Dilwyn road

[davetheeagle]

This brings back memories. I lived in Champion Crescent and used to walk down Dillwyn road to Bell Green to catch a bus to school in the 1960s. I had forgotten about the timber yard and playground. It certainly was small although I don't recall playing in it. Maybe it was because of the sign that said 'Keep Out, this belongs to the Dillwyn Road kids' (I think I may have made that up).

Jacquie mentions the grocers on the corner. Just to be clear this was a shop selling general groceries (a bit like today's corner convenience shop) rather than a greengrocers. As regards the shop selling clothing it did sell groceries and sweets at some stage. I do recall clothing there but I'm not sure whether that was a sideline.

My biggest memory is the red telephone box outside. There was also a proper sweet shop on the corner of Miall Road, the next one along from Dillwyn Road.

The house with the scaffolding is in Champion Crescent on the corner with Burghill road. If you haven't seen it (it was there a couple of years ago) it is about the biggest unfinished extension that you are ever likely to see.

Back to Dillwyn Road and coming from Champion Crescent the corner shop was on the right and the prefabs on the left hand side running about a third of the way down. I seem to think there was a office on the opposite corner to the shop. However, my memory may be playing tricks with me. Just past the prefabs was some more modern housing (a small row of 6 to 10 houses?)presumably built in the 1950s before the old housing resumed further down towards the timber yard.

My mum says that I was at one of the Coronation parties so maybe the one in Champion Road.

As it was mentioned, West Indian families were living in at least 2 houses in Champion Crescent in the late 50's. Certainly deserving of a separate thread.

[Chris Doran]

Nice shop photo currently on eBay. Expensive to buy, but no charge for looking.

[davetheeagle]

Nice shop photo currently on eBay. Expensive to buy, but no charge for looking.

According to the 1911 census records George Henry Parker, master baker, and his wife Rosina Parker lived at 6, Bell Green, so the picture shows the bottom end of Dillwyn Road where the playground would have been.