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Richmond Road

Growing veggies in WWII
By Jennifer Goddard (Norrell)

At the top of Wakefield Road that joined Richmond Road to the right were steps that went down to, I think, Rosehill Terrace.  Down the steps were doors which led into allotments. My grandmother had one of these as we did not have a garden at Richmond Road where we lived.

She grew all our veggies and we certainly did not starve during the war. I especially remember too, the horse and cart that delivered bread.  It took off at the top of Wakefield Street and went down that steep hill to the bottom. I don't know what happened to the horse but the bread that fell off was quickly picked up by the residents.

That was in the early 1940s. Haven't people changed? I don't think too many people would risk growing veggies and expect them not to be taken nowadays. Nothing was ever locked up or stolen during the time our family had the allotment.  Of course sadly that is very different today.

This page was added on 27/01/2007.

Comments:

I had one of the allotments (first door on the right as you went down the steps) when I lived at 6 Richmond Road between 1979 and 1986 and we certainly grew veg there. Apart from a grim period when a local family had hooligan kids who liked to sit on the wall and hurl abuse (and sometimes stones) as we dug, it was fine. Mercifully the family moved away after a year or so and we grew onions, spuds, beans etc in peace. We eventually sold it to one of the houses in Wakefield Road which backed directly onto it and I think they just used it as an extra big garden.

By Shan Lancaster (18/02/2007)

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