Edgecoombe, Selsdon 1957 61

A Memory of Selsdon.

I remember Selsdon well as my family lived at 68 Edgecoombe, the long road on the opposite side of the wood at Selsdon not to be confused with Selsdon Woods. We had two ways to get to Selsdon shops. Through the woods opposite our house and exiting at Ingham road the very steep descent into the bottom part of the road up into town. There was a house at the top of the road on the right that had a fine apple tree very close to the front door and my elder brother once sent me into the short drive to scrump an apple while he kept watch. I was 9 and he was 15. I got the apple without being caught and turned back to find he'd walked halfway down Ingham Road in case i got caught. Great lookout! And he ate the apple without giving me any.
I remember Kings shop in a low building where we'd buy sweets and frozen Jubblys which he wasn't supposed to freeze. I tried to return one that had a very peculiar wood flavour but he sent me off with a flea in my ear.
The barber who's name I forget was almost at the top of the town on the left and I'd have my short back and sides for half a crown {12½p). He didn't use electric shears but simple spring loaded manual things which I don't think he ever sharpened as they'd pull bits of hair out by the roots. If you flinched and moved your head he'd grab it with two hands and yank your head back suddenly with an annoyed grunt.
There was a grocers half way up on the right which had a big red
bacon slicer on the left as you went in operated sometimes by a man with half a finger missing which I was convinced he'd done on the machine but i think that's highly unlikely. The shop was a simple narrow oblong with cold meat on the left and groceries themed as it were so you could do your whole shop from either left down turn right short right again and back up to the dairy counter just by the door you entered. Butter was in a block and cut off with paddles used to shape it into a small block, wrapped in grease proof paper for you to put in your bag. I think paper bags were used for some products but as plastic ones hadn't come in to use at that time. I may well be wrong but the shop may have been Sainsbury's as Supermarkets weren't a thing until a bit later.
The other way into the town which we didn't use much was right at the bottom of the town road where we caught the 64 bus into Croydon which think terminated a bit further down at the terminus by gravel hill. Possibly wrong as my memory has faded. I only mention it as the 64 route intoduced tne Routemaster which as kids we loved as if you sat on the top deck at the front you experienced the full effect if the new suspension which as you turned corners leant over in what was an alarming way for people at first but was sheer joy for kids as you hoped one day it'd topple over. You took your opportunities for excitement as they happened back then.

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