My Old Bike
A Memory of West Hendon.
Hi, just been looking at the photos of West Hendon Broadway. I was amazed, during my last school years I worked for a greengrocer on the Broadway, Tim Smith, his shop is just out of the picture, left hand side where you can see the wing of a car, what caught my eye was the old 'trade bike' which I am sure was the same one that I used to ride. He used to load the bike up so much that I couldn't ride it, I had to push it, going up Park Road was a real feat of strengh. I even had to deliver his own veggie order to Audley Road (at least his wife used to give me a tip, probably felt sorry for me) I used to get ten shillings for after school on Friday and all day Saturday. I started in the winter and the first job that he gave me was to take me to the yard at the back of the shop where there was an old bath, he broke the ice and emptied a sack of brussell sprouts into it, I had to peel all the yellow outside leaves off. My hands were frozen!
I do have lots of good memories of West Hendon, a good selection of shops, a very tiny Tesco shop, could have been their first! (my friend Jimmy Dewan used to live above the shop) Burroughs, the clothing shop, where I got my first pair of 'long trousers', Neptunes, the fish and chip shop, Pearks, the grocery shop with the lovely smell of the 'Deli', Jimmy's cycle shop, the cafe opposite the Post Office, white marble tables and black chairs, did lovely 'pie and chips'. I now live in Auckland, New Zealand, (aged 77) I came back and saw The Broadway recently, my parents would turn in their graves if they could see it now!
I also used to belong to 2nd. Hendon Scouts. I have just found the Scoutmaster from the late 1940s, Les Yates, he is now 90 and going strong. I used to live in Fryent Crescent and remember when that hugh bomb went off during the Second World War, the whole sky lit up orange. A picture appeared in the Hendon & Finchley paper of my father as he was in the rescue service. I could go on but I think it time to stop. If there is anyone out there that knows me, please get in touch.
Regards,
Tony Day
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Over the years as I lived in Kingsbury rd and my friends down where you lived was Dennis Menday and another friend was Jimmy Dewan
Who now lives in Plymouth after he retired from Westward television my name Raymond Long went to the Hyde School
There was a Mr Day in Fryent Grove or Crescent who, in the 1960s, would regularly give a couple of kids and their mums a lift to school at the Burroughs.