Baker Street/Cricket Common

Remembering Baker Street brought flashes back to the late 60s when I worked as a 16 year old green grocer for Brockwells on the corner of Backer st and High street. I would cycle from Walton on my pushbike every morning through rain, snow and glorious warm summer mornings to get to a job I enjoyed. Brockwells was a family business managed by a small team of manager ass manager and me oh and Roy the lorry driver who delivered stock each day. The girls all good lookers servered the many customers that arrived for the veg and fruit. Entering the shop fruit on the right and veg on the left. My job and one of many was to boil the beetroot. The boiler could of been used for washing cloths was situated out back in the yard. A bag of beet would go and when boiled for one hour stabbed for perfection and taken inside. Next to the boiler was an old sink and during the winter months leading up to Christmas celery would be placed in the sink covered in black soot. I had to wash every single blade of celery even when left over night to be found frozen to the sink. My hands got into a terrible state blue and swollen with the cold. Christmas was good. Trees an wreaths were placed out front of the shop enticing customers to enter. Boxes of mistletoe and much was sold to many as they giggled entering the shop for goods and that night out later. A I said earlier the female staff were good lookers. There were two sister one blond recently engaged and loved the Beach boys. Her sister a little older often put me in my place when I started to flirt. Now there was this older girl probably early 20s a cracker who kept the girls on their toes and shouted out for me to fill up stock that was emptying. The apple I remember had to be polished with the sleeve of your white overalls to show of a good front row display. Mr Brockwells the governor had a racehorse so there were occasions he would suddenly appear all dressed up in his finery ready for the races. A good boss, fair but he made sure that the shop was kept as the best greengrocer in Weybridge. Happy days in the sixties working for £6.50 a week yep and mum would take two of that for housekeeping. Many of the customers from those days have gone or now like me retired. But in a quiet moment I reflex back to the sound, smell of fresh fruit and fun working in Brockwells greengrocer, great days.