2022 - Day Out In Arbury - Part 2

Debbie gazing out at Colonel Bennett's Manor Farmhouse trees from the Arbury Town Park in Campkin Road.

The story so far...

Intrepid Arbury Archivists Andy and Debs (Debs in her wheelchair) have gone out exploring Arbury in September, 2022. They have rediscovered the old Manor Farm cowshed, given up searching for the old Manor Nurseries gate columns in the Arbury Road hedgerow, had a breather in Arbury Town Park, enjoyed the view of the old Manor Farmhouse trees, and been to look at the modern day contents of the old Arbury Field. Then they moved over to South Arbury, where they assessed the 'Arbury history' display at Arbury Court.

Now, READ ON!

Having to miss out the North Arbury Chapel, The Ship public house and the Arbury Kebab van in Cameron Road, and the Nun's Way field, site of the legendary Arbury Adventure Playground, was a pain, but with only so much energy to spare, our heroes made some time for the original South Arbury Estate.

Although time (and lack of energy) meant we couldn't get to the Nun's Way field to look at the site this time, we had to upload some memories of the wonderful Arbury Adventure Playground from 'Arbury Is Where We Live! (1981).

We had lunch from the Anchor Fish Bar in Arbury Court, and some tasties from Dorringtons next door, which we can never resist. It was our first nosh from the Anchor and they're continuing the history of great Arbury fish and chips, which Andy remembers so fondly from the days of Turner's Fish Locker many years ago. We wanted to take a pic, and have edited out the gent enjoying his lunch outside. Who wants to unexpectedly find a photo of themselves tucking into a plate of nosh online?

Looking across Arbury Court towards Arbury Road and the old Upper School entrance to the Manor Community College. Memories of Andrew McCulloch's video rental library in the 1980s, and great to see in season fruit and veg on sale.

Flashback - Arbury Court in 1987. We miss the old Manor School tower block on the Arbury Road skyline. 

In 1982, Campkin Road was described in the local press at the 'Hauptstrasse of North Arbury'. Carlton Way fulfills that role on South Arbury - and is also on the course of the old Roman Akeman Street/Mere Way. The end of the road, near Arbury Road, is called Mere Way.

This is the only single shop unit left in Carlton Terrace, and appears to have the original frontage. In Andy's young day, it was the domain of Mr Dean, the greengrocer, a very polite man in a spotless white jacket. He had a tin 'Esso Blue' man advertisement outside on the paving slabs as he also sold paraffin heater oil. Central heating in Arbury homes was a huge rarity back then.

The One Stop - a South Arbury essential. Of course in Andy's day (he's pretty darned old) the end shop was David Stops, newsagent. Andy calls the One Stop 'Stopsiz', as he used to the old newsagent's. 

The shops marked up to show the businesses there in the 1970s and 1980s. Yarrow's was pronounced 'Yarrer's' by many of us. Andy and his cousin used to sit on the wall and pretend to smoke sweet cigarettes in the early 1970s. We'd keep biting bits off the end so they got shorter and shorter and exhale luxuriously. Goodness knows why they were on sale - cigarette advertising had been banned on TV in 1965 and the health risks were apparent.

Another of Andy's far-from-legendary attempts at photography, this time showing the Carlton Arms, the first pub to open on the original Arbury Estate (though not by much). We think pubs are so much better than the internet.

And the Carlton Arms in its opening year, 1959 with its dinky little off-licence, where crisps and lemonade could be bought for us kids, and we could take our grandparents' empty Guinness bottles to get a few pennies to spend on Blackjacks and Fruit Salads at Stopsiz in the '70s. Happy days. Well, apart from the three day week, the rampant inflation, the power cuts...

Part 3 is here.