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by
Doreen Blood We
moved into No. 4, Ford Lane (later 38, Station Road) in August 1948.
My father had changed his job.
He had been Station Master at two country stations in
Leicestershire during the war and just after, but then he became
passenger rep for British Rail, based in Northampton.
A house was available in the SMJ cottages and my parents took it,
even though it was a bit primitive.
There was no electricity to begin with and no bathroom.
We had to use oil-lamps and cooking was done on the range in the
living room which provided the only heating.
After
a year or so BR improved the cottages – we got electricity!
It was only one light fitting in the middle of the ceiling and
one socket per room but at least it was better than oil-lamps.
And we could have an electric stove in the kitchen. The house was
redecorated as well – the work done by a contractor called Preedy and
his painter/decorator was called Tommy.
He was not the hardest working character and was always sloping
off for a cigarette. He had
a terrible smokers’ cough which he blamed on his “bronicals”.
The
previous occupant of No. 4 had been Sammy Hancox, a retired engine
driver on the SMJ. The
other houses were occupied by railway people.
At No. 3 were the Robsons,
he also was a retired engine driver for the SMJ; at No. 2 were the Hicks
family, he was a signalman at the Gayton box on the main line; at No. 1
were the Dicken family, he worked at the carriage and wagon works at
Wolverton. Each
house had a piece of land to use as an allotment.
Ours was kept as a conventional garden and later my father built
a garage there and also a greenhouse.
The Robsons had several apple trees on their land which they said
were seedlings they had grown themselves.
I have no idea of the variety but they were delicious and very
tempting for the train-spotters who congregated the other side of the
railway bridge, at the top of the road.
We often caught them scrumping the apples, but I could understand
the temptation. The
Hicks’ kept a few hens on their allotment as well as a splendid array
of fruit and veg. The
Dickens’ allotment was never used much.
Beyond the houses, going towards the station and hidden in trees
and undergrowth was the large cesspit which served the houses; this was
forbidden territory for children. Beyond
that there was a long stretch of land used frequently as a wood-yard,
and just before the station was an enclosed area occasionally used to
assemble animals due to be moved by train.
I remember once seeing a large group of horses waiting there.
We
were never sure where the name “Ford Lane” came from* – but about
half way along the lane a very small stream had been culverted under the
road, so I suppose that was its origin.
In
those days much of our food was delivered.
Cowley’s the butcher delivered each week, and later the Co-op
in Northampton sent round a large van on Saturday mornings; there was a
choice of bakers – we had one from Gayton to begin with and later
changed to Sturgess’s and a grocer in Northampton sent a rep (Mr.
Tranter) round once a fortnight to collect an order delivered a few days
later. A fishmonger called every few weeks and my mother almost always
chose whiting, to be steamed in milk. A van with fruit and veg came round also.
Getting food delivered was simply the only practical way to shop
in the days before supermarkets and universal car use.
* the Lane was just a field access road and is shown on 1729 maps fording the stream mentioned, which was the water used by the watermill at the bottom of Chapel Lane (Mill Lane). |