The Village c1960, Abridge
The Village c1960, Abridge Ref: A106012
Memories of The Village c1960, Abridge
Abridge Picture A106012
This photo appears at the back of Essex Living Memories (pages 112 - 113) and in "I Remember When ... Memories of Britain (page 134)". The two ladies in the foreground with the prams appear familiar - The lady on the left may be Mrs Peagram with her son Colin in the pram, the lady on the right could be Mrs Hockley with her son, Kenneth. The couple with the child in the pushchair outside the butchers looks like and could actually be my parents and me. They might have just stepped off the No.10 bus, the back of which you can see parked by the Blue Boar Pub on the left. I believe, the No.10 bus route at peak times went all the way to Algate East, non-peak time buses went to Stratford, Leyton or Leytonstone. At the time this photo would have been taken we weren't yet living in the village, but my parents formed the Leyton Self-Build Group which started with 100 members and was left with... Read more
Abridge in The 1950's
I moved to Abridge in 1950 when I was ten years old. My parents bought the white cottage on the London Road, which had a wooden building next to it. This very soon became The Poplar Cafe, my mother’s dream of riches!
I attended the little village school for a year until I passed the 'Scholarship' and went on to Loughton County High School for Girls in 1951. The head teacher, Mr Garner, took the top class (the oldest children) and I remember him quite well. He seemed a very kind man but very old to me. I imagine he must have been close to retirement age because a new head was appointed a few years later, who had several huge, Airdale dogs. Mrs (Daisy) Barr, who taught the youngest children was related to my aunt and uncle, Kath and Vic Barr, who lived next door to us at no. 1 Bayles’ Cottages. At no. 2 Bayles’ Cottages was my uncle Vic’s mother and younger brother, Jim.
When... Read more
Abridge & local memories
Read and share memories of Abridge and Essex inspired by Frith photos.
The Poplars The Maltsters Bottom of London Road
This is the view looking down to the end of London Road where it meets the village. The road does a sharp turn to the left into the Market Place and behind the large tree is 'Top Bayles' grocers shop. Mr Bayles had served in 'Top Bayles' since he was a boy. He was a lovely old gentleman and very kind to the children. Tins of biscuits fronted the counter and there was a bacon slicer at the back. I would pop in to buy a Jamboree Bag on the way home from school, having saved my thrupenny bit for this special treat.
'Bottom Bayles' was another shop in the heart of the Market Place at the top end of Silver Street. The proprietors were Mr Bayles's two sisters and was mainly a hardware store with a small toy section at the back, and a haberdashers off to the side. They lived in a bungalow a short way up the London Road.
On the left of the... Read more
Happy Childhood Memories
I was born in Abridge in 1964, the last of 9 kids. We lived in The Mead which is no longer there. Abridge was a great place to grow up, we would play outside in the woods or over the shallows all day and only come home when we were hungry. In the summer we would walk to Grange Farm open air swimming pool and then after walk onto Loughton to the Chariot for fish and chips. Lots of the old time Abridge families such as The Flacks, Taylors, Mays, we would make our bikes in the summer and then break them up in the winter to make sleds. The Log Cabin was a favourite haunt with Old Mary cooking in the back, we would take bets when her cigarette ash would fall off but she always managed to smoke it down to the butt without an ash falling. Holt and Day shop was down by the two trees, legend had it they were haunted by some kid that was... Read more
The 'Haunted House'
The house referred to as 'The Haunted House' was occupied when I lived in Abridge from 1950 to 1961 (see the memory below). It belonged to the Bayles' family and had a beautiful, but rather wild garden at the back. At the age of 16 my first boyfriend, who lived across the road from me in the larger houses of London Road, was David Kings.....(I can't remember the second half of his surname!) and he was the grandson of old Mr. Bayles. I used to paint a little, and David showed me a black and white photo of the garden of his grandfather's house, and asked me if I could reproduce it in oils - and colour! I remember the garden centred on a large pond which was very 'well established' (probably overgrown!) but with a picturesque bridge across it. I did the painting and they all seemed very pleased with it!
River Roding
The bottom of Silver Street on the other side of the bridge ended at the river with some railings over a drainage outlet. This was a good place for children to get into the river from the middle of the village and paddle upstream under the bridge. It was quite shallow in the middle of summer and small fish about three inches long with red tips to their fins could be seen at this point swimming in the vicinity of the reedbeds. I think these were baby Perch. Perch grow into quite big fish as I later found out when one was pointed out to me in the Cripsey Brook up at High Ongar. I loved paddling in the river as a child even if I cut my feet on bits of glass. I found the underwater life very interesting and would spend whole days down by the river.
At the time this photo was taken the bridge had not been widened to accommodate two lanes of traffic,... Read more
Living in Abridge by Carol Gook
My parents, Rene and Freddie Gook moved to Abridge in the mid fifties. They were eastenders who belonged to a cycling club and used to visit Abridge at weekends - their destination was Brighty's cafe. They were captivated by the village's charm, and bought one of the new bungalows, we lived at 5 Alderwood Drive.
My Mum had a job in the city and would commute to work on the no 10a bus, my Dad was an electrician and travelled to wherever he was working on his motor bike. I was born in 1967, closely followed by my two brothers... I remember my Dad extending the tiny bungalow to fit us all in!
I remember Brighty's little sweet shop and the cafe quite clearly. The shop was old and dark and had a distinctive smell with creaky floors, I remember the older couple who ran the shop - Mr and Mrs Brighty, I guess. When they closed the shop to make way for the Roding Restaurant, I... Read more
Growing up in Abridge - Roger Walker
We moved to Abridge in 1948, I was 8 years old, with mum and dad Pat and Stan Walker. We lived at no 41 Pancroft Estate later re numbered 45. My early memories of the little villiage was of Brighty's shop and cafe where all the cyclists use to stop for refreshments. It was the dad Burt and son Fred and I think it was his mother who looked like a gypsy. She used to sit behind the counter with a little old clay pipe in her mouth and above the counter was a big wooden beam with a spur hanging from it. Fred used to say he found it out in the fields the other side of the river. He reckoned it was a Roundhead spur from the civil war. Also my other memories include Bertie Ferns who used to be governor of the Blue Boar pub. Whenever you went into the pub and Bertie used to be serving he would always be a little worse for wear.... Read more
