Sweet memories of Heywoods Wholesale Confectioners (From Watford Observer)

Sweet memories of Heywoods Wholesale Confectioners

12:34pm Friday 5th March 2010 in

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An appeal for information about Heywoods Wholesale Confectioners has been answered by Croxley Green resident Barbara Hawes.

Mrs Hawes, of Canterbury Way, said: “In the mid 1930s my uncle, George Wraight, acquired the business of Heywoods Wholesale Confectioners upon the retirement of Mr Heywood, for whom he had worked as an employee. He continued to trade under the same name.

“Located at 17 Carey Place, the business occupied the ground floor of a three-storey house; my aunt and uncle lived on the upper two floors.

“The ground floor consisted of a large through room, fitted with wooden shelving on all the walls, and was used to store boxes of chocolate bars, gift boxes and Easter Eggs from all the popular manufacturers such as Frys, Rowntrees and Cadbury.

“There were also two smaller rooms containing racks of old fashioned glass jars of toffees and sweets, and pocket money delights such as sherbet dabs, lollipops and liquorice laces.

“From this stock, my uncle supplied most of the sweet shops in Watford and surrounding districts.

“When rationing was introduced during the war, life became more complicated as accounts of the use of sweet coupons had to be kept.

“Because the house was large, we had big family gatherings there at Christmas, and beds were put up in the stock room to accommodate us all. Strangely, we were never tempted to help ourselves to the stock – probably because all the boxes were sealed.

“Carey Place had a mixture of private houses and businesses. On one side of Heywoods was Lonsdale School, run by Miss Kempton, and on the other side a piano teacher named Mr Graves.

“Next to him lived Arthur Grimsdell, the well-known local newsagent and England footballer, who led Spurs to FA Cup victory in 1920.

“Sadly the road was demolished to make way for the ring road and other developments in the town, just a few metres remaining between Pizza Express in the High Street, and the back of The Harlequin.”