Croxley shops

John Pilgrim's book includes a few old adverts for some of the shops in Croxley Green, including Wright's shoe shop in New Road. I well remember being taken there by my mother to be fitted with proper Clark shoes and sandals. The nice lady serving there was from Lancashire (Blackpool perhaps) and it was the first time I had met anyone with that accent.

We used to shop at the Coop in New Road which had a separate butcher's section as I recall. There was always the "divi" number to remember if I had been sent there to pick up some shopping.

Then there was Wade's newspaper and confectioners shop over the road from the Coop. Later when we had moved to 29 Watford Road we would instead get our papers from Luxton's at the top of Scott's Hill (Andy nicknamed the proprietor "Slug"!). And we would get grocery deliveries from Hunts which was a few doors down from Luxtons. The owner's son, Johnny Hunt, was in the choir with me - he now lives in Ireland but I caught up with him a few years ago in Cardiff at the Championship Playoff Final when we beat Leeds.

I used to get my hair cut at Mr.Evans barbers in New Road. My mother always insisted on "short back and sides".  I remember rebelling in my later teenage years and going down to Sadiq's in Rickmansworth for a "Boston"!  But I always took a long time at Mr. Evans so that I could read all the comics. My mother only let us have the Eagle and Look and Learn at home (both estimable publications) but I was able to get my fill of the Beano and the Dandy at the barbers. 

That reminds me too of how I used to like Friday afternoons when we had tea over the road at Doris Hunt's house.  Beans on toast and Yogi Bear on the TV. We only really had the BBC on at home!