Danbury, Essex

woodlands school

From 1961 to 1967 I attended Woodlands School in Oaklands Way, off Postmans Lane, Little Baddow. It was a tiny girls school run single handedly by the late Dorothy Bromley, the classrooms being two white wooden sheds in the garden. There was no playground but there was a grass tennis court that we the pupils had to maintain.

There... [more]

Elijah Mecklenburgh of the Old Rodney Pleasure Grounds

Not a memory, but a mention of my ancestor great great great uncle Elijah Mecklenburgh, born 1837 at Bradfield and died 1913 in Maldon. All I know about him was that he lived at Ravens Farmhouse in Woodham Walter in 1871, and that he had connections to the Old Rodney Pleasure grounds. I have no idea what the... [more]

Another ghostly experience on Grace's Walk

The year is approximate as I was in my teens, so it was somewhere between 1972 and 1974. I had a horse called Shamrock, that I kept in Sandon and I used to ride him through Danbury and Little Baddow all the time. I went down Grace's Walk one day, from the Little Baddow end, alone with the horse, and when... [more]

Growing Up 1950s

During the late 1950s my parents moved to live on Bremner's Farm - an apple farm at that time, in Little Baddow.

On getting my first bicycle - a black, woman's bike, I use to cycle all over this area - Riffam's lane, Graces Walk and around Coleman's lane. My brother married a girl from Coleman's lane.

I... [more]

Midnight ghost hunt

I was born in Little Baddow and was familiar with the story of Alice Mildmay and Jesse Berridge's book. One summer night three of us rode ponies down Riffhams Chase to Great Graces and down Grace's Walk, arriving at midnight. We crossed the bridge (the one in the photo) and all I can remember after that is that all three... [more]

Does anyone remember the 1950 shooting in post office road

Hi I would love to hear from anyone who knew of Ronald Buckley. He built a home on Post Office Road in Woodham Mortimer. My mum was just 2 years old when my grandad Ronald got shot dead by my uncle David in 1950 (David was 16 at the time). The bungalow my grandad built is no longer there. I would... [more]

maurice redman

My uncle Maurice Redman built his own boathouse where he lived which was at Fenn Creek and he taught sailing. I remember going down there when I was a kid. He was a member of the village hall and designed the sports pavilion. Does anyone remember him? He sadly died in 1973 of a heart attack. He lived there all his... [more]