Hi, I used to live at 327 Vicarage Road in the mid 1950’s to about 1960, when we had to move out due to the impending demolition of the prefabs. (A cluster of 6). Compared to the terraced house in Dawlish Road that we had moved from, our prefab was an absolute palace! It even had an Anderson shelter in the garden that I used as a den.
I was only about 6 or 7 years old and attended Colmore Road Infants and Junior School.
One of my favourite pastimes was to go train spotting at the Pineapple railway bridge where it adjoined Fordhouse Lane. I also used to run around with my mates in Reeves Road ‘Little Park', the waste ground at the end of Millbrook Close that ran up to the backs of the houses on Kings Road (and the ‘Radio’ factory), and of course around the fields at the top of the clay pit – sometimes actually down into the pit to catch newts and frogs in the ponds there.
There used to be a row of shops along the top of Allens Croft and the Pineapple Island. I can’t remember the Dry Cleaner’s name (Martins?), but this was next to The Hazelwell Fish & Chip Shop, Fred Wood’s Radio & TV shop, Sadlers newspapers, sweets, cigarettes etc, then a hardware shop, with a wool & knitting shop right at the end of the row. I used to love doing errands using my ‘soapbox’ trolley to call at one of these shops.
When I was about 11 or 12 years old I used to do a paper-round, collecting my newspapers from Adnams the Newsagents/Tobacconists that used to be on the corner of Allens Croft and Hill Croft Road. I think 12/6d a week was the best paying round that I did, but that was the morning and evening deliveries Mon-Sat, plus Sunday morning!
My mates and I also used to visit the rubber factory (Capon Heatons) at the bottom of the Fordrough to scavenge rubber brake blocks etc from the stuff that they chucked out. Occasionally we would also go to the Saturday morning ABC Minors shows at the Pavilion, or Savoy Cinemas – for 3 old pence you could scream your head off at the baddies for an hour or two! If we felt exceptionally bored we’d have an expedition to Lifford Lane ’Rezzer’ (Reservoir) or have a walk along the Grand Union cut by John Sturge’s limestone processing factory, where we would maybe try our luck at tiddler fishing.
Aaah – the good old days!!!
I lived in Benfield Crescent - off the Cartland Rd.It was an estate of Pre-fabs( Jerry-built i was told).I remember they all had large gardens, the idea being to encourage tennants to grow their own veg as the country were on rations after the war!Althogh they were a temporary dwelling my family lived there for 35 years.Does anybody remember the Rubber mill at the bottom of Newlands park.We used to go and beg for the rubber magnets they used to make.- Kevin.
