Age 21 to 36 ... Home
I've Left The Nest
My first job could not have made home life easier for me. After leaving College in July 1972, at the age of 21, I worked in a Private Prep school, and was provided with my term-time accommodation in exchange for a small deduction from my salary. (See Work>). When I first started at Bickley Park, there was no spare accommodation for me, so I was put up (at the School's expense) in a nearby guest house. After a few weeks, the Headmaster rented a flat for me in nearby Sidcup. This was on the top floor of a house - in the eaves - and was unheated, and boy, was it cold! But I wasn't there for very long before the school shuffled one of the well established 'old timers' out of the 'live-in' staff accommodation at the school, and moved him into his own flat, so I was able to take over his vacated room at school.
My room was on the first floor of a building which also housed the staff room and many of the teaching rooms of the school, though the staff accommodation was accessed by a narrow staircase which led from the staff room, so was quite private. There were four bed-sitting rooms for teachers. The two on the second floor were very small, but mine was a good size, and had a wash basin, with bathroom close-by. The live-in staff had use of a scruffy kitchen which led off the staff room, but there really was no need to use it, as we were provided with all meals by the school. Even the bed linen and towels were changed weekly - living here really was the easy life!
Of course, at holiday times, I was happy to return to stay in my parent's home in Winnersh. It was all very much just an extension of being at College - except I was working now, and earning a salary. Although once married, I could have continued to work at Bickley Park, neither Marian or I really wanted me to do that, so at Christmas 1974, I gave notice that I would be leaving the following Easter, which meant not only finding a new job, but we needed somewhere to live as well.
My first job could not have made home life easier for me. After leaving College in July 1972, at the age of 21, I worked in a Private Prep school, and was provided with my term-time accommodation in exchange for a small deduction from my salary. (See Work>). When I first started at Bickley Park, there was no spare accommodation for me, so I was put up (at the School's expense) in a nearby guest house. After a few weeks, the Headmaster rented a flat for me in nearby Sidcup. This was on the top floor of a house - in the eaves - and was unheated, and boy, was it cold! But I wasn't there for very long before the school shuffled one of the well established 'old timers' out of the 'live-in' staff accommodation at the school, and moved him into his own flat, so I was able to take over his vacated room at school.
My room was on the first floor of a building which also housed the staff room and many of the teaching rooms of the school, though the staff accommodation was accessed by a narrow staircase which led from the staff room, so was quite private. There were four bed-sitting rooms for teachers. The two on the second floor were very small, but mine was a good size, and had a wash basin, with bathroom close-by. The live-in staff had use of a scruffy kitchen which led off the staff room, but there really was no need to use it, as we were provided with all meals by the school. Even the bed linen and towels were changed weekly - living here really was the easy life!
Of course, at holiday times, I was happy to return to stay in my parent's home in Winnersh. It was all very much just an extension of being at College - except I was working now, and earning a salary. Although once married, I could have continued to work at Bickley Park, neither Marian or I really wanted me to do that, so at Christmas 1974, I gave notice that I would be leaving the following Easter, which meant not only finding a new job, but we needed somewhere to live as well.
First Home Of Our Own !
13A Hampton Lane, Hanworth, Middx. The time was early 1975, and I was age 24. I had just secured a teaching post at Feltham Comprehensive School, to start at Easter '75 (See Work>) and Marian and I were engaged to be married in the summer that year. We pretty urgently needed somewhere to live! So, we presented ourselves to an estate agent in Feltham, and explained our situation. He pulled out details of just one property for sale - 13A Hampton Lane. 'This is just right for you', he said, 'newly refurbished, and just on the market. You won't find anything better'. With that, off we went for a look. We never looked at anywhere else. It was indeed, just right for us. A two-bedroom first floor maisonette with its own garden and a garage. And, it was indeed all freshly decorated, with a brand newly installed gas central heating system. The property was empty, so no buying chain was involved, and it also came with a fresh 199 year lease.
13A Hampton Lane, Hanworth, Middx. The time was early 1975, and I was age 24. I had just secured a teaching post at Feltham Comprehensive School, to start at Easter '75 (See Work>) and Marian and I were engaged to be married in the summer that year. We pretty urgently needed somewhere to live! So, we presented ourselves to an estate agent in Feltham, and explained our situation. He pulled out details of just one property for sale - 13A Hampton Lane. 'This is just right for you', he said, 'newly refurbished, and just on the market. You won't find anything better'. With that, off we went for a look. We never looked at anywhere else. It was indeed, just right for us. A two-bedroom first floor maisonette with its own garden and a garage. And, it was indeed all freshly decorated, with a brand newly installed gas central heating system. The property was empty, so no buying chain was involved, and it also came with a fresh 199 year lease.
