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A Memory of Raynes Park.

I lived in Seaforth Avenue for many years living opposite the Elim Gospel Hall. I worked at Chessington Zoo for a while after leaving Beverley Central School, then worked at Carters Tested Seeds in the small seeds lab dept before joining the Royal Navy in 1949. The family left the area some years later for Shoeburyness/Chelmsford where some of them are still located. I am trying to obtain photos of Carters, a magnificent building (if only a facade) but have had no success so far. Any offers out there - would appreciate a contact. Names from the past:- Mickey Milton Janitor of Beverley Brook School, Les Biggs from Carters (who also joined the RN, a joint suicide effort!!). Was a newspaper boy for Melumids paper shop in Raynes Park. Spent happy winter days sledging down the bank at the white bridge near Carters.
Also spent cold winter Saturdays during the war on my dads allotment in Motspur Park "Digging for victory" as it was called then - hated it!! Frozen to the core. Used to push a pram to the railways sidings in New Malden for coal from Francis coal merchants, a long trek for me and my wee brothers. Spent many a scary night in our Anderson Shelter when the bombs were falling all around us. What a pity the lovely little church in Douglas Avenue was hit and partially destroyed. Saturday morning pictures in the Odeon at Shannon Corner was a weekly treat, singing along with the bouncing ball plus the westerns. Buying those lovely meat pies from the "Whato" transport cafe on the Kingston By-Pass was divine, it has all gone now presumably. I am now living in the Orkney Islands having travelled around the world in different guises for many years. Quite a contrast from my early days of suburbia, hustle and bustle to what is now a sublime way of life, back to nature if you will and loving every minute of it - but not forgetting a very happy and interesting time growing up in Seaforth Avenue, despite the war and the bombings. So - how about a photo or two of Carters somebody, there must be some somewhere though I have drawn a blank in semi-official sources.

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