By Denis Fuller
The Fuller family is a long standing Sunbury family. You may have come across any of the three brothers, or indeed their families. Seen right are Denis, Michael and Tony Fuller. Denis shares some of his memories of growing up in Sunbury:
The house named ‘Jacqueline’ in Burgoyne Road, Sunbury, was my home for 15 years from 1948, and where my brothers Michael & Anthony were born. The tree-lined road was unmetalled as far as the Green Lane junction. The adjoining house was ‘Carolyn’ -apparently the builder named the houses after his daughters.
Most of the dads cycled to work, Some had motorbikes- even sidecars. It was not until 1953 that we had one of the first cars in our part of the road- a 16 year old hand-me -down Standard 8 from granddad. For the first few years we’d have our holidays with my maternal Grandmother in Ayrshire, where I was born. When Michael was a baby our dad could not afford the fare for himself, so he stayed behind. But 4 days later he joined us after all, a total surprise. He had cycled all the way! His bike had one gear. He slept in ditches or barns and lived on bread and milk – and beer I imagine! A few days later he cycled home. I should add that he’d served with No 2 Commando!
When Michael, and 4 years later, Anthony were being delivered, I was sent along to be looked after by Mrs Wells on the corner. Her husband, ‘Clem’ was a cobbler, and they had 4 daughters. My friend My friend Freddie Lamb assured me he’d seen Dr Allardyce carrying baby Anthony into our house!
Until The King George VI playing field was opened off Cavendish Road our playgrounds were the street, bomb sites or friends gardens. We had no TV until 1959- when neighbour Jack Sutherland gave us his old set. On June 2nd 1953 we’d crammed into Mrs Elford’s house to watch the Coronation on her tiny black & white TV. Money was short in those post-war years: neighbours would regularly borrow a cup of sugar etc. from each other until payday. From age 13 until I left school at 18 my paper round (Bennetts -which became Chapmans) involved delivering to some 60 houses, the furthest being beyond Sunbury cricket club, after which I’d go home for breakfast before cycling over 3 miles to school in Hampton.. We always obtained a Christmas Tree from a nearby common, but unable to afford lights, we settled for candles -until the Christmas when they set the curtains on fire and we had to ask the neighbours to call the fire brigade!
But I recall life as being fun. All three brothers made lifelong friends at Kenyngton Manor Junior School. Indeed several of Tony’s friends attended his funeral when he sadly died from MND in 2019. I really enjoyed being a 5th Sunbury cub and scout -not least ‘The Jungle’.
In 1962 we moved to ‘Cleveland’, Green Street, the former home of ‘Nobby’ Woods who’d sadly died whilst playing cricket at Sunbury CC. Aged 19 I at last had my own bedroom- hardly enough room to swing a cat but it was mine! We also obtained a telephone.
By this time I’d met my future wife, Carol, at Sunbury Young Conservatives, (much better than Tinder!!). Despite having invited her to join me on my paper round for an early date and trying (failing) to teach her how to ride a bike by pushing her in the direction of the Thames; she stuck with me -and we ‘celebrated’ our Golden Wedding anniversary on March 28th ‘Locked Down’ at home.
Michael and his wife are still living in the former Sunbury home where she lived with her parents. Tony’s widow is still living in ‘Cleveland’.