Holidays in Lightwater

As a very young child coming from Berkshire, I with a brother have spent many years of enjoyment staying with relatives in Grassmere Road in the house where my mother along with other members grew up, The house seemed large and the garden was massive, stretching down towards an orchard where a hole in the hedge allowed us to sneak through and pinch apples and all other fruits, despite having two apple trees in the garden. In hot days us kids would picnic in the garden sometimes under a blanket thrown over the washing line forming a tent. In the garden was once a Wendy house converted into a chicken run, pigeon loft and finally a place to keep rabbits in. An old shed built by our grandfather (Richard Moyle) was pulled down by my uncle who replaced this with a new one and us kids we were allowed with painting a picture upon its inside walls though the bike shed at one side was kept and remained standing. The first snake I saw it slithered along the road so I thought, but I was in fact told it was a slow worm. In the evenings after walking our dog down to the vast lake or maybe up to High Curly where surpisingly we found sand coloured silver 'great adventures', all of us would then carry on with walking down to a fish and chip shop along the Guilford road, I can taste them now... One other favourite of mine was the candy shop also upon the Guilford road, this in its day served a large variety of flavoured ice-creams and as I was being greedy I had a double ice-cream cornet, one side chocolate the other side rum and raisin, I have never seen the likes since... But these happy times are now but lingering memories to be dearly cherished, as like everything, the best times always come to an end....