Buying 13A
The price we paid was just £10,150. The Bank of Mum and Dad generously paid the £1,200 deposit, and the rest went on a mortgage. The estate agent helpfully pointed us towards the local Kingston Building Society to have that arranged.
It was then a done deal. It all seemed so simple. I do not recall any stress or worry. I remember a few visits to offices in Feltham and Kingston where we sat and signed various bits of paper. But home buying seemed easy - it was all a very straightforward transaction.
I'm not sure precisely when I moved in, though it was certainly before we were married, and after I had started teaching at Feltham, because I recall commuting to Feltham School from my parents' home in Winnersh in my Triumph Vitesse. I also recall borrowing a kettle for a few weeks from a young teacher at Feltham named Moira, because I didn't have a kettle of my own. Moira happened to be single and rather lovely, but I was engaged and soon to be married, so I managed to behave myself...!
13A - Inside and Out
The part of the house that Marian and I bought was the the entire first floor, plus the front door and small downstairs lobby, an under-stairs cupboard, and the stairs with half-window. Outside, we had access over the front path, and owned a fenced half of the rear garden, with pedestrian access to our garage at the back of the garden, which had road access from St John's Road, to the side of us. The downstairs flat was freshly sold at the same time as our part of the house. It was bought by a single chap about our age, but although we exchanged pleasantries, we never had much to do with him.
As a first home, 13A was fantastic. OK, it was quite small, and when we first moved in, our living room was 'carpeted' with underlay (because we couldn't afford carpet) and most of our furniture was shabby and second-hand. It was possible to turn round with arms outstretched in the middle of the kitchen, and touch all four walls. There was no space, anywhere, for a washing machine, so every Sunday, I got in the car and took all our dirty washing to a coin-op laundry in Hampton Hill.
But it was our own home, and we were very happy there.
As time went on, we saved enough money to buy new furniture and carpet, and even had all the windows replaced with double glazed units. In those days, many people kept their cars in garages, and I wanted to do so too, but we now had two cars. We were lucky to be able to rent a garage from the elderly lady who lived next door in the 'other half' of our house. Our elderly neighbour's garage was conveniently adjacent to ours, at the back of our gardens, so once we were renting her garage, together with our own. we effectively had a double garage.
Although the next door house was 'semi-detached' to our flats, it was all one house with no divided ground floor hallway - though it did have a small upstairs kitchen, just like ours. I wonder what the intention was, when this property was built? Were they always intended to be maisonettes? And I wonder how the properties are arranged today, when property values have gone sky-high - especially in London?
But anyway. we were very happy at 13A. We never felt that we lacked space, and strangely, furnished the tiny box room as a single bedroom - though I don't think it was ever used as such more than once or twice. We even bought a cheap old piano for Marian, who had been a bit of a pianist in her time. We installed it in the downstairs lobby, and painted it to match the décor. I don't think Marian ever played it! I grew vegetables in the garden, and the garage and driveway space was great.
But, in time we decided we were earning enough to afford a new and bigger mortgage to buy a larger property, so we moved on. We sold 13A to our friends Chris and Valerie in December 1980 for £24,000. I was then age 29.
House Hunting Again
Having decided that we wanted to move to a larger house, we had to get ourselves involved in a bit of house hunting. I was still working at Feltham School, and Marian still worked in Hounslow, so we chose to search within reasonable commuting distance, but 'outwards' from the very urban Hounslow borough. I remember having a large pile of printed house details from estate agents - there was no internet at this time - but I don't recall actually viewing very many houses, though we drove around a good deal, looking at outsides and locations. We put in an offer on a 1930s semi - 23 Evelyn Crescent, Sunbury. We came close to buying this, but lost our nerve when the house the owner was buying 'fell through', and we started looking at other houses.
The price we paid was just £10,150. The Bank of Mum and Dad generously paid the £1,200 deposit, and the rest went on a mortgage. The estate agent helpfully pointed us towards the local Kingston Building Society to have that arranged.
It was then a done deal. It all seemed so simple. I do not recall any stress or worry. I remember a few visits to offices in Feltham and Kingston where we sat and signed various bits of paper. But home buying seemed easy - it was all a very straightforward transaction.
