New Postcard added to website

A new postcard has been added to the Anstey Road page, in the around Alton section of the website.

The picture was taken by someone just before the junction with Littlefield Road (on the right of the Image) looking towards Normandy Street. I have seen several variants of this image over the years this is by far the clearest version I have seen.

On the left of the image, you can see the odd numbers side of Anstey Road, numbers 17 & 19 would be behind the fence on the far left, the row of houses (11-15 Anstey Road) have seen some changes over the years with front doors added / relocated.

On the right of the image, you can see the Alton Cake Bakery at 6 Anstey Road (Currently Alton Food & Wine) at the time of the image it was the home and business of John Hall, who lived there with his wife Harriett and daughter Anna. John retired sometime between 1906 & 1909, by then a widower he and his daughter moved to 19 Anstey Road, where he lived until he passed away in 1914.

By 1909 the business was owned by Eli Brickell, originally from Dorset, Eli had been running a bakery in Petersfield for a few years before relocating to Alton. The 1911 Census records him living there with his wife and 3 children. He appears to have left Alton in 1914/1915, relocating to Aldershot, perhaps hoping to make his fortune supplying bread to the Army.

George King a master baker from Croydon took over the business from Eli, arriving in Alton with his wife Maria, whom he married in 1914. Their first child, Margaret (Also known as Peggy) was born at 6 Anstey Road in 1915, as was their second child, Phyllis who was born in 1916 and their third child, Doris in 1919.