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recollections of a magical childhood
recollections of a magical childhood
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Mimosa
Mimosa
In front of the bungalow the white block wall, interrupted towards one end by green wrought iron gates that, I think, opened outwards because of the slope of the drive.
Indeed the front gates did open outwards because of the slope and it was quite a tight fit to get cars in and out between the brick pillars. Pop often policed access if he was about.
Later: I think, before the road was widened, they did open outwards, because the front wall sort of curved inwards and the gates were inset sufficiently to be able to open outwards (see the photo of Dad's first car on Home page) . But, once the changes were made, the slope was adjusted so that it had a flat section before the "ramp" so they could open inwards (see photo below).
Over the gates an arch made of wire and mesh across which, Mimosa grew (hence the name). I think there was a nameplate on a wooden plaque on the gates somewhere (see photo below). Was there also a wooden post box where letters and the local paper were dropped into?
Yes, there was a little wooden flip-top box by the gate for newspaper deliveries......but the postman used the letterbox.
That would be low down in the front porch sliding doors (originally) and later in the external doors.
The drive with a strip of grass between the two parallel tracks, made of a sort of golden concrete with plenty of golden flint in it, flanked on either side by flower beds - predominantly mint green-leaved plants with white flowers and some pansies on the left and taller plants on the right including Gladioli, towards the wooden garage, on the right.
There were apple trees along the left side of the driveway and two more in the lawn with a circular flower bed where we'd often watch a thrush rustling about.
The old house, mentioned earlier, beyond the right-hand fence and, on the left, the front lawn in front of the bungalow, with several apple and pear trees.
You can just see part of the old house next door with a corrugated roof and shed attached. All I remember of the old cottage next door was seeing the muddy side of it out of the living/dining room window, and the little porchway it had around the front door in its tall weedy front garden.
I'd forgotten about the tiled floor of the porch (cream and terracotta?). Note Pop's trendy hipster belt arrangement!
Pop's trouser support arrangement was obviously when he was going through his 'gipsy' fashion phase.
I'd forgotten about the tiled floor of the porch (cream and terracotta?). Note Pop's trendy hipster belt arrangement!
Pop's trouser support arrangement was obviously when he was going through his 'gipsy' fashion phase.
After the drive, the concrete surface, which had been laid in large sections, went alongside and behind the bungalow. The largish, rather smart, wooden planked garage had, I think, a smaller predecessor which had been covered in a black tar-coated material (maybe not - see below). Both had one end full of Pop's tools and "gubbins" including a shoe last, hand-drills, split cane fishing rods, keep nets, metal torches, lawn-mower, etc.
Also in which lived the gentlemans' Hercules bicycle, the (mysterious) battery-powered lawn mower................
Thought I'd try to find an image of a 40s mower with a battery starter but couldn't. I did come to find these though! Obviously, version 1 was considered to be far too risqué so was adjusted to the much more acceptable version 2!
I've never heard of the manufacturer Homko - probably American looking at the advert.
Seemingly a popular seller due to the tremendous air blast which was specifically directed to expose mini-skirted maidens' nether regions........but what a '1960s' way to sell a masculine item!
I didn't notice before but have just noticed the harlot scampering along behind the Homko lawnmower seems to have had her modesty restored between pictures 1 and 2. I wonder how deeply the quantity of cleavage affected their sales. Marketing people always told me it was easier to pick the low hanging fruit!
Seemingly a popular seller due to the tremendous air blast which was specifically directed to expose mini-skirted maidens' nether regions........but what a '1960s' way to sell a masculine item!
I didn't notice before but have just noticed the harlot scampering along behind the Homko lawnmower seems to have had her modesty restored between pictures 1 and 2. I wonder how deeply the quantity of cleavage affected their sales. Marketing people always told me it was easier to pick the low hanging fruit!
Now, back to the original text...............
................the clonking great bench vice and, (for a short while), our kart (see Page 14). I vaguely remember having plans to motorise the latter and had found a lawnmower engine somewhere. (Does that ring any bells with you? Perhaps it was just a fantasy.)
