Old Hoddesdon Haunts

Today I have been doing some reminiscing among other things. Up early I changed a few blown light bulbs I had spotted. Made tea for mum, dad and I (even though they were both still asleep!) then sat on my bed reading.

Took mum up to Morrisons to do a bit of shopping and then came home to spend a bit of time with dad. He doesn't want to get up and so has had a bit of soup and a mini trifle, but not much else.

I then took myself off for a walk around the area I grew up in. I walked up Stanstead Road, and crossed over to Pound Close. There used to be a very high slide in the playground which I think I only ever went up twice. Since they invented health and safety the slide has been removed! It also prompted memories of the fair which visited every year. We used to go on a Wednesday when it was half price. I remember one year at about age 15 I went to the fair with my then boyfriend Roy, who ended up breaking his collar bone. It was inside a fairground tunnel that turned around and you went inside trying to stay upright! Another health and safety nightmare. I didnt go in, but I think Manda did and poor Roy who ended in agony so we went home. Later discovering his collar bone was broken. From Pound Close I went into Rye Road where I took this photo. A place I spent a big chunk of my childhood. Every tuesday in the holidays mum had jobs to do, 'the tote' she says. What I remember about my Tuesdays in the Labour hall was playing on the piano - chopsticks- I remember lots of the notes didnt play. I also remember taking our bikes and cycling round in a circle inside the hall while mum was in the back room with the old duplicate machine printing out sheets of paper with that weeks prizes on the tote. An important source of income for the labour party at that time.

From there I walked up Rye Road, down Walton Road, and Rumbold Road to 'the wreck' on The Old Highway. A big quite old fashioned play area, with, at that time, landscaped gardens on a slope, and from memory very wet areas plus a pitch and put and some tennis courts. Manda and I would take our rackets down in the summer holidays and have a go at playing tennis. Sometimes in the evenings we would play mini golf as a family, and I remember the exhilaration of getting a hole in one there. Later, my own children enjoyed the more updated play area, and it is now looking well kept with a bowls green and more kids areas, and still good tennis court, but no mini golf that i could see. I walked down the familiar meandering slope, rather than the steps ( people who know it will know what i mean) and all round before returning home up Whitley Road. Passing one more memorable place in Whitley Road, a small park behind the allotment where dad used to spend sundays. Sadly the 3 swings we used to play on are no longer there. I guess they also fell foul of H & S regulations!

Quite a trip down memory lanes!

After sorting dad out something to drink I went over to spend a few hours with Jenny, Gemma and Laura. That was lovely and we had a good catch up.

Now a very late blip - sorry about that to all those blip fans for keeping you waiting ;-)

Heading home tomorrow.