SHOPS & TOWN CENTRE

This would have been anytime around late 40’s early 50’s. I was born in 53. The shop selling bait was my Grandfathers shop, George Hall. I have early memories of the bait being sorted out the back and wrapped in newspaper, the front of the shop sold fishing gear and toys I seem to recall.

George also sold goldfish as a kid I remember buying one in his shop!

In the picture is a Zebra crossing as these were officially introduced in 1951 it dates the picture after 1951.

Since found out the picture is dated 1954.

John  -- Editor

Goodness me we were probably still living in the flat with the bay windows to the right of Woolworths. The left hand bay was mine and my brothers bedroom and the right hand one the living room.

I remember this shop very well and visited it often when I was a kid in the fifties. Mr. Hall sold a really interesting collection of items like sheath knives, foreign stamps, goldfish and even a plastic Elvis Presley guitar. I spent many hours in that shop. I think that I remember the fish being 'out the back' somewhere.

By 1954 we were living up at Northdown Road John, my youngest brother Peter was born there that year. Does anyone know when Northdown Road was built, must have been 51 or 52 I should think.

Northdown Road is not shown on the OS map drawn up in 1951 and published in 1952 Terry. So it looks very likely building works started sometime mid to late 1951 onwards and completed by 1956/57?

John -- Editor