THAT REMINDS ME
Hi folks, time for another delve into our blurry, yet beautiful bygone days.
A few weeks ago, Malcolm Cullen responded to our first TRM of 2014 with this
email, which, up til now, I've not had chance to include.
"Christine Hesselgrave's letter in this week's TRM certainly jogged a few grey
cells. She was right in thinking there was a shop in Marble Hall, in the terrace
near the flax factory. As a schoolchild walking home from the Board School in
North Road, I remember we would call into his shop to purchase 'Spanish root'
can you remember that ? Or a liquorice stick, which would cost either a farthing
or a halfpenny. The last couple I can remember owning the small tuck shop
between the Kimberley and the Baptist Chapel, in the late 1950's, were Mr and Mrs Laugharne.
I remember a shop owned by the Allens standing on the site now occupied by a car
hire business next to Lidl. Again, a shop to visit on the way home from school,
where I could buy an Oxo cube for a farthing, which we all took turns to lick.
Or you could play a pin machine, where you mechanically flicked a ball bearing
in an attempt to get the ball bearing down a winning hole, another way of getting
an Oxo , but you didn't always win.
I think the tall metal chimney at the flax factory (it already had a short, brick one)
was erected in the mid 1950's. And finally, yes I still say that I go 'up or down' the ' Doctors' Hill.
Where is Purdey's corner? A great TRM to start 2014 Jeff , thank you once again".
Thanks a lot Malcolm, I reckon Purdey's Corner was the top of Pill Lane, leading into North Road if I'm wrong, someone's bound to tell me.
Another who wrote to me following Christine's contribution, was Graham Clarke.
"On the subject of ' front room shops', there were quite a few around North Road
apart from the one next to the Kimberley that has already been mentioned.
There was Mr Williams, I think, who ran a shoe repair business from No 4,
Miss ??? who ran the sweet shop from No 20 on the corner of Yorke Street.
The Post Office in North Road was effectively a front room shop that had been
extended into the back room. There was Mr Jones, who ran the grocers store at the end of Warwick Rd, opposite the farm. How many towns the size of Milford had a dairy herd marched in twice
a day for milking!
Just round the corner, in Robert Street, was the butchers, still a butchers last
time I passed that way.
I remember having to run errands to all these shops to earn my pocket money.
A little further away were the three shops on the corner of Brooke Avenue and
Greville Rd. One of these was a bakers. On the way home from the Grammar
School sports field, it was not unusual to pop into the first shop and buy a
penny lolly , then pop into the bakers and buy a penny loaf of bread, insert
the lolly into the loaf after biting off the end, meal on a stick! What more
could a young lad want?" Very true, cheers Graham.
My final piece of correspondence this week came from 85 years young Mr.
Patrick James, Salisbury. "Dear Mr Dunn, in your photo recently, of Esso being constructed, on the
right hand side was probably the last picture of South Hook Farm from when my
great Aunt Agnes Thomas farmed. I spent most of the summer holidays between there and Sandy Bay, the beach east of the fort. I lived over next to Woodbine, my grandfathers farm, and
now Milford Haven Golf Club, went to the Board School in Milford, and then
to Haverfordwest Grammar . My mother was scared of what might happen in the mixed
County School in Milford. I think I missed out!
Dad ran the Market Stores in Charles Street during the Thirties, after a spell as a
Merchant Seaman. Later he had a minesweeper to run, and went off to New
Zealand after the war.
In my time Rabaiotti's was a dream to go to, and have an ice cream with a
peculiar, slightly metallic raspberry sauce, that we all adored, but which I
have never tasted elsewhere.
Sadly, they put him into a camp during the war, and he never quite recovered
his bubbly humour. I doubt if there are many left now who remember me in
school, although I do try to get down a couple of times a year for a few days.
I enjoy your page very much." Thank you Mr James, you're a gentleman and a scholar.
The photos this week are from the thirties and were kindly submitted by Gillian Knowles.
One on Milford beach, the other taken at the Empire before it was a cinema and includes
Joe Rabaiotti and Gillian's gran, Lily Whichello.
Now time for teasers. Last week's chocolate answer was two hours and those with a
sweet tooth were Les Haynes; the Tish Llewellyns; Gerry Thomas; Royston Holman;
Alan Scard; Jimmy May; Denis Payne; John Glover; Ken Davies; Jean Clark; John Roberts;
Malcolm Cullen; Lesley Chandler; Tony and Christine Hesslegrave and Paul John.
Here's this week's test for the grey matter - When can you add two to eleven
and get one as the correct answer?
That's all for now, it's been a pleasure. See you.
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