Childhood in Tavistock Avenue – Sue Bentley

Sue Bentley croppedSue Bentley, born Sue Newton in 1938, lived in Tavistock Avenue for thirty years and shares her childhood memories of playing in and around that area. She remembers playing on the little grass islands in the avenue, the fields by St Stephen’s vicarage, the milkman called Walter with his horse and cart, watching cars go by in Watling Street, the stone cottages on the A414, the water meadows and fishing in the stream and the fair down Butterfield Lane.

Interview date: 9 December 2013. Interviewer: Sandy Norman.

Comments

  1. Dawn O'Connor

    My mother Joyce Berry lived in Tavistock Avenue, her parents Joe & Eva Berry lived there all their married life. I remember playing on the island when I was a child & picnics down by the river.

    Reply
  2. Few

    I lived at 100 tavistock were they started building prefabs .i like the picture
    Of the street party .I am the first kid Eddie few the next kid is David few the third is john few , the second girl is Ann few opposit us three boys .
    You may have knows us . I used to do th milk round with bunny cooper who was the milk lady and I was allowed to rein the horse ,but he knew were to go

    Reply
  3. Pat Stevenson

    I lived a 6 Tavistock Ave with my brother John, from 1941 the year I was born until I married in 1963. I remember the street party at the end of the war, I am in the photo (next to the girl in the sailor suit) I had black skirt with coloured ribbon round the hem, mum made it from blackout material and a blouse from parachute silk. I remember Miss Welton’s Sunday School in her flat and later in a room at the butchers shop in Vesta Avenue. Does anyone Mr Grout the grocer (the first shop in Vesta Avenue. I played with Sue Newton lots of lovely memories!!

    Reply
  4. Kevin Brazier

    I remember Grouts the grocers from the mid/late sixties when I used to help Wally the milkman on his express diary round. I think it used to have a wooden floor which had seen better days by then. Used to collect old corona bottles and take them to grouts where you’d get 6d a bottle. I lived in one of the prefabs in Tavistock ave from around 1962 until they started moving everyone out in about 1968 for re-development

    Reply
    • Christine Durston nee wilding

      Hi Kevin
      Christine Durston nee Wilding I remember your family .
      We lived at 131 and I remember Wally the milkman I think Alan My twin sadly no longer with us helped on the milk round as well .
      Mandeville School round the back of the prefabs .
      Wonderful memories of Tavistock Ave

      Reply

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