Memories Of High Street

A Memory of Donington.

This is a very significant picture to me although taken a good many years after we left High Street for Mill Lane. My sister, Hilda and I were both born in one of the houses just beyond the white building, in our time that was the bakery, run by a Mr Wilson and family. (Hilda was born in 1918 and I in 1921.) The first house was Mr Arthur Burton's, then ours, Mr George White, after the archway was Mr Gideon Wilkinson. We moved to Mill Lane in 1936! On the opposite side of the road was the Primitive Methodist Church and the Manse. I remember Mr and Mrs Wacey when he was the Preacher then Mr Arthur and family took over. I was a close friend of Winnie Arthur and remained so up to her death almost three years ago. Our Father was a bricklayer and worked for the Barnsdales for 40 years! I have just returned to Alaska after a seven-week visit with family in Boston and area, made several Donington stops and looked sadly at High Street, especially at the Red Cow being boarded up. In our youth it was the stop for all the "charabangs" on their way to the coast for day trippers. Mrs Glassup was the proprieter. Across from the Red Cow was our butcher Mr Drinkhall and just down from there was Mr Picker, a well known slogan was "pick a Glass Up and Drinkall". This made Ripley's believe it or not, I wonder if any one remembers that? Mrs Dawson had a ladies shop on High Street and the Dawsons also had a car dealers and garage. Bob Dawson was my age. Then there was Ince Clarkes, the grocery store - what memories I have of going there with my mother. Jim Clarke took over from his father. Abel Goodacre had the jewelry Store and Edwin took over, this was next to the butchers, then there was Gas House Lane now known I believe as Goxhill Ave! - am I right? The footpath next to the old Police Station led to the playing fields. Mansfield House was the finest on the street and we often visited there when the Laverick's lived there. All of the White Family attended The Donington Grammar School including our father in the late 1800's early 1900's, then Charles (lost at sea during WW2) Maurice, Walter, Hilda and myself. I have a postcard taken in the mid thirties of the same scene with Betty Almond and myself standing outside our house, it was sold for many years! Thank you for putting on such fine photographs. Winnie Nowak, nee White, Anchorage, Alaska. USA.