 New Town Development corporation set up to oversee the advent of Milton Keynes. 1968 Population of designated area of Milton Keynes 40,000. 1970? Extension built on to the Fountain. 1973 Mr. Jackson's appeal against property rates for his house on London Road.(Wolverton Express 2/3/73). 1975 Population of Milton Keynes 64,000. 1976 Mac Foxley's photograph of the Fountain featured on a local calendar. 1977 Landscaping proves problem for 12 new houses on London Road. ( Milton Keynes Gazette 25/11/77). 1980 A5D dual carriageway complete. 1985 Road opposite the Fountain built. 1985 Regulars give up their battle to stop the 14th century Fountain pub and restaurant in Loughton from being converted to a Harvester steakhouse at a cost of £250,000.(Milton Keynes Gazette 13/9/85). 1987 Loughton County Combined School opened. 1988 Petition against plans to build a new 40 bed Trusthouse Forte hotel next to the Fountain.(Citizen 11/2/88). Hotel bid rejected.(Gazette 17/3/88). 1996 The old Co-op shop on London road, now Jardines the Chemist and the local Post Office move to Shenley Church End new local centre at Benbow Court. The shop is left derelict. 1997 Population of Milton Keynes is 163,775 Population of Loughton is 2,235 2000 Yet another new face lift for the Fountain.

The Fountain 2000

2000 Estimated population for Loughton - 2,590.

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