11 Fowler Road, Rafborough
It's about 70 years since I lived there. The picture below was taken in 1999 when it was being redecorated ready for another occupier. Note the alleyway on the left. We had the benefit of this alleyway, because our bedrooms extended over the alleyway and were that much wider.
11 Fowler Road, 1999
11 Fowler Road, 1971
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Round and about Rafborough in the 1930s
Living at 11 Fowler Road there were family names that I still recall:
Fowler Road (Fox, Whittaker, Mairs, Arnell), Busk Crescent (Noble), Weir Avenue (Dixon), Cody Road (Edwards), Gooden Crescent (Jones), Keith Lucas Road (Davis, Dean, Williams, Horne), Marrowbrook Lane (Rose), not sure of the road (Budd, Morris)
My first recollections are of attending Tower Hill Primary:
Headmistress - Miss Pyer, Teachers - Miss Tyrell, Miss Durston.
Either side of Tower Hill were allotments. Beyond it were open fields to Hazel Avenue, which provided plenty of entertainment when the floods were up and Hazel Avenue was impassable. The dare was to wade in until the water just lapped the top of your gum boots. If you misjudged it you soon got a bootful.
Allotments occupied an even larger area on the other side of Weir Avenue. Among the delivery tradesmen Mr Jessup was the greengrocer. He made regular visits with his horse and cart. The horse knew the routine so well and moved from one house to the next with a click of the tongue.
Short of going (walking) to Cove the other main source of provisions was Eelmoor farm. Basic farm produce of course, not exactly a supermarket. Situated at the end of Hazel Avenue it was reached by crossing the field at the end of Fowler road and sliding down a sloping gap in the hedge.
At the junction of Cody Road and Marrowbrook Lane was/is a sort of rock-walled ‘roundabout’, half shrubs and half pond. Just beyond that on the left was a hollow oak tree which provided endless entertainment.
Another activity was setting up a flying fox over the Marrow brook, for the thrill of a brief zoom over the water. On Guy Fawkes night the raised area surrounded by Gooden Crescent was the obvious choice for a huge bonfire.
Back to Busk Crescent and heading towards Cove the road rose slightly. On the right was an open area with a hut where we went to see the early ‘movies’. I remember the antics of Felix in particular.
The impression the above should convey is that life was happening mostly at a walking pace with the occasional cyclist. The roads were almost devoid of motor cars. Altogether a very safe environment.
Information and image courtesy of James Dodds.
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