Cheltenham In Late 40's

A Memory of Cheltenham.

My father was killed in 1941, and my mother re-married in 1945 a gentleman who owned a nursing home in Cheltenham. It was in Victoria Walk along from the Town Hall and had huge cellars that stretched to under the Town hall. My holidays from school at Christmas were spent 'helping' Gill Sharp in his friut shop on the Prom. Virtually no traffic, so my parents could park just outside to let me off. Coffee at the Cadena and a lemonade with the owners (landlady?) of the Station Hotel. She had a 21 year old cat with no teeth who purred at high volume when fussed. In the High Street there was the last Coal merchant - Nealon's, using horses and at the age of 15 I drove one wagon around during the holidays. With the correct whip signals, I could stop any of the noisy car drivers who sounded a horn at me! The lovely old grey I drove, died on a Christmas morning - still standing up in his stall. At 16, I drove an old lady to/from the Sarah Siddons Hotel in her Daimler which had a semi-automatic drive. One day the starter lever cable snapped in the centre of Cheltenham High Street and a kind policeman stopped the traffic and got 2 people to assist with a push start. It was lucky he knew the car owner and did not notice me since I,obviously, had no licence! I stopped visiting Cheltenham in 1948 and my next visit was in 1985 - what a difference - and a disappointment. It took hours to park, the old town had gone. Even the cocktail bar up near the Rotunda! I have spent the last 23 years in Spain, am no longer pernitted to fly, have no family, however I do have memories....