Shops I Grew Up With

A Memory of Ardleigh Green.

I went to Ardleigh Green School for 7 years and knew most of the shops. Starting in Squirrels Heath Lane there was Langs (Newsagents), Smys (wool), chemists, Greens Stores, a butchers, shoe repairers, the Fish Shop (lovely chips), greengrocers, Sunshines sweets (lovely 3d ice lollies) delamares grocers, a café (never went in) and a bakers on the corner (best Chelsea buns ever). Opposite was the Spencers Arms where we all met and played in the entrance hall while the Mums and Dads went in the bar. Then there was another bakers with stables out the back. After brownies we used to buy buns from the bakers for 1 penny.(their meat pies were to die for) and then some old cottages which were pulled down in the 50's and made into shops, including a launderette and a bike shop. Across the road was a doctors, then Thompsons, sweet shop, another greengrocers and then the Co-op (my mum's co-op no was 985979 - I've never forgotten it). Next to that was the paraffin shop, then another wool shop. The shop next to that ended up selling wallpaper when it became fashionable again but cannot remember what it originally was, Across the alley was Thompsons, another sweet shop. I can remember when rationing stopped, I had 2/- and spent it all and ate it all before playtime. One thing I cannot remember, I used to pass the stocks but cannot remember exactly where they were situated.