Yes, I wish! Sorry, but I do think it's pure fantasy! Beyond the garage, the shed used to store the tubs of feed for the chickens and our beach gear - brightly coloured buckets for making sandcastles and the wooden-handled red spades. I also recall rubber spades made with a mixture of swirling colours predominantly green but with red in it.
We also had pressed tin metal spades. Remember the deckchairs getting wet leaving a revealing mark when you got out of them?
Here's a multi-coloured rubber ring
An early photo with the tree in front of the shed. Not ideally placed for the future when their children would become car owners!
The tree in front of the garage was indeed removed for our parents to park their cars and that wooden garage was replaced quite early by an asbestos one with timber sparswhich later got painted the same colour as the bungalow. ie. Green spars with cream panels.
I may be wrong, but it looks like the back garden is still open to the fields beyond at this stage?
The tree in front of the garage was indeed removed for our parents to park their cars and that wooden garage was replaced quite early by an asbestos one with timber sparswhich later got painted the same colour as the bungalow. ie. Green spars with cream panels.
I may be wrong, but it looks like the back garden is still open to the fields beyond at this stage?
A blurry but delightful image of Mimosa a few years later and you were right with the colour combo of the garage!
Behind the bungalow, the full-width rectangular lawn split in two by the path that led to the long greenhouse. I remember a clothes' line was strung between two rusty poles and lying on the floor behind the bungalow was the wooden stave (I am sure it has a name which I can't remember because they have gone out of use)
It was, as far as I can recall, called a 'washing line prop' (there now, that's probably knocked you to one side, eh!) with a forked section cut into one end used to push up the washing line once the wet clothes had been pegged out to prevent them from dragging on the grass and so they would catch the breeze
You're right, that was it. I think we called it a clothes' prop'.
Pop and Tony - lovely. Note Pop Mitchell's garage in background
Nanna joins them - dressed for the Town!I love Pop's Charley Chaplin stance (the feet!)
The Chaplin stance; the result of many days of army square bashing.
The Chaplin stance; the result of many days of army square bashing.
A colourised version using a website - HEREand then some further repair and processing work by me, including use of new sharpening program
To either side of the greenhouse gable end was the wooden trellis fence and beyond the vegetable garden to the right of the greenhouse and a fruit garden with raspberry and gooseberry bushes to the left.
An incredible photo capturing a special time. How much would you like to return to those days?
The path ran right round the garden - to the right, Pop trained more fruit trees as espaliers when the old house was there and early on was the enclosure for the ducks, at the far end the chicken huts and pen, I think there were two houses and you could get behind the left ones to be able to lift the lids and get to the eggs.
Training apples and pears as espaliers, is, apparently,a space-saving way of growing fruit on a wall or fence
Over the back wall, before all the bungalows were built, there used to be a field with a solitary tree in the middle of it! Now turning back towards the bungalow on the left was a big plot of land that went as far as the large house. This was before the Mitchell's bungalow was built. The brick wall had a wire fence above it I think.
Linda: Mrs Coldhurst (who lived the other side of the Mitchells... always dressed in black).
We used the gate to make our compulsory visits to see the Mitchells (when they moved there) at the beginning and end of each holiday.
The path then led around the side of the bungalow, past the bin and coal bunkers, then the tall hedge and then to the pond in front of the bungalow.
I seem to remember the bungalow was brick up to waist height and then rendered and painted light green above with cream metal-framed windows. I think they were made by a company called Crittall windows - a sort of art deco statement - so the windows were split into horizontal rectangles. Nanna and Pop-Pop had them taken out (or at least the horizontal spars) to create what were known as "picture windows" - so modern!
And yes, the window frames were made of steel which were quite common in many 1930s houses. With two-position (cast brassy looking) opening handles on the side openers...... and plenty of extra paint overlapping the glass..... well Pop had big wobbly hands after all.
Still in business today apparently. Some more information and links here.
The front had a large arched porch that led to the sliding doors of the front lounge.
Nanna in her standard Summer dress and Pop in his Post Office uniform. Note Ford Prefect on the drive.A worthy inclusion despite the light damage to the negativeAlso, note the original Crittall windows!
I seem to remember the porch had a tiled floor and contained the electricity meter and a cupboard with a toy plastic table and tea set (red?). Later the porch had its own glass and doors.
