The old petrol station

The old petrol station
Swains Lane


Swains Lane showing the tall trees (picture from SWOP website)	The site today

There used to be a meadow here
With tall and mighty trees
But that was many years ago
And few remember these.
And then a garage came along
With petrol for our cars,
(Our Fords, back then, were very small
And rarely travelled far).
And then, when building grew apace,
This little garage closed
To be rebuilt as village shops
For pets and party clothes*.

This area was once a meadow for dairy cows, and belonged to the farm opposite (now Fennels Farm Way). The land reached all the way back to the cottages which once stood where the British Legion stands today in Common Road. This plot on Swains Lane then became a small petrol station run by the Cass family but I don't think that it was there for very long. Jennings also had petrol pumps (two?) outside its store for early car users - imagine the traffic jams there would be today!
*The pet shop has recently closed. Giggles has changed its stock and no longer hires fancy dress costumes.

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