River Gardens.

A Memory of Purley on Thames.

I have so many happy memories of Purley on Thames. My older sister lived at No 1 River Gardens in the latter part of the 1960s until the middle of the 1970s. As kids, my brother and I spent many, many happy days playing in the large garden there and along the river bank from the stile right up to Mapledurham Lock. I also remember swimming in the Thames there, and the night we swam across to the island almost opposite my sister's house and camped there. I often recall how we used to hire a small wooden boat called 'Ada' from a lady who lived a few houses along from my sisters. It cost one old shilling for an hour to hire and we had many happy hours paddling along the river between the lock and the Roebuck Hotel jetty. I don't remember the name of the lady, I think it sounded like a German name. So many, many happy memories I could go on and on.