The Walk to School - Ryeground Lane

Ryeground Lane c1965
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Having walked up the hawthorn-lined path from Graburn Road to Church Road, I would turn towards the Embassy Cinema and The Grapes Hotel (pictured) and turn into Ryeground Lane on the way to St Peter's Infants School in Paradise Lane. In autumn I would shuffle through the almost knee-high drifts of tobacco-coloured chestnut and sycamore leaves from the arching overhead branches, blown aside by the crimson double-decker Ribble buses. Somehow I don't remember the wet days or even the really snowy days of 1947, just the autumn leaves and possibly conkers. Strange, as I made the same journey from 1944 until 1947. Memories of the Grapes are limited to Charlie Bostock, whose mum worked there, say 1949 to ?1954. He had an underground hideout in the grounds, and Kensitas cigarettes suddenly come to mind. Across from the Grapes was a corner group of shops, all clad if I remember correctly in white tiles. Mrs Knight ran the grocers. Her potted meat was a dream, and butter came in small wooden kegs. The next shop was Freddie 'Fish' Sandys, who had a very attractive blond daughter who must have been in the same infants class, but who made more of an impression when I was a few years older. Next to the fishmongers was a shop selling electrical goods. South of Mrs Knights was the paper/sweet/tobacconists, the name Greenhalsh (?spelling) is associated with this shop but only for a few years. A bakers shop was a few doors down. Ah the smell of yeast fresh bread and balm cakes. Robin? Other memories are of The Embassy Cinema, in the Embassy buildings diagonally across from Mrs Knights, and especially watching 'The Conquest of Everest' and possibly 'Genevieve'. There was a great toy shop in the same building. Next to the Embassy buildings was the Air Raid Siren mounted on (I think) the Fire Station, the address would have been Piercefield Road