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Oadby
Oadby maps
Historic maps of Oadby and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Oadby maps
Oadby area books
Displaying 1 of 9 books about Oadby and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Oadby
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Oadby.
There are 11 shared memories to read.
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Allen's Chemist Shop
Mr Allen (snr) was my grandpa. As a child in the 60s, the shop was a magical place.
When this photo was taken, the shop was the second one from the corner of Chapel Street (walking towards the church). There was a antique shop on the corner when I first remember it. Later the chemist shop was extended and took over the corner premises. I too remember learning to swim at Oadby pool. I also remember Ellsons bread : )
EARLY FIFTIES OADBY
This picture brings back happy memories, I was born in Oadby when it was a village like this picture shows, it was a wonderful time. The picture shows the large building on the corner which was "Allens" Chemist, further down the shops was "Rawsons" which sold bicycles, TV`s, radios and electrical goods, it later became "Dexters" where I worked in in my teens as an apprentice electrician. At the end of the small parade of shops was "Tom Best" the butchers, he was a real character, then the swimimng baths. In the foreground of the picture is "Hassell`s", painter and decorator, their son Willie used to go to school with my brother.
Chemist Shop And Swimming Baths
I think the chemist shop is on this road, along with the baths,
Allens The Chemist
I think Mr Allen was succeeded by his two sons who ran the chemists for some years. Presumably gone now. I also have fond memories of the swimming baths where I learned to swim with my friend Michael Tunnicliffe and of the old library above the baths. Wonderful times.
Schooldays
Going to Mr Allens chemist and walking to Sandhurst street School'also going to the public library over the swimming baths
Sandhurst Street
My grandmother, Dolly Harding lived at number one, Sandhurst Street. I was brought up at Davenport Avenue. At that time, before all the new houses were built around Foxhunter Drive and Chesnut Avenue, the way to the infant school was down Davenport Avenue, along Iliffe Avenue, across to Cartwright Drive then up the "Black Pad" to Sandhurst Street. The geese in the field it crossed (Chesnut Avenue) were always a threat! I think they belonged to Billy Goddard. Opposite the school, where the car park is now was a (to me) large glass house that sold flowers etc. Nan's house was a tiny end of terrace house which still had a water pump (though not then used) but on the outside of the house there were the remains of a telephone connection which had been put in when the house was used by the Conservatives on election days.
Fluids Lane
This was a wonderful wildlife haven for children and I well remember playing for hours on end in the stream which meandered through. We lived in the Vicarage at No 1 London Road and had the idyllic childhood that few seem to remember. I think there were army huts or Nissan huts alongside the run of Fluids Lane and I assume these were old Second World War relics. I remember exploring these many a time. Happy days, happy days.
Fluids Lane
A demi paradise, Fluids Lane was at the far end of the village towards Glen Road, I think. It contained a stream, and woods. What wonderful memories I have of that place, nothing can compare, we played for hours damming the stream, climbing trees etc., away from home all day. The lane went on to the fields that housed the air force base, or aerodrome, and also the German prisoners of war that we befriended, hard to believe, but they were free to go to the pictures in the village. That was a little earlier, maybe around 1942 or so. I wish I could hear more about Fluids Lane.
