It all happened in Sydenham

An agricultural community there saw the coming of the canals and the railway.

Then in the early 20th century a First World War fighter pilot started offering pleasure flights from there in some of the earliest aeroplanes.

The area even hosted the world famous Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1903.

But its most recent history has seen a massive increase in population with the building of the Sydenham Estate.

This year the Sydenham History Group, based at the SYDNI Centre, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the estate.

The group has published a book entitled ‘A Celebration of Sydenham’ telling the story of an area which, as Leamington Priors, was mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book.

It was in 1964 that the estate’s first houses and factory units were built. Now there are more than 2,000 homes, 60 factory units, three schools and two pubs.

It has become home to people from all over the world. The first immigrants were from the Indian sub-continent but in recent years people from Portugal, Sicily, Poland and other eastern European countries have moved in.

At the book launch in July an unexpected visitor was Peter Tickle, the nephew of Arthur Tickle who had farmed at Sydenham Farm from 1922 until 1959.

Peter had read the Courier article about the taster sketch ‘A Sydni Tickle’ that Mindy Chillery was to perform of Joan Tickle, Arthur’s wife, reminiscing with the spirits of the people that had been involved with Sydenham’s past.

The farm buildings first appeared on maps in 1887 but Arthur and JoanTickle took over the farm in the 1920s as tenants.

Then in 1954 Mr Tickle, who had become Alderman Tickle by that time, paid £12,000 for the farm.

During the 1940s Mr Tickle kept sheep and cows and grew potatoes and wheat. Mrs Tickle raised chickens.

During the Second World War an anti-aircraft gun was towed across the farm fields on a wheeled platform and placed on what is now Campion School car park.

During the potato harvest schools allowed pupils to help with the extra work. They collected the potatoes in wickerwork baskets.

But the times were changing and on April 3 1959 Arthur Tickle sold his herd of pedigree Dairy Shorthorns, the Radford Herd, at auction, together with all his farming stock and implements.

The land was sold to the builders A C Lloyd for the development of the Sydenham Estate, which was designed by the architect Sir Frederick Gibberd.

A Celebration of Sydenham is published by Sydni Books, price £4.95.