Bluebells

A Memory of Farnborough.

My godmother and her parents lived 'forever' at Gravel Road, just up from the small shop on the Park Avenue end. With a marvellous garden of flowers, fruit and poultry; a walkway tunnel of Quince, a black & white tiled pathway to the brass shoedogs and whitestoned step it was my home on and off for many years. From birth really, as the family had befriended my young warbride mother prior to my arrival! The later arrival of twins, one of whom was small and unwell meant I lived for long periods at Gravel Road.
I have 1953 pix of myself and the twin siblings in the garden, all beautifully dressed in white ready for the Coronation Parade up near the Barracks or along Queens Road. Auntie used to cycle everywhere on a royal blue "Raleigh". On Wednesday I would go with her to Brookwood Station and into Guildford on the train. The bluebells at Brookwood were legendary in cool greens and blues, thick and squashy underfoot as there was no way to avoid any of them so plentiful they were. We regularly walked up to Lynchford Road; sometimes even along Queens Road near the Russian Princess's gardens. We always spent time at The library of Timothy Whites, upstairs from the Chemist and placing our order, to be delivered of course, at the deep, cool ham and bacon Grocery just as one approached Lynchford from 'below' the town.
Auntie's father, and many of their friends, were from the Barracks and 1914-18 war times. Uncle Frank had become a cobbler, at one time in Lynchford Road. Auntie was born in 1914, still lives in Farnborough and was 95 at the end of May. Sadly her sister and brother in law (The Matthias's) who lived in Park Road passed away much younger than would have been expected, some 30 years ago now. And Park Road has, I believe been vastly redeveloped.
How marvellous was all of that? Wonderful to me as she has been the best and most assiduous of godparents to this day. The town and its surrounds were beautiful places in which to grow up.

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