Fond memories
I have very fond memories of growing up as a kid in The Avenue. I was always playing out on the green at the bottom, by the shops, with all the other kids from the neighbourhood. I lived at number 24, just up the road from the shops. During my time there I saw so many changes. Even though I was young I can still remember Alex the greengrocer, Marilyn who used to own the convenience store and Margaret who owned it afterwards, Brian and Rena with the post office/ sweet shop- it’s a shame they all got sold and turned into Nisa.
Summer fair on the green
Does anyone remember Pat who used to work in the sweet shop? I think my fondest memory of the Avenue is my dog Elsa- she used to take herself off for walks. I can remember her being chased by the dog catcher on several occasions. She was well known by many people in the neighbourhood. The Avenue used to have such an amazing family community feel to it, especially when the church had its summer fair on the green. It’s a shame that it’s all changed.
Do you remember?
Did you once live around The Avenue? Do you remember the shops? Maybe you live there now? If you can share your memories or views with us, please leave a comment below.
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I lived in Colbourne Avenue between 1959 & 1967 with my parents and grandparents. I was 9 years old in 1966 and this was about the time I used to go to The Avenue to play football with my friends. It was a fabulous area as the grass was nice and it was quite a way from the road so it was safe. You could usually get a few other boys to make up a couple of teams and down went the jumpers and coats and a game got underway. My Nan’s sister and her husband, Queenie and Will Stimson, lived along The Avenue and as a small boy we used to sometimes have Sunday tea at their house. In those days we wore our Sunday best and kept on our best behaviour, it really was the days of ‘seen but not heard’. My parents Eileen and Dennis were married at St Andrews in 1950 just up the road on Hillside. The white building on the left of the picture above (number 79 Southall Avenue) was our Doctor’s surgery, I remember Dr Smith, Dr Savery and Dr Purchase. It had been a Doctors since the Second World War. One funny story that I always remember was that my Mum was returning home from work one afternoon across The Avenue with her friend Rene Chapman, they had a cleaning job at the newly built college block on Lewes Road. There was a large mound of earth where some work was being done and my Mum saw these 2 boys pushing a 3 wheel bike to the top and riding it down, she turned to Rene and said “look at those 2 kids, if they were mine I’d tan their backsides”! Apparently Rene started laughing and my Mum turned to look again and shouted “They are my bloody kids”! We didn’t get our backsides tanned but that story was told in our family for many years afterwards.
As a child, my mum would take me here to a little shop which is where the white building is now, to get my hair cut. I thought the lady was called Joy Beaumont and her husband was an actor – Arthur White.
Yes. Arthur White, brother of David Jason. Joy did my Mother-in-law’s hair for years.
I lived at 68 The Avenue until 1968. I then moved to 31 Normanhurst, BN2 2NJ. Fond memories of playing with Paul Smith.
Dear Lee
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I grew up at 24 The Crescent and The Avenue shops were my ‘go to’ practically everyday for tea. Except on a Wednesday when it was half day opening.
I used to cut through Mrs Sharps garden and it’d bring me out at the back of St Andrew’s Church, skipping over the island with the big green tank and over the roads and green to the shops. Later years with a spaniel in tow.
The names of the doctors blew me away Savoury & Purchase wow!!
Have a funny story about the grocers if this page is still alive…
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