Linda: Hairy spiders in the porch!
Yes.
You could see daylight around the original sliding front doors in the archway...so it was a might draughty in the Winter!
Back to the rear of the bungalow - up the concrete steps (into which my Dad had scratched the date he repaired them) - to the right, the big plastic water butt sat on bricks so Pop could drain the rainwater into his watering can.
Pop Out in the garden and working in the greenhouse - note trendy "deck shoes"
The (Hants & Dorset) green door had a Yale lock to the right-hand side and a wooden vertical handle. Turn the key and push........
Are you sure the keyhole was on the right? From the outside that is. I picture left... Oh and don't let the dog out!!
Regarding the bungalow, I remember that we once sat on those semi-circular front steps in the front garden playing our guitars. (See Page 14 )
Yes, I can remember that as well. Bees buzzing around and the smell of lavender.
The front wall is still in situ except the drive entrance has been opened out...sadly the front garden is all paved over now...and the only recognisable bit of the bungalow is the arched front window, which once graced the front doors, but has been bricked up. It doesn't sit comfortably in this state..and is actually quite an architectural disaster!
Mimosa is depressing considering the haven of peace it once was! You were quick to spot the block paving update to Mimosa's front garden (garden?!). Pop's hedge screen (the replacement) ...gone forever.It looks very raw now and was only removed a few months back
In the back garden on the left behind the trellis were Nanna's Raspberry bushes - netted over to keep the birds off. The blackbirds used to bounce on the netting to make it sag so they could get to the fruit. Runner beans along the left side of the garden.
Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussels, cabbages, peas (remember shelling peas into a cream and green colander?) (See Page 19)
The Mitchells and Nanna were always having little feuds about minor things. Your Dad had to stand outside if he had his pipe going (a sign of things to come)...often wonder why they moved in next door!! It was an uncomfortable sort of friendship, wasn't it! I can still picture Mrs Mitchell's scowling face as she glanced at Nanna's kitchen window. We always felt a particular joy if something went wrong in Mr Mitchell's garden..like a flower keeling over ...or a scrap of paper blowing across his lawn! Out he'd come head stooped low and totter across to sort it out.
Black elephant ornament on the hearth....
Yes - were there two?
Maybe yes!!
Something like these but more realistic with longer legs and trunks and they had tusks
Army photos in Nanna and Pop's bedroom..... yes, green settee beds in the front room.
Yep - long rectangular frame with several photos of Pop and the gun carriages. In the back lounge a painting of a bowl of flowers (primroses and violets?) (See Page 10) that I thought your Dad had painted plus a crayon sketch of a brown spaniel which I thought was of Chocker but apparently was bought because it looked like him.
I've got the bookcase still....(see Page 20)..
I don't think we ventured into it often but it did have a certain book that meant something to us but can't recall what.
Linda: There were several Just William books in that bookcase – loved them
(probably a bit girly for us!). (Later) I remember now - see Page 18.
There was also a still life painting in the lounge, I think, or was it the main bedroom?
Strange shaggy pile white patterned carpet....
Yes - it shed "hair" and stuck to any clothing if you sat or laid on it!
There were two prints hanging in the "spare bedroom"/"railway room" in dark chocolate-coloured frames with wobbly glassPainted by George Morland in 1801 and prints taken from them and hand-coloured by T Ladd in the same yearNanna and Pop's were reprints dating from 1909
Pretty sure this was the one. A Belling 2kwthis photo is taken from an odd angle
Rather elegant oval table with curved legs...
Where was that?
It was in the middle of the front room in later days, maybe it was left by the Mitchells or something. Don't think it was there when we slept in there, now I think about it.
Linda: I think the oval table was always in that rear bedroom. I remember always seeing it there when Marion and I shared the room.
I recall the drop-leaf table in the back lounge under the window and the one in the kitchen of course.
Two bar electric fire built into the fireplace.
I think we nearly shorted that out several times by poking stuff at the coils and using it to light cigarettes (much) later but before that the tips of screwed up paper!
