Home Sweet Home

A Memory of Teddington.

At the time this photograph of the High Street was taken I was 15 years old. Not knowing then, I would be walking down this road some years later with my first girlfriend and now my wife of 51 years.
Where the photographer was standing is where I would wait for the 605 trolley bus to take me to Kingston.
The large white building just to the left was Lloyd's Bank where I opened my first account with the Manager Mr Lockyer. Next door, just out of shot was Hillmores estate agents, where my mother used to clean, and also pay the rent for the semi detached house in Waldegrave Avenue, some two hundred yards behind me, (nothing fancy believe me) no bathroom and an outside loo. There were six railway cottages which were adjacent to the Southern Region Railway Station. The back little garden had roses hiding the old Anderson Shelter. Outside that gate was the entrance to an electricity substation and the delivery entrance for the Horse and Groom Public House.
. We had of course, the Savoy Cinema just to the left by the bus stop behind me, where when younger I would go to on Saturday mornings to the "ABC Minors Show" . Also just to the left here was the post office on the corner of Elmfield Avenue, where the phone kiosk and newspaper stand was. On Saturday evening at 6 pm I would walk over with my Father to get his evening standard to check his Littlewoods Pools (which he never one).
Although not in this photograph, we are not far from Bushy Park. When I was about seven, my Father would take me and my mate Peter, who was around the same age, on a Saturday morning to the Park. At this time it was still occupied as a US Base, and I was introduced to soft ice cream and Micky Mouse cartoons. One day whilst waiting for my dad to pick us up it started raining. We were approached by this giant of a man with a white helmet and a big baton like a base ball bat. He was a Military Policeman who told us to sit in this large American vehicle, but told not to touch anything.
A few minuets later my dad arrived and pointed to the front of this vehicle where there were displayed a line of stars. This was allegedly Eisenhower's vehicle when he was in the UK.

Anyway enough of my ramblings, I could bore you for ever.

Strange what one photograph can do, Thank You

Mike