Stanwell When it Was A Village

My mother was born in Stanwell Oaks Road in 1928 where the airport is now, her family were moved to Viola Avenue when Heathrow expanded where she shared many memories of the war and going to Staines Town Hall for dances and working for Dunns shoe shop in Staines. I was born in 1957 and went to St Mary's Church school (now flats) and then to Lord Knynett's. Stanwell really was a village, I remember walking past Percers farm, and we actually had some shops in the village. I had a carefree childhood playing in the Park at Oaks Road and fishing in the river, none which you could do now, and most people knew one another. The village fair used to go on all day with stalls going down Oaks Road and by the shops. My friend's dad used to own the greengrocer's shop and we used to hang out there. No lorries used to go through the village but as the airport expanded all the fields were gradually used for houses and the farm also houses.