Stradbroke Road, Southwold
Memories of Mr W. Burrage

All good stories start with "Once upon a time," and this "Once upon a time" starts in 1926, which is when I arrived on the Southwoid scene. My father was a Yarmouth man, who had served as an apprentice Hairdresser and Barber, and moved to work in Southwold.

In 1898 he had the opportunity to purchase the buildings at 10 Stradbroke Road, (photo right) which he opened as a Tobacconist with a Barbers Saloon above. My Mother came to work in the shop and eventually they married and I arrived on the scene in 1926.

Fast forward five years or so , my memory was a bit sketchy for that time. Stradbroke Road in the 1930's was a fairly seif contained community, the boundaries of my territory , were Stradbroke Road, St James Green, Chester Road, and Dunwich Road. Playmates were Ron Forward, Bob Tuttle, Basil and Dick Watson and Peter Field at St James Green. Geoffrey, Ursula, and Sheila Palmer, John Fryett, and the Worby-Greens in Stradbroke Road.

Stradbroke Road - May 2003

Starting at the Southern end on the West side the Sole Bay Inn stood on the comer, then houses till fathers Barbers and shop, where you could get a haircut and shave and buy tobacco cigarettes and stationery. Then came Fryett's mainly Greengrocery, then Miss Fauis Haperdashery, and then Chapman and Carter's Bakery with their living quarters next door then a passage down to the Bakehouse at the back.

Photo The Old Bakery

It was my job some mornings to fetch bread rolls straight from the oven for breakfast, and later in the morning Chelsea Buns. !f the currants were a bit sparce in the Chelseas, Dad would say Old man Carter must have gone up the Lighthouse and thrown the currants in the mix from there.

One of the entrances to Webb's Garage came next, it was L shaped with two working areas and several individual lock-ups, the other entrance was round by the Methodist Chapel, where the Brewery office is now. Continuing down Stradbroke Road it is much the same as now the only difference being Oakleys General Store which was on the corner of Salisbury Road. Going down the opposite side, the Lighthouse, lit by oil in those days with two resident Keepers, Mr Whitchurch and Mr Stone. On the comer of Chester Road ,stood Aldertons, later Burleys then George Bumstead's a general grocery store. On the comer of Dunwich Road Mr Steley also had a grocery store together with a Sub Post Office.

Stradbroke Road - May 2003

On the opposite side there was the Labour Exchange and Custom and Excise office. Midway between Chester and Dunwich Roads was a small hardware shop, parafm,nai!s,etc. run by Mr Randall, he delivered parafin around the town on a tricycle,like the Wall's Stop me and buy one trikes, with the parafin and measuring jugs in the box front.

Stradbroke Road in the 1930's - no butchers but Fryetts sold Poultry and Game(ask no questions) and no Fishmonger, but several fishermen living quite near.

Though not strictly Stradbroke Road, Fred Barber opened his Tobacconist and sweet shop in the 1930's much to the delight of us youngsters, I'm not too sure how Dad felt about the Tobacconist side.

So thats it Stradbroke Road as I remember it as a boy, Southwold is often referred to as being in a time warp, where things don't change, just take a look down Stradbroke Road. not a shop in sight. It's a good job the Lighthouse is still standing.