Monday, October 08, 2007
4th October Tunbridge Wells. Home of my Grandparents.
On 4th October we went to Tunbridge Wells.
It was a day of memories for me as we visited the home and place of work that were the centre of my Grandparents Frosts's world for about 15 years of their life.
I have very rich images of their flat, the shop and the little area. I spent a week or so staying with them and I enjoyed my 7th birthday there.
This was I guess my first solo trip and I really enjoyed discovering some form of independence. Granny and Grandad were busy in the little shoe repair shop that they had and so I had some freedom to play out with other children.
There was an alley next to the shop that was quite steep and came out, seemingly very far away, at the top of the town. I loved the games and I loved learning a new word - "alley"; we didn't have alleys in the village where I lived.
I discovered that I quite liked the vibrancy of towns.
I also went to Tunbridge Wells with the family on the train from Three Bridges.
I have vivid pictures of their flat - 64, Grosvenor Road. Indeed I can almost smell the flat - Granny cooked on gas which I had not encountered before.
But now, 56 years later I had to stand and stare and wonder for sure which was their flat. I can also hear the regular chimes of some church bells.
It was a top floor flat, up a gloomy staircase. I feel sure the kitchen window looked out towards the town centre and if I am right it means their flat was the top floor above the hardware shop (with the yellow sign board above the shop windows).
It probably wasn't a hardware shop then; indeed, I am not sure if there was a shop there at all.
This painted advertisement was on the wall at the point where we went to the door to climb the gloomy stairs to the top floor flat.
Grandad had some smart business cards printed.
And now Rock Villa Road looks this.
It was a day of memories for me as we visited the home and place of work that were the centre of my Grandparents Frosts's world for about 15 years of their life.
I have very rich images of their flat, the shop and the little area. I spent a week or so staying with them and I enjoyed my 7th birthday there.
This was I guess my first solo trip and I really enjoyed discovering some form of independence. Granny and Grandad were busy in the little shoe repair shop that they had and so I had some freedom to play out with other children.
There was an alley next to the shop that was quite steep and came out, seemingly very far away, at the top of the town. I loved the games and I loved learning a new word - "alley"; we didn't have alleys in the village where I lived.
I discovered that I quite liked the vibrancy of towns.
I also went to Tunbridge Wells with the family on the train from Three Bridges.
I have vivid pictures of their flat - 64, Grosvenor Road. Indeed I can almost smell the flat - Granny cooked on gas which I had not encountered before.
But now, 56 years later I had to stand and stare and wonder for sure which was their flat. I can also hear the regular chimes of some church bells.
It was a top floor flat, up a gloomy staircase. I feel sure the kitchen window looked out towards the town centre and if I am right it means their flat was the top floor above the hardware shop (with the yellow sign board above the shop windows).
It probably wasn't a hardware shop then; indeed, I am not sure if there was a shop there at all.
It was on a Sunday morning that I was 7 years old and Granny and Grandad made the day special for me.
After lunch we went to the common and played on the rocks.
In the evening we went to Calverley Gardens for a band concert. I am not sure if it was being broadcast by the BBC, but I can remember a man coming round with a microphone to pick up the voices of people singing Land of Hope and Glory.
They put the microphone in front of Granny and she sang away with gusto and I felt quite ashamed that I didn't know the words because I would have liked to have sung into a microphone too.
I had cards and small presents from the family back home. One of my presents from my parents was Cookery for Girls, which I still have of course.
Below are the cards given to me by Granny and Grandad.
This painted advertisement was on the wall at the point where we went to the door to climb the gloomy stairs to the top floor flat.
Almost opposite the flat was Rock Villa Road, where Granny and Grandad worked hard to make a living repairing shoes.
I liked to be in the shop and talk to the customers and be part of the grown up world.
Grandad had some smart business cards printed.
Here is the shop. It looked quite dreary even when it was a fully functioning little business in 1954.
And now Rock Villa Road looks this.
