My name is Vernon Page. I lived at 26 Bevendean Crescent from 1958 until 1970. Higher Bevendean was quite a sociable neighbourhood in those days. I do not know what it is like now. My brother and I would play on the green in Bevendean Crescent and we loved to roam the open hills behind our house. Every year there was a bonfire on waste land to the rear of 32 Bevendean Crescent, an area known as 'The Dump' by me and my mates.
There were many shops in Higher Bevendean in those days. There was Cheeseman's greengrocer's, Bronlow the chemist's, Palfrey's the newsagent's and sweetshop (his son Graham was spoilt!), Tilley's the grocers, a butcher's shop, a baker's, a hairdressers and a shoe repair shop. How many of those shops are left now? Almost none, I be bound.
At the junction of Bevendean Crescent and Widdicombe Way there was a blue (Dr. Who-style Tardis) police box. My brother Barry and I loved to play around the shops and, every bonfire night we made a Guy and shamelessly touted it about trying to get money for fireworks!
If anyone remembers me they can conact me at henrypage.personal@googlemail.com. It would be nice to find some old photos of the Upper/Higher Bevendean area to upload onto this website. Come on!

I used to live in Staplefield Drive. My mum is still there. She's been there since 1960. Could you get any photos of that street please, Thank you.

Reference the "fierce debate" on the spelling of Moulsecoomb, when I was in the second term at Moulsecoomb Junior School, we were all told that it was the correct spelling and that the Southdown Omnibus Company had spelt it wrongly on their 'buses. That would have been about 1937.

Our family home was in Medmerry Hill from the late 1940s (when I was 6) to the late 1970s. The shoe repair shop that Vernon mentions was at one time owned by a Mr Skerratt, whose son David I was at school with. The bakers, was I believe, owned by the Goldsmiths The sweet shop/newsagents was at one time owned by the Paynes, for whom I did a paper round, and next door to the grocers was a barbers shop. I too recall the annual 'penny for the guy' firework fund begging bowl and also, being in the scouts, the annual 'Bob a Job' week when we door knocked for chores to aid the scouting funds. Nostalgia is not what it used to be!