A Very Happy Childhood

A Memory of Southall.

I was born in Grange Road but soon after my parents moved to West End Road, my grandmother lived at number 35. I attended Beaconsfield Road Infants School and my best friend there was Ronnie Cornwall who also lived in West End Road. Further down the road from us was an old gentleman who would sell us sweets from his front door. In the mid thirties we moved to 18 Dane Road. When the blitz started, I and a friend Eddie Cloake, started a fire watch scheme for Dane Road. I was a messenger boy in the ARP and often hitched a ride on an AFS truck into London and knew what bombing was all about. The nearest we had in Southall, was a bomb in the High St at the top of Dane Road, and one in Lancaster Road. Schools were closed on the outbreak of war, and sadly I lost contact with most of my friends. My last teacher was Mr Emsden, who I liked very much. I served in the Army from June '43 to June '47. Did the routine trip through Europe and ended up in Brussels, where I had a wonderful time until Demob. From what I hear, the old town is not the same any more. I now live in Trinidad with my wife Trini, and thoroughly enjoying life at 86. What more could I ask for? On the odd chance that someone might remember me, my email is: HughPutt@yahoo.com

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