Courtenay Road 1953

Atomic Estate c1955
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

I moved to Wantage with my parents Ted and Phyllis Willey and my brother Ken and sister Susan. At Garston Lane school one of my first friends was John Campbell who lived in Courtenay Road. We were aged 8. Another friend was Jim "Limmy" Lynch who became well known as guitarist in local bands. We still keep in touch and he still plays guitar at local gigs after 50 years! As a teenager and in my 20's my best mates were Johnny Shepherd, Ken Galvin, Dave 'Pumpkin' Stimpson, Paddy Roche and 'Polly' Perkins. I was one of the boys who frequented the Windmill Cafe on the corner of Grove and Mill Streets. I lived at 32 Wallingford Street which became Youngs House Chinese takeaway. Me and my mates used to go to The Regent Cinema and sometimes got up to mischief there. I worked on the building site at Larkdown for A C Carter then later as a driver for E.R. Miller in Grove Road. I had also worked at Wantage Urban District Council as tractor driver at age 17 and remember well the terrible winter of 1963-4. My life was saved in 2009 with a kidney transplant. I now live in Cornwall. Not in the best of health at 67 but every day is a bonus. I write poetry and have penned one about the rock 'n, roll days at the Windmill Cafe. I am known since 1967 as Keith Lewis.