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Growing up in Filton

I was born in Plymouth of Welsh parents, there was no work in Newport Wales when my Father got out of the Navy, so, we moved to my Grandparents house in 50 Wallscourt Rd Filton, until our house 13 Canberra Grove Filton became available. My Father along with my Grandfather worked for the BAC, my Dad was a Blacksmith, I remember sometimes on summer nights walking up to meet him from work. I remember my first visit to get my hair cut at the hairdresser's above the corner shop in Filton (sweet & newsagents) I remember running up the road at night in the winter to the off licence with the pretty pink lights to buy my Dad's senior service fags. I remember endless summer days over the railway lines near are house or up the playing fields near my Nan's. I remember running past St Peters grave yard (up the hill) some nights, if I was alone I would be scared stiff. I remember walking down to the chippy near Filton station. I remember picking up my Mum's endowement for her on the way home from School on Filton Avenue at the post office. I remember my friend Yvonne Offer around the corner. I remember my first saturday job at Millars shop near the Bull Dog. I remember Steven Warren the then love of my life. I remember the summer fetes at St Theresa's church where my Grandad and Dad would help on the fishing stall. I remember cycling to my best friends house Cath Tabone's in Kingswood all the way from Filton. I also remember cycling with Cath and friends to Severn Beach in the summer. My Brother who recently attended a military conference in Filton tells me that over the railway lines near the BAC is a huge complex now. I have been home a few times and lived for a while but in Wales and only visited Bristol and Filton to see family and friends. My Nan & Grandfather are both now buried in Filton cemetary & I miss them.
I have very very fond and happy memories of both Filton and Bristol.
Christine Flage

Written by Christine Flage. To send Christine Flage a private message, click here.

A memory of Filton in Avon shared on Sunday, 23rd September 2007.

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RE: RE: Growing up in Filton

I too grew up in Filton. We lived on Filton Avenue close by the hairdressers at the end of the row of shops with the Bulldog in. My sister and my brother went to Shield Road School on Shields avenue. This was when the corridors were open to the weather on the inner side to the rectangular building. Also one half of the playground was Girls, the other Boys, but they always had better games of Tag.
We played in the field over the railway line that was accessed by the lane at the bottom of Kipling Road and Eighth Avenue, now with security gates. We all had great times running over the echoey concrete bridge, and once, when a steam engine visited, ducking down while it chuffed underneath us - it didn't stop us getting covered in soot!
The Abbey Wood M.O.D site covers most of the old fields and small wood we used to play in. You could have seen buzzards and rabbits and foxes along the field hedges and the pilons there. For a few summers we collected tadpoles from Snuff Mills by walking over Locklease [through the school, oops] and watched the M32 earthworks coming towards us. I thought it was so cool when the constuction guys showed us a small concrete 'wildlife tunnel' for badgers, frogs etc to pass under the road safely. Don't know if there was anything to help any deer, I suppose they would have to run fast.
We used to play safely around the back lanes of the roads Christine mentions. It's such a shame vandalism and unpredictable behaviour makes this so unsafe now.

Comment from Heather Uden on Monday, 16th February 2009.

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