MY MEMORIES OF HOME
I remember going to the Ripple Road School. I started in the middle of the year 1949 I think. I left about the middle 1950s. I remember going to the corner shop to buy sweets like false teeth and the like. Then walking home with my friends up over the rail bridge waiting for the train to come and enjoying the steam on our face.
With my friend Ann we would then walk to Chalmers Avenune where she lived and I would go on to Longbridge Road, number 102 in fact. It was just before the park, a very old 3 storey house, I loved that house so much and it holds so many memories for me. My dad sold it to a car sales firm and they pulled it down and built a car sales room. I often think of the wonderful times I had in the park, at the Odeon and the shops. Caters the grocer was one of my favourites and then Abrahams, the shop that had Gingernuts, that is all I could remember. They used to let me have one and then I used to go down the back to the mystery of the back room in this shop. I was first introduced to Gingernuts there and to this day I still love them. For some reason I can remember there was a pram shop somewhere in Longbridge Road, I do not know why that has stuck in my mind. Oh yes, and the doctor who was Dr McDonald. I can remember the Saturday mornings waiting in line to go to the pictures. The wonderful church, St Margaret's (I was always going to get married there).
We left Barking I think it must have been about 19955, and went to live on the Elm Park Estate in Rainham.
I could go on and on. I now live in New Zealand and often tell my grandchildren about Barking but now I have found this web site I will be able to show them the places that I have often talked about.
My maiden name was Pat Beech.
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RE: RE: MY MEMORIES OF HOME
I remember Ripple Road, having lived just round the corner since 1948 when I was born. I went to the school in Ripple Road, it was Westbury School (an old Victorian building) and was situated on the corner of Westbury Road and Ripple Road. The school had around four floors. There were some shops opposite Westbury School, one being a Co-op store where my mother shopped and would give her share number. A Co-op milk dairy backed on to that shop and was accessible on Morley Road. Next to it used to be a fish and chip shop, also accessible from front and rear. I remember having to get fish and chips from that shop on a regular basis.
There was a railway crossing just up the road where an old iron bridge spanned the track where I went train spotting. I remember a nearby sweet shop which was close to a public house called The Wesbury Arms, which stood on the corner of Ripple Road and King Edwards Road. I too remember buying my sweets on my way to school, the sweets were Black Jacks, Sherbet Dabs ect, oh yes and Gob Stoppers. I also remember having to run errands to other nearby shops. Opposite the Westbury Arms was a row of terraced houses and a doctor's surgery run by a Dr Samuels.
Comment from John Willats on Saturday, 11th April 2009.
RE: RE: MY MEMORIES OF HOME
This message is for PAT BEECH. I lived in Barking from 1978-1990. I believe the 3-storey house in Longbridge Road you remembered was the one I lived in. It was on the corner of Longbridge Road and Park Avenue. I rented it from Eddy Grimstead who owned the car showroom underneath. I have some photos, if you are interested. My e-mail address is: gerrylesterfiat@googlemail.com Best regards, Gerard Lester.
Comment from Gerard Lester on Friday, 29th October 2010.