Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Way We Were

White City, London

While it's absolutely fascinating to read the stories of 40s/50s/60s Inner London childhood and the local characters of those days :

"Miss Knight who became Mrs Howie once took myself and three other pupils to her home for tea. I had too much Tizer and was sick on her sofa."

"Our milkman was Dai Jones who had a dairy opposite the Latimar Upper playing fields in Wood Lane. His dog ate our budgie! "

"During the air raids we would go down the shelters that lay between the u-bend shape of Phipps House. I can remember when I was four going down from the top floor and going in the shelters. I never liked the smell of them, but we had a lot of fun in ours with people playing the accordian and having a good old sing-song."
"Mr Garnett our Welsh Headmaster who was in his glory if the school excelled at any sports, such happy days, as was Christopher Wren especially Mr Ryder my 1st year form teacher, an inspiration to all that had the good fortune to know him. To read the tales of the General Smuts/shop owners/nanny no noes the toffee apple man plus numerous names and mates "you could write a book" about it all, but there was a sense of adventure/achievement and loyalty that came from that wonderful Estate, little crime, respect for teachers/elders and law and order (but I did love scrumping apples from the gardens near Wormholt Park) that was about the extreme extent of our law breaking."
(mind, you did get a few posters who used to go 'shopping without money')



not only has that world disappeared, but most of the people have gone too.

"... walked through Shepherds Bush market where we used to walk to get the bus when I was a teenager. My wife and I were the only white faces throughout the market and we were the only people speaking English"
"we now live in Bracknell"

"Moved to Brighton"

"Sunbury-on-thames"

"Hounslow"

"Hanwell"

"St Albans"

"Welwyn"

"Northolt"

"Greenford"

"Tring"

"We're spread all over the world nowadays"

"Greetings from across the pond"

"I now live in Perth, Western Australia"

"I've lived in Canada for over 40 years "