Notting Hill. London W.11 [ Originally Notting Dale ]

A Memory of East Ham.

I was born in 1944 in Great Haywood, Staffordshire, but grew up in Notting Hill. I lived in a prefab in Lancaster Road, W.11. My childhood was full of happy memories and although, as with everyone else around, food and money was scarce, I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy playing outside till dark, with our neighbours. We didn't have posh toys, but had skipping ropes, balls, hopscotch, played rounders and cheap metal roller skates!
Our mums and dads would sit outside chatting with the neigbours and exchanging cups of tea and maybe rock cakes or bread pudding.
The fish man would come round on a Sunday and my job along with my sister was to take the black caps off the winkles ready to be lined up on the bread for sandwiches. The black caps were used by us as beauty spots.
Most schools were very old, even to the point that the toilets were outside, very cold in winter, and the loo paper was either newspaper cut up or very slippery paper. Lots of people had their loos outside, but the prefabs were well equiped with inside loo and seperated bathroom.
When I went to stay at my grandparents' house in Great Haywood in the summer holidays it was back to basics, outside privvy, and a tin bath in front of the fire, but I loved being there with them.
When the Notting Hill riots started, Mum and Dad sent me and my sister to my Nan's until it was finished. After the riots during my teenage years I will always remember Notting Hill as a very safe and friendly place.