Comments on: H.H.Ford Family Butcher, Bedfont

By: Harry Ford

Harry Ford — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:37:23 +0000

Heya Sandra, I am sitting next to my Nan Doris Clancy (who was Doris Fowle), who just informed me when she was younger her and Dennis were sweethearts at junior school. Thanks for commenting.

By: Marion Tanner (Bolton)

Marion Tanner (Bolton) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:52:17 +0000

I remember young Ralph at Bedfont Junior School, and my Mum used to use the shop on a regular basis

By: Janice Denslow (nee Budd)

Janice Denslow (nee Budd) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:55:35 +0000

I lived in a pre-fab in Page Road from 1951-1957.Here is a small extract from my memories of that time..

PLAYDAYS AND SUNDAYS

We bought most of our meat from H. Ford Butchers in New Road, at the top of Page Road.
A corner shop with sawdust on the floor to soak up the drips of blood from the carcasses that were hung from giant hooks from the ceiling. There was a massive wooden chopping block on the counter. Mum would ask for a “piece of Beef about this size, please”, demonstrating with her hands. The Butcher, with his dark blue shirt and trousers and a blood-stained apron, would raise his chopper and thwack the meat. It was always accurate! I liked watching him put odd bits of meat in a machine that minced it smaller. Then this would be put in another machine to make sausages…I didn’t like the smell in there, so I waited outside with my nose pressed up to the window, making steamy patterns on it with my breath.

We were lucky in that the pre-fabs had Gas Fridges.
Quite small, but enough room for the joint and the sausages and perhaps a pound of Mince, alongside a colander of shelled Peas or Broad Beans.

By: BOB SPERLING

BOB SPERLING — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:07:59 +0000

It was so good to come across the FORDS family butcher site .I remember the shop so well .In the 1940s I went to Bedfont Infants/junior school .The war was still on when I started school ,and we frequently had to go in the air raid shelters in the middle of lessons and the anti aircraft guns sited on the grounds behind the school were being fired .When I moved up into the Junior part of the school my teacher was called Mr Hurrell .I was well built and very fit and one day in the middle of the morning he asked me if I knew where Fords the Butchers was ,of course I said I did.
It was then he gave me a sealed brown envelope and told me to take it round to Fords ,but I was only to give it to the elderly butcher . I went straight round to the shop ,it was a great adventure, I gave the envelope to Mr Ford senior .It was a bit scary because he had quite a bit of blood on his overall and his false teeth were loose and they moved about when he talked but he was always pleasant.He went to the back of the shop and came back and gave me the sealed envelope back which I took back to my teacher .This went on every week until I left the school.I not sure what was in the package but I think Mr Ford may of been cashing a cheque for Mr Hurrell..GOOD MEMORIES but I cant see todays education system allowing such an adventure ??

By: BOB SPERLING

BOB SPERLING — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:37:24 +0000

Hi Sandra ,you dont know me ,but I remember your Grandfather very well .I can recall when he started his horse and cart mobile green grocery round very well .Although I cant be sure of the date I think it was in the late 40s.
In fact he became quite a topic of conversation in my family ,because my Grandmother had a greengrocers shop in Bedfont which was sited opposite the
“Beehive” public house which had been in the family for years.
They were tough austere times just after WW2 and I think my family were scared that your Grandfather would be able to undercut their prices hence loosing them business.
Although I was young at the time ,it all seem to blow over in no time . In its own way I suppose its a bit like TESCO and ASDA
Anyway its good to look back on the good old days and to wish you a happy new year.

By: Mike Lister.

Mike Lister. — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:21:57 +0000

Great ` memory lane` site. Thanks.

I was at School with Ralph. If he is still around , pls say hello. I last saw him in Feltham High Street in the 70s. Had a dog, a Beagle, I think. Mum was at school with his father another Ralph. Mum was Joyce Brown from Hatton. I wonder if the car in one of the pics is the one that jacked it`s self up? Cream/Sand colour.
Another memory was going home and saying `Ralph has a chicken running loose in the back garden`. The response was `That `ll go over the road`.

Rayners have a site, I found it by searching on Rayner Hatton, and I suspect that they would like the pic of the shop on the other corner.

B Rgds.

By: ron shepherd

ron shepherd — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:57:45 +0000

hi,i used to be pals with young ralph and dave brown..we all had scooters..they were great times..also remembere ralph borrowing the family car a v8 pilot..we felt like gangsters in that..would love to get in touch with ralph or dave if you know where they are..

By: ken noakes

ken noakes — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:45:37 +0000

I’m the head of Fairholme School in Peacock Avenue, Bedfont. The children are researching the history of the funfair on Bedfont Green which comes every June during Ascot Races week.

Does anyone have any info/photos/memories they wish to share about the fair on the green?

By: Mark Law

Mark Law — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:58:09 +0000

I grew up in New Road (1965-1978) with my parents and two brothers – Michael & Simon.

We all remember Ralph and Tony very fondly. They were both extremely kind and friendly gentlemen. And what a fantastic butchers shop!

I recall the front window always had a fantastic array of meat, and it was always stuffed full of hanging turkeys at Christmas. Both Tony and Ralph would cut and prepare joints as requested, and would always give advice on how long to cook them for.

I remember Tony giving us iced lollies (“popsicles”) from the freezer during the Summer holidays (were Summers really that hot back then?), and introducing us to the very first ‘Birds Arctic Roll’!

What an icon of a shop. I bet these days you would have been able to get it listed.

By: Patrick Quinn

Patrick Quinn — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:33:43 +0000

I remember Ford the butchers. We used to live in Orchard Avenue and I remember well the black bull’s head in the shop.

I also remember how very kind Mr. Ford was. A real gentleman.

Bedfont changed forever and the butcher’s shop disappeared. There used to be some sort of smallholding in New Road where pigs were bred.