Friday 6 October 2017

Stoners the Jewellers, Burgess Hill

loosely sketched in my Seawhites sketch book


scaled up and drawn out on a larger piece of Bockingford watercolour


All done







I grew up in Burgess Hill, in the seventies most Saturdays were spent by having a walk up to the town with my pocket money. The town was fairly small, but had recently been enlarged with a new modern shopping centre with what were at the time exciting new shops. A big Smiths, a giant boots, a new toyshop, sweet shops and some clothes shops, there was also a big showroom to exchange your green shield stamps. That area of the town is now all about to be torn down again. that makes me feel old!
However, there are a few strong survivors, and here is one. This jewellers shop is in its third generation. Survived the first phase of demolition in the town and all those new shops, and now stands firmly resisting all the changes that are threatening again. There are not many shops that have survived for longer than I can remember so these really need to be celebrated!
Once upon a time I would be left outside these shops in my pram, and would talk to people as they passed by or stopped to say hello. I am trying to get a feel for those times within this picture. I also remember well the lady traffic warden that used to pound the streets of the town. She was a bit scary to me!!

2 comments:

  1. Childhood a wonderful time of life, so many memories

    ReplyDelete
  2. Childhood a wonderful time of life, so many memories

    ReplyDelete