New England Street

Fyffes bananas were on New England St. My grandparents lived opposite with my two uncles, one of which worked there as a driver.

I grew up at York Hill ( the last house on top at no. 15) and lived on the corner of New York Street and junction of New England Street from 1950-1966. So we were opposite Fyffes the banana factory. Sometimes workers would offer me a free banana through the open grills. There were no closed windows- ventilation, I suppose. I could see the bananas being moved around hanging up on conveyor lines. Earlier in my childhood, I remember hoardes of railway workers coming out and passing by my front door. Some would give me sweets. If it was raining, the sweets would be put through the door! Anyone still around who lived in New York Street by the name of Warrington or Townsend? 

My dad worked at Elders & Fyffes. The bananas were brought to the site from Southampton by train. The wooden crates were loaded on to the lorries to be delivered to greengrocers all over the district. Dad worked the country runs such as Worthing or Haywards Heath. As well as delivering, he collected the money. His days could be 7.00 to 7.00 with half day Saturday. A few crates must have disappeared as two became my dolls house, two a garage for my brother & others made good solid rabbit hutches.

I grew up in Boston Street and remember Fyffes very well which was just around the corner from where we lived  me and my friends would stand out side and watch the bananas being loaded into a large airtight room where I was told they use a gas in order to remove the spiders which hide in the centre of the long (hand) bunch. As young kids we would stand and watch the workers for ages and often given a banana each.  Does anyone remember, at the other end of Boston Street, the rag and bone man? If my memory is correct there were a row of garages/store units, and, like other readers, I remember going down London Road, into the Co-op, the payment system, Belmans, Woolworth's - the old one before it moved to opposite the Co-op.  The store was on 3/4 floors, I remember the top floor was lighting/hardware and ground floor had a large sweet section and also cake counter. The other store we used was Osbourn's (if I have spelt it right), they were in London Road opposite Oxford Street.  Mum would shop in there and I remember a row of square see-through tins with all types of biscuits. We would buy a bag of broken biscuits which for me was quite a treat. My early school days were in Providence Place, the school I guess you would call it a type of nursery, as a young lad of around 4/5 years old. The school was attached to the St Bartholomew's Church which is now the compound for the mobile tyre garage opposite. If anyone knows or remembers, I would be grateful to hear from anyone.