Canada Road

Married Quarters 1906
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Before we speak of Canada Road, a street in which I lived, it might be worth mentioning that whilst my father was already a soldier one day he happened to walk into Keys cafe not far from the camp site, and still being only eighteen years old, he noticed my mother sitting at a table with her sister and once there they became friends and it's here my story begins... I was no more than 2, maybe three, years old when with coming over from Germany we moved into 25 Canada Road, the house stood on the corner where there was a footpath running alongside, a wire fence and metal gate surrounded the property. The kitchen was at the front and my mother Joan would stand me upon the sink drainer so I could watch any soldiers passing by, not that they ever did. My father at the time was himself a staff seargent ROAC. The school I attended was the junior school, it was made from wood painted black rather much like a shed, situated right opposite the primary school where my elder brother had attended. It had having everything a child could wish for. We drank milk from a variety of coloured plastic beakers, come the winter when there was snow my mother pulled me along towards the school upon what had been a yellow painted wooden rocking horse, made into a sledge. I was unable to stay at the school there for very long as I was a miserable child and had therefore to be promptly taken out. In the back of our house was a coal fire that burned merrily and within that same room we had a white material patterned suite that my mother seemed always to keep spotlessly clean. From out the window I recall seeing my elder brother, who at the time was himself about 5 years old, making a snowman. We all of us attended a Christmas party held in a large marquee just opposite the junction of Canada Road where some the other black-painted huts lay. I also remember my relatives also lived here in our street but right down at the opposite end, not far from the then NAAFI shop, who I think may have been my uncle who was a corporal, although I can't be sure. The street itself seemed very long, but then it would to a young child, with dark red brick houses running along upon either side, each displaying small panes of glass. No cars as I remember were driven down this street so we were able to play safely upon the road except for when someone was having a visitor that came calling, when I would have to promptly move out of the way. Inside the house of my relatives which stood down at the other end it was a bright sunny day in summer where I remember being given a slice of brown bread covered in butter and strawberry jam while sitting upon a chair and looking down at the floor and watching the many ants going about in their routine, it is surprising that this was happening when considering back in those times the army would regularly be carrying out house inspections with the use from a white glove and checking any signs for misuse and dirt so it was a good job my mother was herself been very houseproud and luckily never failed this exam, if this ever happened there would surely have been some come-back to my father. We lived in Canada Road for only about a year or so until we moved into a private residential home purchased in Basingstoke where my father now was travelling into and fro upon a daily basis.