Worcester Park, Central Road c1955

Collision junction

The photo of this junction at the bottom of Central Road brought back memories of a motorcycle accident I had resulting in my girlfriend, later to be my wife, breaking her pelvis and me losing a front tooth. It was dark and the car driver failed to see me, pulling across into my path, resulting in both of us flying over his boot. Very painful.

Houses in The Avenue

I lived in Woodlands Avenue and used to walk down The Avenue every day in term time to catch the bus to Kingston. At that time many of the big houses were still standing but one by one, probably as the owners died or they became too much for them, they were demolished and flats built. Even today there are some big houses still standing, mainly towards to top of The Avenue as you approach the church. It holds many happy memories for me and now it's all on Google Street View. I often browse the roads which were my playground.

Worcester Park

I don't know much about Worcester Park really, my dad's family (Prowses) lived in Washington Road, he was the eldest of 14 so a lot of people crammed into quite a small house. I remember him talking about an ice cream parlour and a few other places.

Morley's bakery

Morley was a funny old chap, he ran a top bakery but was rather miffed when 'these 'ere new fangled electric vehicles' started being used for home deliveries ... his response was as the previous poster related - to pull his wooden delivery carts to the top of the steep Central Road hill behind his car and let his delivery men continue through the higher streets pulling their vehicles behind them. It was a 'Canute' effort I'm afraid - doomed to failure.   He was an enthusiastic gambler on the horses and would back every animal in the Derby each year with a convoluted system designed to guarantee a successful financial outcome - he would boast 'I always back every horse running'.
On a different topic, does anyone recall those huge houses in The Avenue (seemingly mentioned in one of H G Wells's books) - I seem to remember them being 5 or 6 stories high - what happened to them?

School

John Major, who lived with his parents in Longfellow Road, started school this year, 1948, in CHEAM COMMON ... which was Balmoral Road School when I was there in 1932! His father's garden ornaments were sold from the family shop in Central Road.
Yes! He did become Prime Minister.