1950 Susan Simons

A Memory of Ashtead.

I was born in Ashtead in 1945, we lived at Read Road in Lower Ashtead. I have a vivid memory of the shops at the top of Read Road. From the newsagents, next was the off-licence, then Goldings grocery store, next was the chemist, next was a small cafe which we were never allowed to visit, don't know why. The next place was my favorite, the fish and chip place, where I worked for a while, then there were a couple of houses, then came a hairdressers, green grocer, another house a sweet shop owned by Percy Fares, next was a sewing shop, the butchers and another grocery store. We walked everywhere, sometimes biked. I loved the swimming pool, I worked there when I was 12. We fished in the Ashtead pond for newts and tadpoles. We explored the woods and the common. Every Saturday my mother and I would visit the Epsom Market, what a treat. Then we visited my grandmother who lived at Chase Road in Epsom. Ashtead was quiet, safe, pretty and a terrific place to live. At 15 I went to work for Staff Ingham a very famous racehorse trainer near Hedley, I learned so much about horses when I was there, we travelled all over England to various racetracks, it was a great learning experience. Since then I have lived in Australia, Canada and now the U.S, but if I had a choice I would move back to Ashtead. Susan Nash nee Simons


Added 10 October 2009

#226181

Comments & Feedback

Susan, It was a joy to read your memories of Ashtead because I remember that area exactly as you do, in fact I went out with a girl called Susan who lived in either Taylor or Read Road and I thought for one moment it might be you. Not so, because I think my girlfriend's surname was Shilston. We used to go to Fares sweet shop and all the others too. Also fished in the pond and played on the common and in the woods. I lived in Bramley way and went to St Peters at Leatherhead. My dad was manager of Baldwins grocers shop in the village where he let me work in the holidays but my first proper job was at McMurdos also in Ashtead village. If you would like some other memories of life in and around Ashtead between '44 and '64, (excuse this shameless plug) you could read my book called Born in 44. Its on Amazon.
You have certainly covered some ground since those days. Did you spend your life around horses or what that just a brief interlude?
Regards, Brian Simmons
Hi Brian
This is interesting. I remember the Simons family at Read Road. She had a sister called Pauline who I remember as a classmate at Barnett Wood Road Primary School back in the 50s. Did Susan get in touch with you?
Regards Susan Felton

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