Born And Bred Stanwellian

A Memory of Stanwell.

I was born at my Grandparents House in Long Lane Stanwell in 1966, my Grandad Jack/John Thornton helped deliver me. My Grandad was well known in the Community and Catholic Congregation of both St Michaels in Ashford and St Davids in Stanwell. My Grandmother was Freda Thornton.
I grew up in Stanwell, went to school at St Davids when the school was on the Church grounds, now used as the Church Hall. My Head Mistress was Mrs Costley and she ruled us with a stern nature, a bit like an armadillo really crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. One of my dinner ladies Mrs Lidyard was Gary Numan's grandmother. And later on my mum worked with his mum at R Whites, which was at the end of Long Lane near the Grave yard. As a child if I would sometimes play football with Gary, while we waited for our mums to finish work, as they lived in one of the houses right near R Whites. It all got knocked down for new houses some years back though.
We lived in St Annes Avenue, firstly in the maisonettes and then later moving to a house on the corner of the same road.

I have some great memories of growing up in Stanwell, unfortunately, I moved my family away in 2007. But it will always be my home, and hold a place in my heart.

When I was born Stanwell was still a small village and most people knew each other, it was only as I reached my 20s things really started to change.