I'm not sure precisely when I moved in, though it was certainly before we were married, and after I had started teaching at Feltham, because I recall commuting to Feltham School from my parents' home in Winnersh in my Triumph Vitesse. I also recall borrowing a kettle for a few weeks from a young teacher at Feltham named Moira, because I didn't have a kettle of my own. Moira happened to be single and rather lovely, but I was engaged and soon to be married, so I managed to behave myself...!
13A - Inside and Out
The part of the house that Marian and I bought was the the entire first floor, plus the front door and small downstairs lobby, an under-stairs cupboard, and the stairs with half-window. Outside, we had access over the front path, and owned a fenced half of the rear garden, with pedestrian access to our garage at the back of the garden, which had road access from St John's Road, to the side of us. The downstairs flat was freshly sold at the same time as our part of the house. It was bought by a single chap about our age, but although we exchanged pleasantries, we never had much to do with him.
As a first home, 13A was fantastic. OK, it was quite small, and when we first moved in, our living room was 'carpeted' with underlay (because we couldn't afford carpet) and most of our furniture was shabby and second-hand. It was possible to turn round with arms outstretched in the middle of the kitchen, and touch all four walls. There was no space, anywhere, for a washing machine, so every Sunday, I got in the car and took all our dirty washing to a coin-op laundry in Hampton Hill.
But it was our own home, and we were very happy there.
As time went on, we saved enough money to buy new furniture and carpet, and even had all the windows replaced with double glazed units. In those days, many people kept their cars in garages, and I wanted to do so too, but we now had two cars. We were lucky to be able to rent a garage from the elderly lady who lived next door in the 'other half' of our house. Our elderly neighbour's garage was conveniently adjacent to ours, at the back of our gardens, so once we were renting her garage, together with our own. we effectively had a double garage.
Although the next door house was 'semi-detached' to our flats, it was all one house with no divided ground floor hallway - though it did have a small upstairs kitchen, just like ours. I wonder what the intention was, when this property was built? Were they always intended to be maisonettes? And I wonder how the properties are arranged today, when property values have gone sky-high - especially in London?
But anyway. we were very happy at 13A. We never felt that we lacked space, and strangely, furnished the tiny box room as a single bedroom - though I don't think it was ever used as such more than once or twice. We even bought a cheap old piano for Marian, who had been a bit of a pianist in her time. We installed it in the downstairs lobby, and painted it to match the décor. I don't think Marian ever played it! I grew vegetables in the garden, and the garage and driveway space was great.
But, in time we decided we were earning enough to afford a new and bigger mortgage to buy a larger property, so we moved on. We sold 13A to our friends Chris and Valerie in December 1980 for £24,000. I was then age 29.
House Hunting Again
Having decided that we wanted to move to a larger house, we had to get ourselves involved in a bit of house hunting. I was still working at Feltham School, and Marian still worked in Hounslow, so we chose to search within reasonable commuting distance, but 'outwards' from the very urban Hounslow borough. I remember having a large pile of printed house details from estate agents - there was no internet at this time - but I don't recall actually viewing very many houses, though we drove around a good deal, looking at outsides and locations. We put in an offer on a 1930s semi - 23 Evelyn Crescent, Sunbury. We came close to buying this, but lost our nerve when the house the owner was buying 'fell through', and we started looking at other houses.
We Buy A Semi
I recall first seeing 12 Wolsey Road. Marian was not with me - she was at home preparing a meal, and I had popped out with friends Ian and Gill to view the house. The house was empty, so the estate agent gave us the key to have a look round on our own. The story was that the house was owned by someone who lived overseas, and it had been rented out for a while, but was now to be sold. This meant, as we were selling 13A to first-time buyers, that there was no 'chain'.
The house and garden looked unloved, and were in a bit of a run down state. It was part-furnished, with very tatty furniture, but Ian and Gill saw through the grime and pronounced it a 'real find'. When Marian saw the house, she also liked it, so we put in our offer of £31,500, and waited for the solicitors to do their bit. This was late October. It seemed a frustratingly slow process - I recall visiting the house a couple of times, just looking round the garden, at the decaying coal bunker round the back, and at the jungle of weeds at the end of the long garden. I was keen to get started on cleaning the place up, and decorating and gardening...
After an anxious couple of months, we moved in to number 12 on 22nd December 1980.
