Thatcham 1951 1962

A Memory of Thatcham.

The shop opposite the White Hart public house, owned by Simonds, was called Lays Stores. My mother and father bought it in 1952 and ran it till it closed in 1962. Before that, they owned the fish and chip shop which has now been demolished to make way for the 1st relief road which got the through traffic out of the High Street. Next to Lays Stores, going west, was the Midland Bank, Nat West Bank and then Lloyds Bank, The Post Office, Whittakers Grocery Shop, Davis Electrical replaced Pykes the Clothing Shop and then Gays the Florist on the corner of Park Lane. Going east from our shop Lays Stores, was Brooks Corn Merchant, Oakleys the Chemist and Turners the Cake Shop. On the other side of the road was Arther Coopers Wine Merchants, the White Hart pub, Dave Molloy Undertaker, Norman Halls Newsagent, Arther Green Greengrocer, The Crown Boot Shop owned by Ashman, and Burgesses Sweet Shop. Then came the Cricketers pub which was owned by Wethereds, and then there was Rivers Boot Repairer and Pantings Hardware shop on the corner of Church Lane.