School Days

A Memory of Reigate.

In the 1950s I lived in Broadhurst Gardens and every day walked with friends through this twitten to get to North Bank School in Smoke Lane. The lane was dark and overgrown on one side and on the other side backed onto the Crusader Insurance land. This side was fenced but there were gaps that we could peep through to see bright sunlight and the glorious view to the south of Reigate. In winter we would meet the lamp lighter man who came to turn on the gas lamps along the lane. There was a kind RAC man who would wait at this end of the lane to see us across the main road. Barbara Walters nee Millward.

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Added 17 November 2014

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I also lived In Broadhurst Gardens in the 50's (think it was 15) at the bottom of our garden were allotments which,from memory,went down almost to Woodhatch. There was also a twitten just up from Broadhurst Garden that was called The Hedges, you could walk through and come out opposite the junior school the name of which I cannot remember. I went to St John's Sandcross Lane in the late 50's and can still remember the teachers names!!

By Jan Canacott on Wed Apr 22nd 2015, at 4:55 pm

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Very evocative. I too walked from Broadhurst Gardens to North Bank. At one time there were about 9 of us. I lived at 29 and in those days my name was Margaret Nicholson. A great walk to school: round the Green, past the Shrubbery, over the bank, up the hill, and then through the wooded twitten to Smoke Lane!

By mkwhaley3 on Sat Mar 19th 2016, at 1:32 am

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Hi there What a great website! My dad who sadly died of a sudden heart attack a few years ago, was called John riedtman. He lived at 45 broadhurst gardens. I was interested to read your memory and wondered whether you had any memory of him? Thankyou Katherine

By katherine_monk on Sun Jan 28th 2018, at 8:34 pm

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How nostalgic to read your comment. I remember a John well, he was a few years older than me. He loved tinkering with his car- I lived at 29 so passed his house daily to get in and out of the cul de sac of Broadhust Gardens. But I remember his lovely warm mother even more. She talked to me, had a lavender hedge (I can still smell it), and a cat called Mickey!

By mkwhaley3 on Fri Jul 6th 2018, at 10:09 pm

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