When I started school at Kenyngton Manor my teacher was Miss MacFarland and the Headmaster was Mr Moncaster ( known as Monkey to all the kids). We had our gas masks on our shoulders and at times we went straight down the air raid shelters where there were no lights and only a bucket for a loo. Many children cried.
There were good and bad times during the war. My Grandad was killed in an air raid in London, but as I said there were also good times. So how about our walk! Starting at Beechwood Avenue and walking towards Sunbury Cross there is a row of 1930s semi-detached houses, then you come to ‘Granny Smiths’ green grocers hut, (it was situated just opposite Burgoyne Road) an old cottage almost hidden by over-grown trees.
But one of the trees was a cherry tree and for a couple of pennies you could buy a fairly good bagful of cherries when they were nice and ripe. It was quite a common sight to see Granny Smith and her husband riding around Sunbury on their horse and cart.
I remember it was a very large grey horse and I seem to remember it was called Rosie. We move on to the Childs family house. This was next to Kenyngton Manor School. Then the Hiles cottage with a small field at the side where a few horses grazed. Next we come to F A Goodes a well stocked grocers shop where tea biscuits etc were not in packets. We now cross the road to a row of shops first is Bennetts news and sweet shop next to them is Eric Hopkins butchers (later he built a new shop just further along the parade) and a fishmonger took over his old shop. We move on to Simmons who sold mostly bread also some groceries. On we walk and the next busy little business was Fenners the Barbers.
I think they invented the short back and sides (only joking ). Then came a few white painted cottages next to these was Lipscombes the Bike shop. Crossing the road again we come to the Hare and Hounds pub. The little road next to it was Railway Place where the local chimney sweep lived .
You would always see him on his bike with his brushes tied to his cross bar and he was always dressed the same and always as black as the proverbial soot. Next to this little road lived the Eskins. It was a very old property in large grounds and it was rumoured that there was a tunnel running from the house to Hampton Court. We move on past some old cottages and small fields until we get to cross the road where there is a wool shop and a ladies hairdressers Next on this side was Mr Ratcliffe’s shoe shop.
He was well known for a rumour that went round that he was dead! This he vigorously denied. We now reach Sunbury Cross. Would you like to continue walking to the Parade and Staines Road? We may do that another time….