West Park in the 1960s and 1970s

These two photos show West Park as it was in the 1970s. On the left of the first photo can be seen the Mobil Garage with its huge circular roof covers. I remember this building well as I used to face it every week day while waiting for the bus to go to school. On the right, can be seen Crystal Batteries and a Co-op lorry can be seen approaching the traffic lights.

There are quite a few shops that I can recall from the 1960s and 1970s. The newsagents was Eastabrooks (where my mum worked) and next door was the Off-Licence. Eastabrooks later became Cooper's News, NSS and today is ABC Butchers. One of my favourite shops as a kid, back in the 1960s, was Edward's the toy shop which was where Crystal Batteries appears in the photo shown. Across the road was the Co-op (it's the library today), a small chemist and the petrol station. Behind was Goodbody's and another supermarket, The Supreme (it's a carpet shop today). Also in Coombe Park Lane was the popular post office which unfortunately went the way of all other post offices up and down the country. Across from the Supreme was the fish and chip shop (it's still there) and upstairs there was a barber who would shear your hair just before you were due back at school after the holidays! Opposite Eastabrooks, across the road, was Liptons, Dewhursts Butchers, another butchers, the Make and Mend shop (it's still there) and a Mace shop which became a house a long time ago. There have been many shop changes over the years and there was a shop for a while that just sold wool. Knitting once seemed a lot more popular pastime.
In the second photo, many of the shops I've mentioned can be seen. It looks like the wool shop has become 'Him and Her'. Peter Goords can be seen on the left by the carpark and the old red phonebox can be seen outside the newsagents. I think the Supreme became some sort of music shop for a while.
In some ways, it looks like it hasn't changed much over the years but in other ways it's changed greatly. West Park is now overflowing with fast food outlets, the supermarkets have closed, the old newsagent has disappeared and McColls has taken over the premises where Liptons used to be. The red phone boxes have long gone as has the post office (although it's now a sorting office) in Coombe Park Lane. I can't remember when Edwards closed down but it's certainly a very long time ago since I bought toys in there! Of course, the area is a lot busier today with constant traffic, a lot more scruffy and run down and doesn't seem to be the place I remember when I was a boy. Perhaps I've just got older!