Moreton Paddox Laundry and me

Cottages on the Moreton estate at Moreton Paddox, one of which was the laundry for the big house. 1900s

IMAGE LOCATION: (Warwickshire County Record Office)

Reference: PH, 352/126/53, img: 1971

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My father, Samuel Thomas Harrison, worked in the gardens here between 1947 and 1951. We lived in the flat above the laundry. There were two large empty rooms downstairs with block wood flooring where I played on my Triang tricycle. The cupboards were full of lampshades for the main house.

A beautiful adventure playground

The surrounding gardens to the old house were a beautiful adventure playground for me, aged up to seven years before Dad moved us to the Bernard Smith Nurseries at Hopwas, Staffordshire.

Lifts to school

I started school in Moreton Morrell and it wasn’t long before I was walking there and back everyday with two other children without adult supervision. Very occasionally, the Headmistress would pass us on the way, stop and give us a lift in her Austin 7 car.

I remember helping to pick strawberries during the short growing season and a peach tee in a conservatory.

Locations

Moreton Paddox (10)