Clements Road.

A Memory of East Ham.

I was born in an upstairs flat in Clements rd in 1946, then moved to Holland Rd East Ham. Went to Altmore junior school then Lathom rd. Some childhood memories: I remember pigeons used to live in one of the towers at Lathom rd school, I also remember the smell of the soap in school. I remember the thick fog we used to get, and the ships horns on the river. I used to love that sound. I remember going to East Ham baths once a week with my Dad to have a bath, failing that it was a tin bath in front of the fire. Each bath cubicle had a number, I think about 12 cubicles, sometimes my Dad would shout out "more hot water number whatever we were in" and when we were finished my Dad would shout out "number whatever finished" and the assistant would add hot water or empty the bath from outside. One day I had my naughty head on and shouted out "number whatever finished" but the number I called out was not the cubicle we were in, I remember my Dad having a go at me, and me laughing. My Dad was a Docker and I remember if he worked on a banana boat he would sometimes come home with big bunches of bananas. I remember a local shop called rain birds. We used to go to the Rec a lot, a small park on the Barking rd, and when I was a bit older to Barking Park, had to be home before the street lights came on.

A few names I remember: Louise Morrison, Gillian Alcock (might be Halcock) Terry Biggs. I can see lots more faces but forget there names. Would be really good to get in touch with childhood friends, so anyone out there think you might know me, get in touch

Best wishes. Paul Dalby