Happy Days

A Memory of Northwood Hills.

I came to live in Northwood Hills in 1946, aged 16 months. I attended Pinner Road Primary School and then on to Potter Street where I was a prefect in my final year. I had my tonsils out, aged 6 in the lovely old Cottage Hospital, affectionately known as the Little Hospital. I remember saving my pocket money up to buy records from the minutely small record shop next to the Bluebird Cafe. The Rex cinema had extremely uncomfortable seats but my Mother would take me after school to see many films, one of which was the first James Bond movie. We would eat sandwiches with a flask of tea that my mother had secretly taken in her bag. I was a tomboy and loved playing on the Hogs Back with my friends who were boys and we were trusted to light a fire and cook sausages extinguishing it once we had finished. We had idyllic childhoods in those days going to the park, climbing trees and splashing about in the River Pin. After school a visit to the Tuck Shop for chews and other delights and on the way home from Girl Guides a 6d. portion of chips was in order. Capping milk bottles at Robarts Farm was fun and every week we would see the cows being blessed by a Rabbi as the milk supplied the Jewish community. Billy the Bull was quite famous! My father had an allotment in Joel Street and there was a great selection of shops that catered for all our needs. Does anybody remember Creeping Jesus who was absolutely harmless and lived in a shack in the woods off Haste Hill? I was a member of St. Edmunds Church and left Northwood Hills following my marriage there in 1970. My husband also grew up in Northwood Hills and we both have such happy memories. Having returned over the years it is no longer the place we remember and would not like to live there now. I wonder whether anybody remembers me or my husband John.

Barbara Rayment nee Fairman

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