Tilehurst 1960s

A Memory of Tilehurst.

I was born at 4 Juniper Way, Tilehurst 1962. I lived there until I was 9.  I have such warm memories of that time although my memories appear more like snapshots as I was so young
I remember some sounds of that time that have stayed with me. The electric motor and clinking of milk bottles from Job's Dairy, the wushing sound of the coal man filling our coal bunker with coal from the sack across his shoulder and the, what appeared, constant sound of light aircraft from a nearby airfield. These planes were always red as I remember.
Reading Speedway was at least 3 miles away but once a week there would be that distintive strained engine sound from motorbikes sliding around the speedway circuit. My last sound memory which may have been in the early 70s was was a thumping bass sound from the annual Reading Festival in August.
I lived at the top of the road which dropped away into quite a steep hill, I remember getting so scared when my mum was learning to drive in a lime green Ford Poplar practising her hill starts.
My mum would do her shopping at Waitrose down the Meadway or Bishops on Overdown Road and a special trat was a cream cake from Warings bakery on Armour Road.
I used to play a lot in Newbury Park. I used to use the Armour Hill entrance and walk past concrete horse water troughs on the way. I never saw a horse but in Newbury Park in the 60s there was a play area that still had one of those green rocking horses that would seat about 4 kids and rock backward and foreward, and the metal cobweb you needed to hang onto tight to stay on.
I went to school at the Laurels infant school on School Road and then Park Lane primary before moving to Kent.
While all these memories are accurate as I remember them, the memories of a child are selective. I remember it was sunny every day, it never rained, the pink blossom was on the trees in Juniper Way all year round and I never had to share my toys ..............if only.