As a child I remember

Author: Roger Haynes
Date: 09 Aug 2005

We lived in Queens Road, Bounds Green.
Times were hard and although we as children did not fully realize it money was short.
My memories are of many Sunday visits to the park as a family outing.
How we often foolishly resisted the walk down Brownlow Road. As we crossed Bowes Road there was a dental surgery with a Monkey Puzzle tree in the garden, always a fascination.
At the park the walled garden by the greenhoses with its Red Hot Polkers a blaze in the summer.
Always the smell of flowers in the greenhouse and that remains with me to this day.
The ponds in front of the house and the boating pond where I sailed my boat "The Jolly Roger" often waiting for the wind to return it or Dad having to wade to get it.
Then that wonderful house with its museum of stuffed birds and animals and drawers full of beautiful butterflies.
In summer another fascination was the beehive set up in one of the rooms where the bees could be observed coming and going. In London this was my introduction to nature, the enjoyment of which has remained with me for life.
The main field in summer often offered horse back rides round a roped square for sixpence. What a rare treat that was.
Oh what happy and delightful memories and how lucky we were to have such a lovely park and house on our doorstep although not realizing it then.
I now live in New Zealand and if I had one wish to see a place in the UK again it would be my beloved Broomfield Park.
Anybody who has similar memories and would care to write can contact me (email address available on request)
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