Memories From My Childhood
A Memory of Buckhurst Hill.
I lived in Buckhurst Hill from when I was 6 until I was 16. We lived at 94 and then 108 Princes Road. My maiden name was Rasmussen, I am Susan, and had a sister Tina, two, years older than me and a brother Bob. Bob went to Princes Road School, but was often bullied as he had a bad heart complaint and couldn't join in a lot. Tina and I Went to St John's. I loved it there, remember Miss Spenser Mrs Brown and Mrs Catling. Mrs Catling died just before we were due to take the 11 plus, we repaid her dedication by almost the whole class passing the exam. This school gave me a good start in life, installing good values by very kind teachers. We used to play in the street and the forest with Anne Ringwood, Trevor and Linda Woods, Tom Whitbread, The Gammons, Rita Blackman, Janet Patience. Also remember the Bonner girls, Celia and Marian. Gingers was the sweet shop on the corner of Sweep Street and The Three Colts. I went to Brownies and Guides at St Stephens Church. I also went to Princes Road Evalengical church and remember a Mr Gray and a Mr Johnson preaching there Mr Johnson had a daughter Eunice. When I left McEntee Tech in 1963 I worked at W and C French as a secretary, W and C French's buildings are now a very large block of flats.
Buckhurst Hill was a great place to live and I have many fond memories. I Have this weekend revisited the area from my Norfolk home. Wow what changed in60 years, the houses in Princes road and Sweep Street have all been modernised. The gardens paved over for car parking and Sweep Street is unrecognisable. Queens Road is full,of Coffee Bars Tanning Salons, Swanky Hairdressers and Nail Bars. Silks and Gingers have gone. And Parks the butchers where he used to slaughter his own cattle. Also the Co Op and they now boast a Waitrose instead. St John,s looked very similar and the Green and grove of conker trees we used to climb along the High Road on or way to and from school still remain, as does the duck pond we used to sake on in icy weather.
If anyone remembers my family I would love to hear their memories
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Comments & Feedback
Discipline was strong in that school but, that said, there were some pretty hard lads there. No names but some of them lived near Gingers.
I too have been back to Buckhurst Hill and, yes, it has changed. There were some really poor areas which have all been swept away as it has become more ‘Towie’. The paving over of all of the front gardens is unfortunate but, sadly, inevitable. I lived in Loughton Way and, looking down from the top of the road (no traffic lights in my day), my main impression was that the trees had gone.
Brian Morrison