Valerie Jean Fletcher
View of the Capland Street entrance and the side of Gateforth School
City of Westminster Archives A03A1183
Memories
By Valerie Jean Fletcher (nee Miller)
I was born at 165 Lisson Grove in 1947 and moved out of the area in about 1965. The row of houses has now been pulled down and is now a block of flats.
My Nan and Grandad Baker lived on top of George Moores bicycle shop at 24 Church Street opposite Jordans department store. My Grandad's local pub was the Duke of York and my mum went to Gateforth Street School.
I remember Taylor's the sweet shop at the Lisson Grove end of Church Street and a few of the other shops - Andersons the secondhand shop, Maggies the Grocer, Dr Jacobs Surgery and Coggins Haberdashery, Ernie Noads the shop shop opposite that was Sams a little supermarket (where the old music hall used to be ) and Roisins the baker's shop. The was Murrays the butcher and a wet fish shop and on the other side of the street a Pie and Mash Shop which was knocked dow to make way for Kennett House. Church Street market took place on Saturday (it still does but it's not the same as it used to be there is no Silks the Green Grocers or Chocolate Joe's).
Most of Church Street as it was has been knocked down now what is left is from Jordans to Lisson Grove on one side and on the other from the toilets also up to Lisson Grove. The rest is new shops and flats. Just off
Church Street used to be the Four Feathers Youth Club where we all used to meet and there was never any trouble.
It was a safe and lovely place to grow up in. Everybody knew their neighbours and their families and we certainly had a true community spirit which sadly is missing now.
This page was added on 17/08/2011.