Avery Hill will have a special place for many.
For some it will be fond memories of being a student there, while for many others it will be the pleasure of taking time out in the park and visiting the Winter Garden.
And here I confess that my own memories are less to do with the beauty of the place, and more simply that it offered a venue for a second date, the day after the night before.
The scenario will be that familiar one, which begins when you ask someone out for a first date, which usually ended up at the cinema.
If all went well, and after the long walk back from her house, there was the question of how to proceed.
The next Saturday was too far away to wait, and trying to have a meaniful conversation on the Monday at school in front of everyone was a nonstarter.
And so that just left somewhere like Avery Hill on a Sunday afternoon to meet up and judge the future.
The advantage was that it was free, with plenty of land to walk the romantic walk, and if it rained there was the hothouse.
Alternatively, if it all went pear shaped, there was plenty of space to fill the time before you could leave with dignity.
So, after the nervous phone call on Sunday morning, which if all went well was full of banter there was just the equally nervous suggestion of meeting up.
And here I have to say the call was always made at the telephone kiosk down by the Co-op opposite the Pleasausance ………. and never from home.
The golden rule was, never, never offer to call at the house, but instead to meet up somewhere in the park. That way if either of you had second thoughts it was less embarrassing, and by Monday both of you were prepared for how to behave.
All of which came flooding back, when l came across these pictures by John King of Avery Hill, and having gained permission to use them, the rest as they say are memories from a lifetime ago.
At which point I could reflect on the history of the place, but its history is well known and has been written already, and that history has already featured on the blog.*
So instead I shall just mention the Friends of Avery Hill**, thank John for his photographs and remember with fondness those happy Sundays which now stare back at me from the distance of a full half century and more.
Location; Avery Hill
Pictures; Avery Hill, 2020 from the collection of John King
*Avery Hill, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Avery%20Hill
** Friends of Avery Hill, https://www.averyhillpark.org.uk/
And here I confess that my own memories are less to do with the beauty of the place, and more simply that it offered a venue for a second date, the day after the night before.
The scenario will be that familiar one, which begins when you ask someone out for a first date, which usually ended up at the cinema.
And so that just left somewhere like Avery Hill on a Sunday afternoon to meet up and judge the future.
The advantage was that it was free, with plenty of land to walk the romantic walk, and if it rained there was the hothouse.
Alternatively, if it all went pear shaped, there was plenty of space to fill the time before you could leave with dignity.
And here I have to say the call was always made at the telephone kiosk down by the Co-op opposite the Pleasausance ………. and never from home.
The golden rule was, never, never offer to call at the house, but instead to meet up somewhere in the park. That way if either of you had second thoughts it was less embarrassing, and by Monday both of you were prepared for how to behave.
At which point I could reflect on the history of the place, but its history is well known and has been written already, and that history has already featured on the blog.*
So instead I shall just mention the Friends of Avery Hill**, thank John for his photographs and remember with fondness those happy Sundays which now stare back at me from the distance of a full half century and more.
Location; Avery Hill
Pictures; Avery Hill, 2020 from the collection of John King
*Avery Hill, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Avery%20Hill
** Friends of Avery Hill, https://www.averyhillpark.org.uk/
Had a couple of romantic triste's there myself, but fondest memory was of seeing Yes there way before you had to go to a stadium to see them!
ReplyDeleteNice story
ReplyDeleteI lived close by so it was easy to walk there from Southend Close, what a great place to play and hide in, climb trees in and just take in the freedom it gave us the wintergreen was beautiful then, the hothouse was warming on a cold winters day too, great memories