Where is your childhood home?

new5.jpg
This is an area of East London known as Forest Gate. A little research came up with:
A gate with a toll-house was built across Woodford Road close to the pub to prevent cattle and deer straying southward along the road. It is from this gate that the name “Forest Gate” derives.
When we lived there I always assumed that the name meant that it was once the gateway to Epping Forest, that being a 5,900 acre area of ancient woodland, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex.

Nowadays we once again live on the fringe of a forest, namely The New Forest.

new1.jpgnew2.jpgnew3.jpgnew4.jpg

Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, the New Forest was proclaimed a royal forest, in about 1079, by William the Conqueror. It was used for royal hunts, mainly of deer. It was created at the expense of more than 20 small hamlets and isolated farmsteads; hence it was then 'new' as a single compact area.
 

I was born and grew up in central New Jersey which was very rural back then. Lived of other parts of NJ before
relocating to South Carolina 13 years ago. Do I miss NJ? There are many things I miss about my home state ( family members, pizza, attitudes) but there are also positives (living costs, shrimp & grits, golf) here in SC as well. Life is what you make it.
 
I've lived in three houses in my life. The one in which I grew up (about 5 miles away), the one my parents bought in 1975 that I sold 2 years ago and the one I currently own. Sadly, my childhood home looks like abandoned property on Google Maps, but better in the county tax records. Difficult to know which is more accurate. I may drive by there next week when I'm out and about.
 
I've lived and grown up in what's called the Central Valley of California. I've got Los Angeles 3hrs plus to the south of me and San Francisco 2.5 hrs north of me. Lots of crops and produce grown around here.
Foothills 30mins away and the coast 2hrs.

Had 2 family homes. Still living in one of them.
I drove by my first home that I grew up in as a child a few years ago. It's still standing. There's now a garage door on it, something that wasn't needed back in the 1950s and 60s. Even though they stole my brother's 56 chevy out of the garage.

Fond memories of living in both homes.
 
During my K12 years went to 10 different schools, mostly in California. So did not have real roots anywhere. Longest I lived anywhere was about 3 years in Citrus Heights and then 3 years in Orangevale, both suburban Sacramento when he worked for Aerojet General. My father moved frequently because of his career. I hated that but did not complain much as it was my parent's life choice. 3 years at that age seemed like ten as an adult.
 
debodun said:
I've lived in three houses in my life. The one in which I grew up (about 5 miles away), the one my parents bought in 1975 that I sold 2 years ago and the one I currently own. Sadly, my childhood home looks like abandoned property on Google Maps, but better in the county tax records. Difficult to know which is more accurate. I may drive by there next week when I'm out and about.
Click to expand...
I looked up my childhood home today too. It looks run down and dirty. I did spoke to an old neighbor not to long ago and they said the new owners are not taking very good care of it. My dad would be so disappointed.
 
Last edited:
Suffolk County Long Island about 50 miles east of NYC. There was a dairy farm, a string of ponds, a girl scout camp and a Roosevelt estate within walking distance. My town was on the Great South Bay with bridges and ferry service to the ocean. The house built by my father and grandfather still stands and has been upgraded with manicured grounds. I could never afford to live there.
 
Big city gal here, then we moved across the river to a very small town (then). Not a happy camper about that at first. Small town has grown and grown, but still retains some of that old small town flavor. Still visit there often as we have tons of friends still living there.
 
grew up in a small town 20 min north of Boston, MA. Parents bought home for 27K. We sold it after they were gone for $675K. someone bought it, tore it down and built a McMansion which recently sold for 1.3 mil. The home dwarfs all the original small ranch-style homes. Sad to drive by it now.
 
My parents bought the house in 1933 for $3500. It is still there and shows up on Zillow, but they value it at over $450,000.

I have not been to Long Island in many years, have no expectation of ever going there. I don't travel anymore. I will be 90 next week.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top