Tales of SGR from the 60's

WiltshireCourtBoy · July 2014

The shops between there and Kings the bakers changed so often it seem like there was a new shop opening there every 3 months and none seeming to settle. Kings however was a different story. From around 1900 there has been a bakery here. Originally the bakers belonged to Thomas Musson and I have an interesting story on him. Musson actually owned a string of bakeries and patisseries, one other I know for definite was at 94 Huntley Street at Tottenham Court Rd. Another and where he mainly worked was 104 SGR. It aspired that in 1911 Mr Musson was a witness to an attempted fraud on his shops by a Mr Guy Waton of £13 10s. At a trial in Clerkenwell Court, Waton was found guilty (under his real name of Percy Watson) and sentenced to 18 months hard labour! Another story about Musson I know was that my father who was born in Playford Rd told me that in the 20’s he and his sister (they were part of 14 siblings that lived) would walk all the way to Tollington Park and to SGR for bread. 3 loaves, 2 days old, cost 1d & 5 loaves, 4 days old, cost ½ d. I therefore assume that it must have been at Musson’s. Evidently his mum sent him on a far longer trip than required because the baker would temporary put the loaves back in the oven for the kids if they waited in order to freshen them up. So I guess he was a good guy?

Gloria · July 2014

Wonderful stuff...a pink plaque for the Orton cottage! Noel Road were he lived and died has one...although I suspect it might be an onerous task to commemorate every lav he had it off in.

WiltshireCourtBoy · July 2014

In the late 60’s the old Osborne Pub closed and a new one was built (I think it is now a Nandos) but this was the pub where most of the people from the estate drank. Crossing over TPR you come to Charter Court with its shopping parade. Nearest to TPR was the Off Licence (one time owned by Westminster Wines). You then had a gated entrance, a drycleaners, an estate agent and a double fronted doctors surgery where most people on the estate went. Dr Belige was the area doctor from the early 50’s to well into the 70’s. He was fairly old in 1965 to me, so I have no idea how old he really was. But I believe he came originally to England from German Sudeten land (now Czech Rep). Then came another gated entrance and then a cigarette / sweat shop that was open late to 9pm and was always busy in an evening.

WiltshireCourtBoy · July 2014

Between Osborne and Marquis stood the present row of Victorian houses, however at the back of where Philip Jones Court now stands was a row of council supplied garages. Marquis to Lorne had no shops. On the cnr of Lorne was the clinic where mothers took their babies and kids to be weighed and checked that all was well, even in the early 60’s TB was around. Then houses of which one was owned by a Spurs Supporter and every time Spurs y reach a final – which they often had, he would decorate the whole house from top to bottom in Navy Blue and White. It was never vandalized either! On cnr of Albert where there were 2 shops, 1 being a used furniture store and the other an industrial laundry.

WiltshireCourtBoy · July 2014

The first to shops in what was once Stapleton Parade were a ladies and men’s hairdressers run by a husband and wife team from Cyprus. They were really nice people and later I played in the same football team as the owner. Then came a smaller family chemist and a butcher, where at Xmas time sometime I would do odd jobs…like gutting and cleaning chickens. After the butchers who mainly sold budget meat, came a large Bendix Laundromat. With its rows of washers facing each other and with seats facing in the middle, it had a couple of large dryers at the back. Business here was always busier in winter time when families could not hang their washing out to dry.

WiltshireCourtBoy · July 2014

The last 3 shops were a hardware shop, Johnson’s the Newsagents of whom I worked for as a paperboy from 1963-69. This was one quality guy who helped me a lot, especially during Guy Fawkes week when he used to let me put my guy outside his shop for ‘1d for the guy’ and he would chase away anyone else that tried to take my place! Finally on the corner stood a greengrocer. He was there for years. All this leaves me to do is a small tidy up to take us back to where I started yesterday. On the cnr of SHR and Mt Pleasant Villas was Sobells the motorbike shop that eventually moved to Highbury Corner (I think it is now a Waitross in H&I). The Stapleton Pub, which was always OK.

WiltshireCourtBoy · July 2014

In Crouch Hill opposite the bus stop was an Indian Restaurant (the first in the area), a second hand furniture store, a double fronted, blue painted, car spares and such stuff shop and a butchers. Finally I have also remembered on more for the West Side, on the northern side of Sparshot was a car tyre shop. And there you have it………………..my memories from the 60’s.

Arkady · July 2014

Sounds like lower Crouch Hill hasn't changed much at any rate - still an Indian, the furniture shop (Riley's), and a butchers.

gardener-joe · July 2014

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WiltshireCourtBoy · August 2014

Arkady/ gardener-joe, The picture you posted is on the Cnr of Upper Tollington Park & SG looking North. I blew the photo you posted and the shop at 108 is a fruit shop. I have a 1912 Ordnance Map that lists the shops and 108 is Ernest Baker, Fruitier! So you are obviously right. 110 is Hopkins the Jeweler. What is really great about this discussion is that it chugs your mind. There was a United Dairy there and I know that in 1912 at #105 & 107 was the Aylesbury Dairy, so the migration makes sense. However, opposite Osborne Rd between the buildings and the Parade that leads to the corner was a big gap where the milk floats would fill up (like a larger version of Athelstane). I am sure I can remember a cnr double fronted bricked up place which would seem right. As I said my mum worked in David Greigs which was opposite Marquis and in the 1912 record I have DG's as one shop at # 123 so it is likely that they bought 121. What I do know is that in the DG butchers above a cold room hung a sign that said Aylesbury Dairies which obviously someone must had procured when they amended the building for Utd D & well before Tesco's. In the 1912 record there are 4 houses listed between the 2 properties, therefore the dentist was in one of these and so this kind of all fits?

Ali · August 2014

the furniture shop (Riley's) I am pretty sure this used to be a stationary Wholesaler before becomming Riley. You couldn't see through the windows and there were lots of biro adds etc