I recall first seeing 12 Wolsey Road. Marian was not with me - she was at home preparing a meal, and I had popped out with friends Ian and Gill to view the house. The house was empty, so the estate agent gave us the key to have a look round on our own. The story was that the house was owned by someone who lived overseas, and it had been rented out for a while, but was now to be sold. This meant, as we were selling 13A to first-time buyers, that there was no 'chain'.
The house and garden looked unloved, and were in a bit of a run down state. It was part-furnished, with very tatty furniture, but Ian and Gill saw through the grime and pronounced it a 'real find'. When Marian saw the house, she also liked it, so we put in our offer of £31,500, and waited for the solicitors to do their bit. This was late October. It seemed a frustratingly slow process - I recall visiting the house a couple of times, just looking round the garden, at the decaying coal bunker round the back, and at the jungle of weeds at the end of the long garden. I was keen to get started on cleaning the place up, and decorating and gardening...
After an anxious couple of months, we moved in to number 12 on 22nd December 1980.
12 Wolsey Road, Sunbury
Wolsey Road was a quiet residential road of similar semi-detached houses, a short walk from Sunbury Cross shopping centre, and conveniently close to the M3 motorway. The houses had long rear gardens. At the time, ours backed onto an area of waste ground behind a derelict building. There was a youngish horse chestnut tree growing vigorously in our back boundary. On the left was our neighbour's garden while on the right, we had the ends of gardens from houses round the corner - so we weren't much overlooked by other houses. I soon removed the old concrete bunker, and paved a small patio, building a low wall to edge the lawn. Our house had a concrete block garage with the driveway down the side of the house being amply wide enough to drive through. Almost as soon as we moved in, I had a car port erected at the side of the house, and later I replaced the rotting wooden garage doors with a metal 'up and over' version. I also built a small lean-to shed attached to the back of the garage, which gave me some extra useful storage for my garden tools. The far end of the garden was initially wild, but I cleared the weeds and created a shrub border and vegetable plot, successfully growing beans, onions and carrots, rhubarb, and probably a few other items I've forgotten about. There were two oldish apple trees on the back lawn, which fruited well. Dad, being a keen gardener, was more than happy to grow an extra tray or two of bedding plants for me, so after spring visits to my parents' at Winnersh, it was not unusual to come home to Sunbury with the car boot full of trays of plants. The plants thrived in the Sunbury soil, and we had a very lovely garden. |
The house itself was a traditional 3-bedroom semi, built in the 1950s. The rooms were well sized, and the ground floor living rooms were connected by folding doors, so could be made into one large room or kept separate. The house had gas central heating. The kitchen and bathroom must have been OK, though I don't remember them well, and certainly didn't re-fit either of them while we lived there.
However, we did have the house double glazed throughout, with a big patio door in the dining room overlooking the garden. In those days, double glazed units were installed in hardwood timber subframes, and the installers undertook the job during winter when there was snow on the ground. They were very happy to do their carpentry under the car port, and completed a beautiful job.
Although we both liked 12 Wolsey Road, and enjoyed living in Sunbury, we lived in the house for just four and a half years, selling it in July 1985.
However, we did have the house double glazed throughout, with a big patio door in the dining room overlooking the garden. In those days, double glazed units were installed in hardwood timber subframes, and the installers undertook the job during winter when there was snow on the ground. They were very happy to do their carpentry under the car port, and completed a beautiful job.
Although we both liked 12 Wolsey Road, and enjoyed living in Sunbury, we lived in the house for just four and a half years, selling it in July 1985.
Moving On
Maybe it was because Marian and I were both earning good salaries, and therefore felt a larger house was the right thing to spend our money on, or maybe we were just looking for the excitement that buying a new house brings to life, but either way, spring 1985 saw us house hunting again. This time, we were looking at detached houses, and I was keen to have a double garage too. If my memory serves correct, we sold Wolsey Road for around £60,000 (house prices were rising fast at the time) and we could afford to increase our mortgage to spend around £70,000. This amount would not buy us the house we wanted in the Sunbury area, but we found that by looking west, and outside of the M25 loop, affordable properties were to be had.
Once again, the first house we liked and made an offer on fell through. This was in a small estate in Sunninghill near Ascot - an area which has become extremely desirable and expensive today. Following that disappointment, we extended our search even further west, and found that Bracknell offered a choice of 'executive' homes at tempting prices. In July 1985, when I was age 34, we moved in to 44, Gainsborough. We paid £72,000.
