Uxbridge, Windsor Street

A Memory of Uxbridge.

I had forgotten Suiters 'quirky' cash system but I do remember another store called Manettas which was to the right of Uxbridge station. In 1966 it caused an uproar in town as it displayed a topless dress, which was the latest fashion trend? it did not sell any. In the picture of old Windsor Street you can see some black railings on the left, this was the original police station. If you looked below ground level, you could see where the cells were - it was quite creepy. My great grandfather was a policeman there, I still have his whistle. His beat was all around Uxbridge but there wasn't much crime then.
Woolworths was one of most children's favorite shops, you could always find something to buy with your pocket money. I loved the cashew nuts and could buy just 2oz of them or any loose sweets. They also sold singles of the top twenty hits for less than the record shop. We played them on our little Dansette record players. I loved going into the record shop in Windsor Street where you could ask for a record to be played and listened to in an individual booth and still not have to buy it.
At this time I remember us kids making Guy Fawkes figures from old clothes our mother gave us. We tied the arms/legs with string then filled them with old newspaper and made a head from an old stocking with a mask over it. We trudged up to Windsor Street and stood outside the Post Office to beg 'a penny for the guy'. We made good money on this and would then go and buy sweets instead of fireworks.
Another memory was the 'pig man' who used to come down our road, Rockingham Parade, weekly, shouting for pig swill. Our mum's kept the old peelings, rotten fruit and other bits of food and gave them to him!!! The rag and bone man also came round regularly on his cart, pulled by a horse, to collect any old metal we had. We also had a gas light near our house and in the early 50's a man would come round to put it out late at night. As I have stated previously, our house was next to the entrance to Fasanage Park and the river Frays. On the opposite bank of the river, the swans used to nest on the bank every year and people had to keep well clear of them as they were known to chase hapless people trying to pass. There was also a grocers shop called 'Twinns' and I was often sent round there to buy groceries at all times. If the shop was closed, you went two doors up to Mrs Twinn's house and knocked then she would go round and open up the shop and sell you what you needed. There was also a little shop on the bridge over the river at the top of our road, it was called The Cabin. I got my first job there at 15 for an hour after school and Saturday afternoons. I don't remember how much I got paid but I do remember pinching the odd sweet from huge jars of sweets on the shelves!!!!.

Comment from Kathy McNally on Wednesday, 31st October 2012.