When this was a fish pond

This was the site of Blomley’s fish pond, which stretched from the corner of Acres Road up to what is now Chequers and was big enough to have a bridge. It not only supplied the water for the wattle and daub cottages on what was then the Row, but was used by the Methodists when they built their chapel almost opposite.

It got its name from the family who had lived in the fine house just on the corner of the Row and Acres Road at the beginning of the 19th century.
I guess it was filled in around the time these houses were built.

And I have fond memories of the block. I first met my partner in the deli which is now the Spanish bar, bought my veg from the middle shop when it belonged to Richard and Muriel and long before the end place was a restaurant I would gaze into the window of what was then a piano shop. Of course go back another few decades and the deli was an off license, next to a saddlers and an ironmongers.

So in the nature of things Peter’s painting has just caught another one of those moments in the life of Beech Road. The romantic in me trips back to the place as a pond but the practical side remembers that with the Deli and the green grocer’s I rarely had to leave Beech Road to get all I needed.
Murial not only allowed me an account which I settled at the end of the week but would cash cheques for me and look out for special items she knew the kids liked. So in the week to the consternation of other shoppers Muriel not only supplied me with the veg and fruit I wanted but asked how much money I needed and handed both over. More than once I could see people mutter that this was not how it worked and that I should give Muriel the cash in return for the produce.

There are plenty more of Peter’s work on display in venues across the township and at https://www.facebook.com/paintingsfrompictures

Picture; © Peter Topping 2011 www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk