Kenton; 1950s

A Memory of Kenton.

From 1952-1963 my family lived on Kenton Rd. in a house backing onto the Kenton Tennis Club (now Rufford Close). I was five in 1956. Memories of sunny Sunday afternoons in the back garden with the soundtrack of good-natured tennis matches; memories of the mid-1950's snows with JH Brazier milk-floats and the rag-and-bone cart struggling through. (Horse manure was collected on Kenton Road by eager gardeners when I was a pre-schooler!) I attended Priestmead Primary 1956-62; what a lovely school. Dear Mr Heslop Head-teacher and fierce Mr Rawlings (but kindly underneath). Then Downer Grammar - for me, not so benign. A choirboy (1957-60) at St Johns Greenhill - Mr Spire, the old-school choirmaster (a florin for singing at weddings!) The old 230, 140 and 183 RT buses (don't jump off 'til the bus stops m'lad!); running through the passage under the tracks at Northwick Park to play on the golf course before the hospital was built; buying Players Weights for my older brothers at the Broadway sweet shop (corner Elmwood Avenue) - 'They're for my Dad' I'd say; Saturday morning pictures at the Gaumont Kenton Rd (always the cliff-hangers to bring you back for the following exciting instalment next week); our Dad's shop: WS Thomas Office Equipment and Printing on the corner of Kenton Park Parade (I 'worked' there as an eight to ten yr. old on Saturday mornings in the late 50's); the 'Kenton Rec.' where we got up to no end of mischief - always behaving well by the time we had walked back to the Rest Hotel. As with most childhood memories, rose-tinted, warm and hazy, they recall a kinder slower Kenton. I hope today's youngsters are forging their own fond memories of this pleasant suburb. David.

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