Moving from house to house #ThrowbackThursday

Reading BeetleyPete's account of the houses in which he had lived over 60 years, inspired me to indulge in similar nostagia.

Unable to find an online photograph of the Highland farm where I spent my first few months and subsequent annual holidays with my grandparents, I have posted a photograph of my godmother's sketch.

But the following houses are from Google streetview.

This chalet bungalow in Marlpit Lane, Coulsdon, Surrey was designed by my grandfather who was an architect.  I spent my first year in the upstairs flat with my parents. After we moved out we visited my grandparents there frequently for the following 15 years. We travelled there from Mitcham via Croydon in 2 double decker red buses, stopping off to buy flowers in Croydon market for Grandma.

My parents' first house was in Whitford Gardens, Mitcham. It was a long cul-de-sac with a TB hospital at the end of the road. In the 1950s there were gaslights in the road and our bread was delivered by a horse-drawn vehicle. The rag and bone man and the knife sharpener called regularly and we had a great street party for the Coronation.

When I was 11 we moved to Weymouth in Dorset. We rented half of this old army hospital on Barrack Road, which had a very long corridor with 2 small wings. From the kitchen window you could see Weymouth harbour. If you go there today all you will find is a carpark.

Three years later we moved to Skeeby in North Yorkshire near Scotch Corner. I remember lots of snow and cold weather but in this photograph it looks idyllic.

I will miss out the next 2 years spent in Singapore since I have written elsewhere about that so next is the house in Surrey which we returned to. I was away at University so I never felt this was home.

On starting my teaching career I shared a Victorian flat in Surbiton near the station.

Seeking a change I moved to a house share with some colourful characters in East Molesey. Having just passed my driving test I started driving to work but on the first morning I used too much choke, flooding the engine and conked out on Hampton Court Bridge.

I wanted to return to Surbiton so I moved to a bed sit with my cat, Muffin.

After a year I married and moved once more, but that is a story for another day.

To read about BeeteyPete's London houses please go here