Wealdstone High Street 1962

A Memory of Wealdstone.

Wealdstone High Street was usually a vibrant place and this photo, taken early on a Sunday morning, with no cars and few people, shows how times change! The shops on the left show Len Evans fruiterer shop, then John Collier, the men's tailor, next to Mence Smith (which became Timothy White). Woolworth was on every High Street until their closure of all branches by 2009. Next to Woolworth's was The Toy Box, which sold every manner of toys, from bikes and toy prams to games and puzzles, Britain's farm and zoo animals and soldiers, cowboys and Indians, plastic kits and more. It was my childhood gazing into their window. There was a record shop (mostly classical) further down and then beyond the Methodist Church was Fine Fare supermarket. The shops opposite consisted of a hardware shop, a bank, a butchers, Spurrier the baker and others I've forgotten. The bus stop in the near foreground was outside the area designated for the new library, which moved from it's original location next to Wealdstone Police station, from where the photo was taken.