84a Hills Avenue

History of 84a Hills Avenue

1950s

Alec and Daisy Ling

The Ling family had previously lived in Corrie Road and Kendal Way

1962 – 1970[Kelly’s]

Alec and Daisy Ling

My grandparents lived at [84a] Hinton Avenue. It was then simply a very narrow mews building but as children we loved it and found it fascinating.  The rooms were very compact. The stairs led to a small front bedroom which you had to walk through to access the bathroom and back bedroom, although we children were very rarely allowed up there. We used the WC off the kitchen at the back. Outside there was a huge shed which always smelt of and was painted black with creosote. Behind the shed were  blackberries and gooseberries where we used to scratch our arms  grappling for berries while my Nanna held the branches back with a walking stick. Janet Slade, who said they were all artisans in that terrace, mentioned my Grandad as the artisan who worked in a boatyard. He was indeed at one time a rigger smith at Banham’s boat yard and before his retirement, he worked at the Department of Zoology in the university. Incidentally Janet Slade was my favourite teacher at the County Girls School. She was so gentle and kind, an amazing potter, quite bohemian, buzzing into work on her scooter, skirts tucked in. She once offered Nanna a lift into town, she was terrified but loved telling us the tale of how she hung on for dear life and in shock. A lot of my Grandad’s relatives are buried in the Mill Road Cemetary (the Ling family) and they owned Ling’s Musical Emporium and Piano shop in St Edward’s Passage and lived on Kings Parade. (Email from CS 2022)