The Shops At Merrow

A Memory of Merrow.

I remember these shops well as my family moved into the 'new' council houses in 1952 when Bushy Hill estate was still being developed. From the left, the bright red letterbox which was always regularly painted, then the first shop was a confectioners - maybe also a newsagent/tobacconist - and also a small post office counter at the rear which was run by Mr Rich. There was an open door through to Kimber's the grocer shop next door which to a 6 year old was an Aladdin's cave, especially the clear topped biscuit tins where you could buy things almost individually If I was lucky, 'Mr Vyvyan' would find a broken chocolate biscuit, a rare treat in those days. There was a small delicatessen which in those days was a rarity in a small village.
There was a small alleyway down to Home Counties Dairies and then a chemist run by Mr Phillips. This was more than a regular chemist as it stocked a wide variety of cosmetic products which from 4 feet high looked dazzling! The adjoining shop was the dairy shop where if you ran out of milk, could buy fresh from the dairy.