Maybe it was because Marian and I were both earning good salaries, and therefore felt a larger house was the right thing to spend our money on, or maybe we were just looking for the excitement that buying a new house brings to life, but either way, spring 1985 saw us house hunting again. This time, we were looking at detached houses, and I was keen to have a double garage too. If my memory serves correct, we sold Wolsey Road for around £60,000 (house prices were rising fast at the time) and we could afford to increase our mortgage to spend around £70,000. This amount would not buy us the house we wanted in the Sunbury area, but we found that by looking west, and outside of the M25 loop, affordable properties were to be had.
Once again, the first house we liked and made an offer on fell through. This was in a small estate in Sunninghill near Ascot - an area which has become extremely desirable and expensive today. Following that disappointment, we extended our search even further west, and found that Bracknell offered a choice of 'executive' homes at tempting prices. In July 1985, when I was age 34, we moved in to 44, Gainsborough. We paid £72,000.
44 Gainsborough, North Lake, Bracknell
This house was beautifully located. It was the last house in a cul-de-sac, so there was no passing traffic. It backed into a strip of established woodland, so no-one overlooked us, and at the front, we had a view over North Lake and South Hill Park. Gainsborough was a road within a private estate - we had to pay a maintenance fee, and for that, areas of communal grass, trees and shrubs around the estate were meticulously looked after.
On the ground floor, the house had a large L-shape lounge/diner, kitchen, utility room and cloakroom. Upstairs were four bedrooms and a bathroom. Two of the bedrooms were large, with built-in wardrobes. The other two were smaller. We used the small front bedroom as a study, but furnished the other three as bedrooms. There was a large double garage with single up and over door as well as a side door onto the garden. The garden was large, and wrapped around the side of the house, though at the front was mostly hard-standing. It was all a very attractive package, but I really don't know why we thought we wanted a four-bedroom house!
The house was classic '70s inside, with brown-faced units in the kitchen, rather cheap, thin beige carpets, and an avocado green bathroom suite and wall tiles. It managed to look dated even when we lived there, but we never made any move to upgrade any of it. We did change the windows in the lounge though. At the front - to make the most of the lake and park view - we had the narrow upright window replaced by a much wider but shallower window, then we had a large patio door put in the back of the lounge, opening onto the garden. I also recall wallpapering the lounge and painting the hall and stairs in magnolia emulsion.
It was only 18 months or so after moving to Bracknell that I began my relationship with Becky, and my marriage to Marian consequently ended. There was no way either of us wanted to keep the house for ourselves, or could have afforded to even if we had wanted to. So the house was put on the market in the summer of 1987. Marian moved out, and I continued to live there until it was sold. The sale was finalised in January 1988.
Age 36 - 45 years; Home>
This house was beautifully located. It was the last house in a cul-de-sac, so there was no passing traffic. It backed into a strip of established woodland, so no-one overlooked us, and at the front, we had a view over North Lake and South Hill Park. Gainsborough was a road within a private estate - we had to pay a maintenance fee, and for that, areas of communal grass, trees and shrubs around the estate were meticulously looked after.
On the ground floor, the house had a large L-shape lounge/diner, kitchen, utility room and cloakroom. Upstairs were four bedrooms and a bathroom. Two of the bedrooms were large, with built-in wardrobes. The other two were smaller. We used the small front bedroom as a study, but furnished the other three as bedrooms. There was a large double garage with single up and over door as well as a side door onto the garden. The garden was large, and wrapped around the side of the house, though at the front was mostly hard-standing. It was all a very attractive package, but I really don't know why we thought we wanted a four-bedroom house!
The house was classic '70s inside, with brown-faced units in the kitchen, rather cheap, thin beige carpets, and an avocado green bathroom suite and wall tiles. It managed to look dated even when we lived there, but we never made any move to upgrade any of it. We did change the windows in the lounge though. At the front - to make the most of the lake and park view - we had the narrow upright window replaced by a much wider but shallower window, then we had a large patio door put in the back of the lounge, opening onto the garden. I also recall wallpapering the lounge and painting the hall and stairs in magnolia emulsion.
It was only 18 months or so after moving to Bracknell that I began my relationship with Becky, and my marriage to Marian consequently ended. There was no way either of us wanted to keep the house for ourselves, or could have afforded to even if we had wanted to. So the house was put on the market in the summer of 1987. Marian moved out, and I continued to live there until it was sold. The sale was finalised in January 1988.
Age 36 - 45 years; Home>