My Childhood In New Haw

c1960
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Our family moved to New Haw when the new council houses were built at Heathervale. We lived at 26 Park Side. Everybody moved in about the same time so during the fifties there was great community spirit in our street. The residents even managed to build their own social club (Park Side Club). My father Basil Ponting was involved with this, but probably only on the drinking side.

It's still possible for me to remember some of the families that lived in our street, names like Doig, Pacey, Norman, Richards, Burgess, Redmond, Saul and Hill etc. I attended New Haw County Primary School (now demolished) from the age of five until I was sent to a school for the Partially Sighted in Seaford, Sussex.

Heathervale Park was right behind our house but somehow we preferred to play out front, pushing our homemade trolleys around the block. When we did go over to the park there was always a parkie (as we called him) on duty so it always seemed safe. Of course we had other ideas of fun and would get through the fence at the back of the park which gave us access to the canal.

The photo shows the Broadway. I too remember the Carlton and certainly when I was 16 I was a very regular customer at Heard & Spittle (record shop). Singles were about 4s & 6d and albums were 32 shillings.