A rusty (similar) one but worth including as it represents how it looked in situ
Also the electric fire in the lounge with the flickering flame effect caused by a vane turning on a vertical pin above a bulb (see Page 20).
Clunky old vice on the garage workbench with the smell of dusty treated wood.
Once sighted rat running out from under the shed behind the garage.
Yeah - I remember Pop standing in the lounge with his back to the garden proudly claiming how he had killed the "Little Blighter" just as it walked across the back lawn behind him!!
Who lived in the bungalow, side-on, beyond the back garden, in Parley Close...she had a bird table..can't remember her name?
No idea! Was it Mrs Brown who moved into the bungalow before the football field once the old house was demolished?
I think this would be Mr & Mrs Martin they had a daughter the same age as us, called Linda, our neighbours.
And who lived at Ty-nni along the main road?
Where was that? Which way?
The second bungalow towards the shops after Parley Close.....goodness I remembered both names when we first moved here.
Linda: Mrs Evans lived at Ty Ny (think it means little house in Welsh, or so Nanna said).
I thought I'd check to see and that's very close, well done! Ty-Ni apparently means "our house" in Welsh.
She had a daughter named Jill. But no man around that I remember so not sure if her husband died or if she was divorced. Things like that weren't mentioned in those days.
Mrs Evans of Ty-Ni was one of those names I was trying to recall before. A bit further along was the Rider's bungalow (Freddie and Dave?)
I think we were too young for the personal relationships but I remember Mrs Evans - shortish, glasses?
Was it Mrs Wood(s) who owned a house/shop a little way towards the airport, who used to buy/sell some of Nanna's chicken eggs?
I think we once went on a Blue Funnel boat trip from Christchurch harbour to Mudeford and I recall a very cold wind blowing us about all the way. In our teens...reading James Bond books.
Blimey yes! We used to take them when we went to the beach and sat and read for hours!
The Portable Radio
The Portable Radio
... and sitting in the gardens listening to your dad's portable radio playing "Mr Tambourine Man" by The Byrds?
Not quite right but the closest image I can find!
Here's a sighting of it sitting on the windowsill of "our" front bedroom/model railway roomin around 1967 with "my" Mini reflected in the window
The last day of Radio London - 15th August, 1967
Found it! This is the one - a KB (Kolster Brandes) Gaiety!Yes - I have now found the full specification and lots more photos(use the slider on the right of this page)Made from 1959 and kicking out a meaty 0.7watts of sound!
.................and lots of even better images (albeit in turquoise and grey)
Back to Model Railways
Back to Model Railways
On the railway layout, we had a grey plastic Airfix Signal Gantry...about the only lineside feature I can recall...
We had the lineside workmens' huts. Buffer sets?
...and we had started experimentally to glue cork granules in between the sleepers of a small length of track for ballast. It was a slow business so we never got on with it.
We had two controllers each; one with a small lever to turn and the other with a red knob....
I wonder what happened to the timetables we worked out?
Yes - can you recall what details we included? Was it 4:10 - express to ... etc?
Black plastic uncoupling shovelly things.
Yes, we also had those bits of clear plastic inserted between the sleepers. Do you remember we wanted to electrify all our points and we bought some electric coils but didn't know what to do with them?!
Little square bottles of oil with red/yellow label, cork and wire dipstick. Shell Oil here
plus - I had this and probably still have!
Did we have one of these?
Weathering the engines. How did you remember all those Morse code train descriptions by the way?
I didn't - found them on the Internet somewhere! (See Page 2)
Railway Modeller...Railway Constructor.
Yes but never ever the Continental Modeller version!!
Murgatroyd tank wagon..."Heavens to Murgatroyd"...Snagglepuss!! Pixie and Dixie. Yogi Bear! Deputy Dawg? Dandy...Korky the cat...Beano...Bash Street Kids...Desperate Dan...Cow Pies!
Back to Bournemouth (& the Lifts & the Pier Approach!)
Back to Bournemouth (& the Lifts & the Pier Approach!)
On Sundays, when one or other of our parents were down in Bournemouth we'd be treated to a drive out somewhere...Longleat or Beaulieu or can you remember any particular trips.. I'm strangely blank on that?
Not really - just the stuff you mentioned except stuff we've covered like shrimping near Weymouth.
