25 years in another life

We first met forty years ago. Somewhere between Nottingham and the Isle of Wight, Linda and I had been looking for a place to be together.  Independently, separately and unbeknown to each other, we successfully applied for work in the same vicinity. This led to a quarter of a century living in what had been a tied-cottage of an old tannery, in what seemed, at first glance, an unremarkable small suburban town.

Its workaday demeanour contrasted with its neighbour, where similar properties only half a mile away commanded twice the price to the aspiring bourgeoisie. The choice was between white vans on the road or sleek SUVs in the drive, as they would now be called. As with several places, particularly in South East England, “posh” towns often had their supposedly less desirable twins. Looking back, I know which I prefer; also why I prefer what is generally perceived as the less status-conscious vibe of life in Cymru. Other examples would have been Windsor vs Slough, Farnham vs Aldershot (recently a favoured destination for buying Kathmandu rum), Southsea vs Portsmouth, Sutton Coldfield vs Birmingham, Purley vs Croydon. These last few in reality comprised one place subsumed by the other, sometimes to the dismay, even embarrassment of some of their inhabitants.

Next door to us lived the family of a skilled panel beater. He built the tail end of the AC Cobra sports car* (the company's origins had been in munitions) as well as a metal cowl for our flue, after rainwater had poured through the boiler on the day we moved in. Many local craftspeople worked in the aviation industry. Louis Blériot, famed for the first flight across the English Channel in 1909, built an aircraft factory in the town in 1914.

Working in a hospital, it wasn't long before we volunteered to be “victims” in a major incident simulation at a nearby airfield. Walking home afterwards, still covered in stage blood, me wearing bandages on a fake head injury, we collected a takeaway supper. The unphased proprietor merely asked “Your usual order sir?”, in no way a reflection of the area, I hope.

One evening in a tiny High Street Italian restaurant, we were entertained by the Paraguayan harp of Francisco Iglesias (formerly of popular band Los Paraguayos) who had moved to the borough. Remembering him playing Guantanamera, we could not have foreseen the later tragic significance, by association, of this 200 year old Cuban song (“Girl from Guantanamo”: enough said). A nearby, and more basic, "BYO" pizza place became something of a social hub. “Bringing your own” became a routine, with friends and neighbours taking it in turns to supply a bottle of Amaretto or Tia Maria to follow the meal. Both venues sadly closed a long time ago.

Before we left, a fitting final entertainment took place in the community centre. Although small, it was the inaugural gig of an “intimate” world tour by Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson (formerly of Yes). This supposedly unremarkable town had seen some “big names” over the years. In the 1960s Paul Simon had appeared at the long demolished Dukes Head pub. The circus of Gerry Cottle had had its winter quarters nearby, although that sort of thing is rightly frowned upon today. Another long demolished premises, the Woburn Arms Hotel hosted trad jazz nights with meat raffle, but was maybe best known for its formidable proprietor. She was reputed to bodily eject customers who had displeased her.

Adjacent to the town is the oldest real canal in the country, dating from 1653, indeed the first such since Roman times. The place is Addlestone in Surrey, and Weybridge its “evil twin”. It has now been changed by creeping so-called gentrification, parts beyond recognition. The former Blériot factory has become an eponymous housing complex. There is now a branch of Waitrose. I’m not totally convinced by progress, and look back with great affection on 25 years of a very different life.

* Footnote. While preparing another blog, I subsequently learned that the car was known as the Shelby Cobra in the USA, and a favourite of songwriter Jimmy Webb. His Super Snake model was one of only 23 ever built.

Links

Air Navigation and Engineering Company - Wikipedia

Town Trail - Addlestone Historical Society (addlestonehistory.org.uk)

https://youtu.be/jPxkEWANmtA?si=aEMd69E59ukouS

https://youtu.be/Hs11jd6kyPo?si=GLh4N9iYMMZ6yeYn

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