Plymstock Memories Late 1950s

A Memory of Plymstock.

Having moved out of Plymouth, and awaiting a new build house off Dunstone Road, I lived for a while at my grandparent's house on Dean Hill whilst attending Goosewell Infants. At that time Dean Hill was a tranquil leafy lane with hedgerows, and I recall that at the top of the road, where it became Furzehatt Road, before it met Underlane, there was a smithy on the right. As others have remarked, at the bottom of Dean Hill, and before the Broadway was built, Mr Jacobie had an Austin garage; to demonstrate the size of the boot on an A35 for my grandfather (who bought the car) Mr Jacobie got in it. When you see them now (Wallace and Gromit car) they are tiny.

My parents purchased some second hand furniture from the vicarage and indeed we still have those Victorian chairs today. In those days you could turn left off Dean Hill and go down Church Road. I seem to recall there was a chemist at the bottom even then, but the shop on the corner opposite the church was Powtons grocery store - and he delivered even then. Around the corner in Cobb lane I have a vague recollection of the Doctor's surgery being located there, with a Dr Adam, before it moved to the junction of Stanborough Road and Horn Lane. Thinking about Horn Lane, there was a bit of a smallholding there, on the Dean Hill side, and the guy used to drive round selling fruit and veg - I think it was Horace.

A little later, I moved up to Goosewell Primary school and most days I could cross hay fields where Dolphin Court is now and come out on Furzehatt Road on my way to school. The Head I think was a Mr Deacon.

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