Do you remember the sprigs of heather that our Dads used to tie to the front of their cars whilst on holiday as a good luck charm?
I'm afraid I don't remember the sprigs of heather...funny the things that get blanked out isn't it?
Lifts at the beach. There were some either side of the pier but "ours" were the best at East Cliff! Seem to remember them being cream with brown woodwork (a la Morris Minor Travellers!)
East Cliff Lifts 1909
On the left "The First Car" carrying Sir George and Lady Meyrick in 1908
A more recent shot circa 1970?
One from "our" era or maybe a little earlier given that the pier has no superstructure in this.You can see one of the cruisers powering away in the distance beyond the pier and the other at the small pier in the foreground
A nice shot, looking down the hill towards the pier in 1969
Bournemouth Pier Entrance 1968
The Baths & Esplanade circa 1962 (fantastic detail when enlarged)
Bournemouth Pier Approach, Summer 1966, with Renault Dauphine, Mini Traveller or Van, Ford Cortina MkI.
What is that caravan? It looks too big to be selling ice cream. Perhaps it was a "tourist information" caravan?
Ford Zodiac MkI Convertible, Ford Thames Caravanette in car-park of Pavilion, MG Magnette at top of the hill coming down, Triumph Spitfire, Morris Minor (split-screen from the look of shape), Ford Thames Trader MkI Truck, Austin A35 (larger rear window, painted grille with chrome surround and front (and rear) flashing indicator lights as opposed to traffic indicators on the A30)
No details of this image but I have de-noised and sharpened it! Click on it to see the details!
1969 for this one. Ken Dodd was in Bournemouth for the Summer (billboard on the right!) between the removal of the trolleybus overhead and the flyover being constructed
A rather different view of the pier approach - spent quite a long time cleaning up this photo!
.........and cleaned this one. Both worth enlarging for full effect!
Me and Nanna walking towards the pier. I'd guess that I'm about 3 or 4 here making it 1952 or 53?
I'd forgotten these "out-sized" chess games and draughts that you could playon the pier until I saw it in a BFI film so I grabbed a still of it.
Do you remember that there used to be "street photographers" who would take your photo as you were walking near the pier or along the prom' and stuff a ticket in your hand telling you where you could see it once it had been developed with the option to buy a print?
I would imagine that the shot above was taken by one of those and, to the right, is a picture of some of the tickets they issued (on top of the printing block used).
I also think the pictures of us walking along the promenade on Page 14 that I edited together would have also been taken by one of those photographers.
I would imagine that the shot above was taken by one of those and, to the right, is a picture of some of the tickets they issued (on top of the printing block used).
I also think the pictures of us walking along the promenade on Page 14 that I edited together would have also been taken by one of those photographers.
I have since found a better image of that scene
Always meant to have a go at playing chess on the pier but never did. I think the zip wire has put paid to that more intellectual excitement.
Always meant to have a go at playing chess on the pier but never did. I think the zip wire has put paid to that more intellectual excitement.
Hants & Dorset Motor Services Bournemouth 1953.
From all the bunting, it must be dressed up for the Queen's Coronation"Gawd Bless you Ma'am"
Again, good detail when enlarged. You can just see this building on the left of Bath Road going uphill in a photograph above, left
I was trying to work out the make of the car in the foreground of the above picture. A Google search revealed it was first registered in London but no detail on the actual car
From all the bunting, it must be dressed up for the Queen's Coronation"Gawd Bless you Ma'am"
Again, good detail when enlarged. You can just see this building on the left of Bath Road going uphill in a photograph above, left
I was trying to work out the make of the car in the foreground of the above picture. A Google search revealed it was first registered in London but no detail on the actual car
At first, I thought it was a Humber Super Snipe (above left) but that looked wrong as that doesn't have a flat surface bridging the wing and the bonnet
I eventually tracked down a vehicle that looked like it (right) which turned out to be a 1947 Mercury Eight Convertible
I eventually tracked down a vehicle that looked like it (right) which turned out to be a 1947 Mercury Eight Convertible
Note the "Union Jack" pennants on the wings suggesting a Mayoral vehicle
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