Wonderful Childhood Memories

A Memory of Cannock.

I lived in Cannock from 1963 to 1970. We lived on the Longford Estate in Leamington Close, we were the first family to live in that house after it was built. I went to Bridgetown Primary School and started year 1 in Calving Hill Comprehensive but we moved back to Scotland before I completed my first year in high school. There was a grammar school next to Calving Hill. I remember there were two cinemas in the town. I also remember lots of good times in Cannock park, I have pics of myself and me little brother playing in the sandpit there. My dad was a member of the British Legion and I remember going to Christmas party there. Dad worked for Stantons bakery and I can remember going to his works xmas party too. We used to walk for miles up a country road called the devils tail to where there were fields of rasberries and you could get a pail from the back of a lorry, fill the pail and get paid for it. I remember the bus station and behind the bus station was one half of the market. the other half was across the road when you went out the other end of the one behind the bus station and I used to get my hair cut in a hairdressers just down the street from there, i remember they had chihuahua dogs in the hairdressers. down to the bottom of that street took you onto the main shopping area and there was a wonderful cafe I used to go to with my school dinner money. It had a tea room in the front of it and at the back you went up a step and through some doors to a big cafe where you could get dinner and its where I learned to love gooseberry pie and custard. I used to get a plate of chiips and a pudding for 10p or 2 bob back then. I had lots of friends but sadly lost touch with them when I moved back to Scotland. We used to cross the road at the Ascot pub on longford estate and walk up the hill to town. about half way up there was a shop on a corner and a street to the right, if you went to end of that street you could climb a fence into an orchard, we used to go scrumping there and I remember getting caught lol. I remember us all going up Cannock chase and going swimming in the water, my dad made a fire and cooked potatoes on it. was great fun. I often think of Cannock and would love to go back but dont think I will get the chance. It has all changed now from when I lived there and I probably wont recognise anywhere though looking at google I can see the street and the wee shop round the corner from our house are still there. Wonderful memories of a wonderful town.