Burnt Oak In The 1970s

A Memory of Burnt Oak.

I was born in March 1972.
We lived in Blessbury Road with my grandmother until I was 1 and then we moved to Blundell Road. I went to Woodcroft Infant and Junior school. I remember on a Saturday morning looking down Watling Avenue, and there would be swarms and swarms of people...it would be so busy.
There was a bakers and a newsagent on the end next to the library, Alfreds was across the road on the opposite side, where everyone got their school uniforms from. Then moving up Watling Avenue there was a butchers, and a fish mongers, on the other side of the road as you went up the hill there was a jewellers and Toni Bell the ice cream shop. I also remember the hairdresser my mum used to go to, and Tescos was up the top of the road - my mum used to go there every day.
There was also Vipins the stationary shop which I believe is still there, and there was another school uniform shop, which was more expensive. We used to get my dad a flat cap from there for his birthday every year, but I can't remember what it was called. Barratts the shoe shop was there too. At the top of Burnt Oak Broadway was the post office, and boots and on the other side of the road was Deesons the toy shop - I loved that shop, I got my dolls house from there. Deesons also had a sports shop. There was also Woolworths and Budgens at the top. So many memories!