We too relocated from London (South), Peckham-Stockwell region to Bletchley. The second place we got was a huge council semi ideal for schools and local shops but a few miles from the main town. My secondary school was a 2 mile walk and then college. I started working weekends stacking shelves and pricing up then tried agency work for warehouse, and some clerical work ( I managed to get a C grade for Clerical Studies which included r.s.a). When the recession began in the mid-eighties and a relative was ill I made the decision to move to London leaving a younger brother who was only about 11. There was no work about at all and I’d just finished A levels and applying to polys etc.
I re-registered with the agencies and bought the local paper. After a year or so I found office work cleaning jobs and a nursing job, all not brilliantly paid but I got by made new friends, started an painting class and also travelled around London.
I visited home a couple of times until the mum dad and bro moved to the coast.
Early in 1955 my mum and dad and me were living in 2 rooms in a very old four storey house in London.There was a family on each floor but only one toilet everyone used on the ground floor.After 6 years of this we got word that we had a chance for a brand new council house in Bletchley..so my mum took 11 year old me on a train trip to check out our possible new home .We turned left leaving the station and within a few minutes found ourselves outside of the Woolworths in this photo.My mum asked someone..Can you tell me where the Town centre is?… You are IN IT! They replied.My mum was a bit disappointed to say the least.We had some tea and buns at the only cafe we could find then caught the bus to the Castles Estate Conway Crescent there was to be where our new house would be built..we actually stood on the vacant land where our number 7 home would be situated.In spiite of her apprehension at the thought of living in a place with such limited shopping capability my mum liked everything else we saw and we went home to tell my dad YES..we did want to move…All I was thinking about was I would be finally getting a bicycle.By the time I was 16 I was working at the tiny but incredibly busy Dewhursts butcher shop.. nextdoor to Woolworths.We lived in Bletchley for 6 happy years before iimmigrating to the USA.
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We too relocated from London (South), Peckham-Stockwell region to Bletchley. The second place we got was a huge council semi ideal for schools and local shops but a few miles from the main town. My secondary school was a 2 mile walk and then college. I started working weekends stacking shelves and pricing up then tried agency work for warehouse, and some clerical work ( I managed to get a C grade for Clerical Studies which included r.s.a). When the recession began in the mid-eighties and a relative was ill I made the decision to move to London leaving a younger brother who was only about 11. There was no work about at all and I’d just finished A levels and applying to polys etc.
I re-registered with the agencies and bought the local paper. After a year or so I found office work cleaning jobs and a nursing job, all not brilliantly paid but I got by made new friends, started an painting class and also travelled around London.
I visited home a couple of times until the mum dad and bro moved to the coast.
Early in 1955 my mum and dad and me were living in 2 rooms in a very old four storey house in London.There was a family on each floor but only one toilet everyone used on the ground floor.After 6 years of this we got word that we had a chance for a brand new council house in Bletchley..so my mum took 11 year old me on a train trip to check out our possible new home .We turned left leaving the station and within a few minutes found ourselves outside of the Woolworths in this photo.My mum asked someone..Can you tell me where the Town centre is?… You are IN IT! They replied.My mum was a bit disappointed to say the least.We had some tea and buns at the only cafe we could find then caught the bus to the Castles Estate Conway Crescent there was to be where our new house would be built..we actually stood on the vacant land where our number 7 home would be situated.In spiite of her apprehension at the thought of living in a place with such limited shopping capability my mum liked everything else we saw and we went home to tell my dad YES..we did want to move…All I was thinking about was I would be finally getting a bicycle.By the time I was 16 I was working at the tiny but incredibly busy Dewhursts butcher shop.. nextdoor to Woolworths.We lived in Bletchley for 6 happy years before iimmigrating to the USA.
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