Childhood In Kensington

A Memory of Kensington.

I LIVED IN CAMPDEN HOUSES, PEEL STREET, THOUGH THE FIFTIES AND WENT TO THE CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART IN BARNES. I LOVED SEEING THE PEOPLE ON THE TV AND RADIO WHO LIVED CLOSE BY BECAUSE THE STUDIOS WERE EASY TO GET TO. DICKIE VALENTINES DRUMMER LIVED IN THE NEXT DOOR FLAT AND WHEN THEY HAD BURGLARS, THE POLICE ASKED ME IF I'D HEARD ANYTHING, BUT I WAS BUSY WATCHING 77 SUNSET STRIP AND ROBIN HOOD AND HIGHWAY 61, SO DIDN'T REALLY NOTICE ANYTHING ELSE. MY DAD WORKED IN THOSE FLATS AND DID ALL SORTS OF ODD JOBS AND I REMEMBER METAL BEING MELTED DOWN TO TAKE TO HIS MATE STATHEM WHO LIVED DOWN THE ROAD TOWARDS NOTTING HILL. WE USED TO HAVE A RAG AND BONE MAN WHO CAME UP THE STREET...JUST LIKE STEPTOE'S. WE USED TO GO TO THE MARKET IN THE PORTOBELLO ROAD, WHICH WAS BASICALLY JUST A FEW STALLS OF FRUIT AND VEDG. WHEN I WAS OLDER THERE WAS A BLIND MAN OUTSIDE THE SUPERMARKET WHO USED TO PLAY CAROLS AT CHRISTMAS...THIS WAS IN A SLUM CALLED WHEATSTONE ROAD, UP PAST THE BIG CONVENT AND THE GARDEN FULL OF GNOMES. I HAD MY CHILD'S BED PUSHED AGAINST THE INSIDE WALL BECAUSE THE OUTSIDE WALL WAS SO FRIABLE THAT PLANTS GREW THROUGH IT AND YOU COULD PUSH IT AND IT WOULD MOVE! AN IRISH FAMILY LIVED DOWNSTAIRS WHO WER ALSO REHOUSED IN LATIMER ROAD; THERE WAS A LITTLE BOY CALLED MICHAEL AND A LOVELY GIRL CALLED ANGELINA, I THINK. WE HAD MICE RUNNING OVER EVERYTHING AND THE HOSE WAS SHARED BETWEEN THREE FAMILIES WITH ONE TOILET. I LOVED LIVING IN PEEL STREET AND GOING TO MY SCHOOL BUT IT WAS NOT TO LAST; MY DAD WAS ANXIOUS BECAUSE OF THE 50'S RACE RIOTS AND MOVED US TO LUTON WHICH WAS AWFUL. THE LONDON OVERSPILL THEY CALLED IT. I WENT TO LUTON ART SCHOOL AND WHEN I RETURNED TO LONDON IT WAS THE 60'S AND PORTOBELLO ROAD WAS THE CENTER FOR HIPPIES AND MUSIC. IN THE EARLY 70'S, WE LIVED IN HURSTWAY WALK (WHEATSTONE ROAD WAS DEMOLISHED) AND I HAD QUITE A DIFFICULT TIME. I SPENT TIME WITH THE MUSICIANS THOUGH AND HAD SOME PROFITABLE EXPERIENCES BUT I WOULD GO BACK TO THE TIME IN PEEL STREET LIKE A SHOT. IT WAS A MAGICAL PLACE TO BE AND WE WERE WELL OFF THEN; I REMEMBER SOME TWINS WHO LIVED IT THE COTTAGES OPPOSITE, FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD AND MY DAD SAYING 'THEY HAVE JAM SANDWICHES FOR THEIR DINNER'. MY MUM NEVER WANTWED CHILDREN AND A LADY IN BARNES I USED TO CALL AUNTY DOT WAS PAYED TO HAVE ME. WE HAD A GANG IN THE STREET AND I REMEMBER ANN SCOTT, PAMELA HEALES, AND RONNIE MONGER WHO LIVED NEXT DOOR AND USED TO COME IN TO NUMBER 56 TO WATCH POPEYE. THEN I'D HAVE TO GET THE BUS BACK ALONG THE THAMES AND HAMMERSMITH TO GET HOME TO KENSINGTON. I DIDN'T KNOW THEN THAT I WAS SO EMOTIONALLY DEPRIVED AND ISOLATED BUT THEY SPENT MONEY ON ANYTHING I WANTED AND I LIVED A MAGICAL LIFE, ALWAYS KEPT IN, READING THE SECRET GARDEN (WHICH I READ 8 TIMES) AND THE NESBIT AND FAMOUS FIVE, AMONGST OTHER THINGS; THEY WERE LIKE A SURROGATE FAMILY. WE (ME AND MY MUM) WERE NEVER ALLOWED TO TALK TO PEOPLE WITHOUT AN INTERROGATION BUT I WAS VERY HAPPY IN MY PORPHRY CASTLE, ABOVE THE STREETS, AND WE HAD LOTS OF BUDGIES THAT MY DAD BRED AND THEY WERE MY COMPANIONS TOO. ON SUNDAYS WE WOULD ALL GO TO THE NATUREL HISTORY MUSEUM, HOLLAND PARK, KENSINGTON GARDENS AND HYDE PARK, AND ALONG KENSINGTON HIGH STREET WAS A SWEET SHOP THAT SOLD BLACKCURRENT LOLLIES. I OFTEN WONDER WHAT HAPPENRD TO MY SCHOOL MATES, AND THE BOY CALLED COLIN AT LOWTHER PRIMARY SCHOOL. WE NEVER SPOKE BUT KNEW INSTINCTIVELY THAT WE WERE VERY SIMILIAR IN SPIRIT. ANYONE OUT THERE RESONATE WITH THIS? MY NAME THEN WAS CYNTHIA WILBY.