Mrs Mary Lucey
Born 1921 in Co. Mayo, Eire
Moved into Saxon Avenue: January 1950
When we arrived in SAXON AVENUE we were the first tenants in our new home. The pavements were not completed, so we had to walk through the mud and left-over bricks, and other building materials; but we were very happy to have a house, with our three young children, one a baby of three months, after living in a one bedroom flat.
Everything was so different in BUTTS FARM then – with all young families just trying to get homes together. There were no homes built then in WATERMILL WAY, so we could just see the fields leading down to CRANE PARK; also there was a pig farm there and fruit trees where we could go and pick apples and plums.
On Sundays the Salvation Army would come and sing hymns and play music at the junction with EXETER ROAD.
Also on Sundays the “Winkle Man” as the children called him would come along and ring his bell, so we all knew he was there, and could buy some of his winkles if we could afford it.
The street lighting was then gas so the kids used to love to watch the man come to turn the lighting on. After a few years, I cannot remember how many, we got electric, so the children didn’t have the fun of watching the lights being turned on.
So here we are with the men trying to make decent front lawns. When they did succeed they had a problem of having to cut the grass – no one had a lawn mower. My husband found one, second-hand for £2.10 and shared it with all the neighbours.
Those days are long gone and there are only four of the families who moved in at that time left in SAXON AVENUE now. Sadly three of our husbands, and one wife have died. All our neighbours now are from various overseas countries, which is as far as I’m concerned, is no problem. My neighbours are from Goa and I could not wish for better neighbours, kind and helpful at all times.