Bedfont Shops.New Parade

A Memory of Bedfont.

Well, 1950s & 1960s. One or two shops changed use after that date but not much changed! Just before this section, moving from Bedfont Lane they installed the Barclays Bank alongside the Songi's (sic?) betting shop.
These shops though... does anyone else remember them? I think I have them all correct and wonder what they are now?Are they there in fact? They were there in the mid 1980s when I visited, although the far end area had already been a car sales lot for some time.
Nearest 1st: Unwin's Bottle Shop, newsagent - Dickinson's/Bluebird, later the Sewing Shop? (I still have some patterns from there...real 'dolly bird'
numbers but classics, just the same. The 'other' Chemist; then 'P...' used to be a general grocery with displays of dog foods and soem chicken feed bins, the sort of place with wooden floors, counters, biscuit boxes beneath the counters and display shelves with special bins in the centre of the shop....a laneway with Grants Fish & Chip Shop, a Florist and the Opticians (still have a couple of specs. cases from there), the car lot...the place with the sloping roof and Yew tree was a lovely house which also hosted the Scripture Union meetings...it was a tabernacle at the end of Nelson's? Road.
Then another section which is the new Parade set back off the main road with a slip road entry. THE FIRST SUPERMARKET came in there with Beards Hairdressing (Rita and Mother), then the big newsagent at the end...almost adjacent the Post office/newsagent who suffered terribly from the new place.
They replaced built over, what was the Post War Day Nursery.
I actually have afirm memory of being at that nursery, behind chainwire fencing, with singlet and thick bottle-green fleecy 'schoolwear' undies, playing in the sand.
Amazing really!
Can anyone else fill in the gaps on that side of the road?
Olivia


Added 09 July 2010

#228884

Comments & Feedback

I'll have a go at remembering the shops on the north side of Staines Road circa mid-1960s. I have probably missed a few but here's my best shot, east to west, and can't promise they're exactly in the correct order: Lewis (electrical goods; they also sold records but only singles that were in the charts); Eric Williams (clothing, school uniforms, shoes, etc.); Pickering's (hardware); Coombes (bakery); Bunce (greengrocer); David Greig (grocery/delicatessen); Howard (butcher - the family that run this were actually called Tennant); Jarman's (sweetshop/tobacconist); Franklin (barber); Gerrard's (greengrocer); C & D (for Cyril & Daisy - chemist, they also sold wool); Clifford's (dairy - they used to operate the milk floats from the yard at the back); then west of New Road - the Dry Cleaners which also housed the Post Office (possibly called Comet?); Barrett's (ladies' & children's clothing); Stone's (barber); The Regent (sweetshop/tobacconist); Anson (furniture)

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