It was a nicer day with the weather yesterday although still very grey and quite cold. Scarlett and I went for our usual walk, incorporating the baker's shop on the way back. As we were walking up one road she said "Ooh this is a big hill!". I said to her that about a hundred and fifty years ago someone else was walking up this hill and said exactly the same thing so that is why it is called Hill Road. She was so fascinated by this fact we spent an hours walk trying to work out what someone said 150 years ago to give the road it's name! It was a lot of fun as we couldn't work out some at all but it really got me thinking. I have always been interested in why towns and villages are called what they are and often look up a place to see why, but roads can really tell us a lot about are the area we live. Most of the names of the roads around us are after the farm that used to be on the land and I'm going to look up some others I'm not sure about. Often the road is named after an old house that is sadly long gone or even the people who lived there. I have a really large collection of old photos of our area and this very simple one is one of my favourites.
It is of a young woman called Viola Bawtree standing at the gate of their family house that was called Clapham Lodge. The road which is the end of the road we live in is little more than a farm track when this photo was taken. Today it is lined with 1930s houses and where Viola is standing is the entrance to a 1970s close called Bawtree Close. Clapham Lodge the family home still stand at the end of the close. I wonder how many people who live in the area know anything about the family who used to live there. Yesterday's conversation with Scarlett has made me definitely want to find out more about the names of the roads. She is such a bright little girl always questioning everything and I know she will love it if I can tell her some more about the names of the roads locally.
When we arrived back from our walk a parcel had arrived with a few more bits for the dolls house so we spent the afternoon setting it all up. It was lovely to spend such a happy, carefree day after all the hard work of the previous two.
Poor Tom is back at work on a seven day stretch though. He got a letter yesterday saying he could book his coronavirus vaccine but when I went online to book it, although it would let me book the first one locally it said I had to book the second one at the same time and there were no available slots locally, the closest was Streatham which is really hard to get to. I'll just have to keep checking or hope our GP's surgery may contact him soon.
It's a lovely bright morning today and I am off to do my Dad's shopping so I'm glad it looks like there won't be any rain. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you are doing. xx
