Hi,
I know that it's not really relevant but thanks a lot for posting that b/w photo of St. John's Street and Queen's Road. It brings back memories. When I was around 10, I lived in Princes Street for a while from 1968 and remember when there was a fire at Elite Fisheries and I think there had been talk of someone being trapped inside. I recall people screaming and the massive glass shop front which was illuminated by the flames behind it and there was thick black smoke pouring out of the building.
I believe that there was a bookmakers (betting office) more or less next door where I used to take my Mum's bets. After my Mum once won a lot of money on a horse I had chosen, she would insist on shutting me up in my room on Saturday mornings to choose more winners for her from the newspaper with the incentive of as many sweets as I could eat. Of course, I never succeeded in chosing another winner after that initial stroke of luck!
On the topic of lardy cakes, I used to buy fabulous lardy cakes from a bakers near the Alfred Sutton Secondary Boys' School on the Wokingham Road c. 1970 - they also did excellent bread, but I'll never forget the lardy cake! I think it cost 2/- for a whole one, but I' m not certain.
I also remember the Beehive pub, Bourton's the Funeral Directors next to us on Princes Street and having my appendix removed at the Royal Berks Hospital as well as the George V Memorial Garden. Do any of these places or institutions still exist?
Statistics: Posted by peter toth — 07 Jul 2013 15:03