Greengrocers 1899 1934 East Street: Mark & Annie Crouch

A Memory of Westbourne.

My Great Grandfather Mark Crouch ran a greengrocers shop from the front room of his thatched cottage in East Street from 1899-1934 and then after he died his wife Annie continued as a grocer/greengrocer until 1934.  I have a photo (date unknown but would probably be late 1920s - early 1930s) of Annie standing in the doorway of her shop which had a bow front and A.CROUCH over the window, but I don't know if the same building exists today (2008).  Mark's son Edward (my grandfather) and his wife Ada and family lived first in a bungalow on Monks Hill and then for many years at the former old Boys' School in School Lane, which had been converted into 2 bungalows.  I remember as a child spending many happy summer holidays with them there (1950s).  I live in Devon now but am researching the family history. Ada Crouch was a music teacher and gave lessons from home.  She died in 1966. Edward (Ed) was in the Army and worked on Thorney Island.  He was a very keen cyclist and was a distinctive character cycling around the village in his black beret.  He died in 1969.  I would be very interested in further memories/tales or photos of Mark and Annie Crouch and their shop in Westbourne.

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