Life Growing Up In Edgware

A Memory of Edgware.

I grew up the Edgware area after being born in Bushey, Hertfordshire. My mum and I moved to Boston Road, Burnt Oak to live with my grandad and nan. At first I went to Barnfield Primary School. We then moved to Cricklewood for a short while before moving to a brand new house in Bushfield Close, Edgware. I was about 7 years old. At first I attended Edgware Primary School off the Edgware Road, before moving to Edgware Secondary Modern School in Spur Road. I made some really good friends there. My best friends were Clive Cassell and John Segal, both of whom came from the Broadfields area. In those days we spent some really great times exploring the woods and heathland that abounded the area. A favourite was going to Scratchwood where we would watch the trains and walk into the long tunnel seeing who could go the furthest before we heard an approaching train. We also played Cowboys and Indians in the woods. I used to go to Edgware in the spring to knock down conkers from the trees in Canon's Park and have conker competitions with other boys at school. In the winter I would go with my sisters to Edgwarebury Park to play in the snow and make snowmen. I also liked to go to Edgwarebury Farm to see the animals, especially just after the piglets had been born. Times were wonderful then; almost no crime, and so we could safely go about and enjoy ourselves. I emigrated to Australia in 1973, but I will always think of Edgware with very fond memories as the place where I grew up.