I Grew Up In Melrose Gardens, Stag Lane, Edgware.....

A Memory of Edgware.

Though I was actually born in Bushey, Herts., ( I believe that was where the maternity hospital was in 1939.) Melrose Gardens was a cul-de-sac of about thirty five houses and at least half the houses
had kids, so being an only child, they were like my 'family'.

We went to Saturday Morning Pictures at the Gaumont...every Saturday, and then bought a penn'orth of chips at the Fish and Chip shop. From there we would take the escalator to the top floor of the Co-op on Burnt Oak Broadway and tried to drop the crispiest bits of chips left in the bag, down into the bras on display in the lingerie department. I vividly recall getting a clip round the ear from a lady who said she would tell my mother on me.

I started school at Roe Green Primary. From there I was sent to Henrietta Barnett Junior School,
in Hampstead, 'til I failed the 11-plus so remarkably that I next went to Kingsbury Secondary
Modern, on Edgware Road, and after two terms at West Mark Boarding School in Hampshire (which
I absolutely loved), I ended up at Tyler's Croft Secondary, in Kingsbury.

I recall having to ride my bike to Fourboys (sic) Newsagents on Edgware Road near the Savoy, to
pay for the Daily Mirror that was delivered to our house every day.

I remember too the pea-souper fogs we used to get, where you couldn't see your hand in front
of you. I used to count how many curbs I'd come to when walking home in a pea-souper, and
in those days nobody locked their front door, so when as a ten year old, I opened the door and
yelled out "s'me Mum!"....a voice came back....."wrong Mum, luv!"

Happy days......Heather McLaren (Rohrer) in Canada.