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Eastwood
Eastwood maps
Historic maps of Eastwood and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Eastwood maps
Eastwood photos
We have no photos of Eastwood, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Leigh-On-Sea| Prittlewell| Hadleigh| Hockley| Rayleigh| Thundersley| Rochford| Ashingdon| Benfleet| Southend-On-Sea| South Benfleet| Hullbridge| Canvey Island| Great Tarpots| Canewdon| Thorpe Bay| Little Wakering| Battlesbridge| Shoeburyness| Wickford| Pitsea| Paglesham| Wallasea Island| Rettendon Common
Eastwood area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Eastwood and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Eastwood
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Essex memories
Days Out by Train
We used to visit Leigh-on-Sea by train from Dagenham on a Sunday. After a stop at the cockle sheds for refreshment and for us children to see the process of the boiling of the shellfish, we would then walk along the seafront as far as Southend East railway station because in those days the train home was as packed as most rush hour trains are today and we were assured of a seat on the train before it got to Southend Central station. Nowadays, my membership of Leigh-on-Sea Lions Club means I am often visiting the Old Town and still delight in sampling the produce of the seafood stalls. The view in the picture is very recognisable as it is in a conservation area.
Our First Home
Jenny and I moved to the High Street in 1989, this tiny vilage was a wonderful home for us both, we loved the walks and the local pub, with this quite vilage in a town came the regatta which stoped us taking the car out and doing shopping etc. but we loved it. Unfortunatly our happy bliss ended with Jenny killed in a road crash on 20th May 1990 at 3.30PM, I love the lady and thought my world had ended, the house haunted me so I left moving far away to Somerset.
There I met Kathleen McComick now my wife and we have visited Leigh and we both enjoy the walks on the front. So now we have more fond memory we share.
God bless you Jenny I still miss you.
St Clements Leigh on Sea
I remember walking along the cinder path from Leigh station where the 21 bus dropped us off, buying cockles and Leigh shrimps for tea. We always had a plate of cockles while we waited for the shrimps to be weighed up. Lots of vinegar and plenty of pepper, lovely! We then walked up all the steps to St Clements, through the churchyard where my Dad showed us the stone that the pirates, more likely the fishermen, were said to use to sharpen their knives. We then walked back along the Broadway to the Grand Hotel and caught the bus back home.
Back in The 50's
In the late 50's I moved to Rochford Road, just a few hundred yards from the airport. My dad, had learned to fly in Canada during the war and was now back working as a booking clerk for British Rail at Prittlewell. As a youth, there was nothing to do but explore 'the prarie' or wander over the 'greasy spoon' cafe at the airport. Most of us lads would take up plane spotting out of boredom. In those days the visitors were DC3, Arganaughts, Hermese, Ambassador, Bristol 130, Ansons plus the usual Tiger Moths, Chipmunks, Doves, Herons etc. Over' the dump' on the far side of the airport were Lancastrians, Indian Bristols and later hundreds of Prentices. We used to avoid the security guy on his bike, and play among the old wrecks. It was great fun! I remember in 1960 when the Hermese crashed onto the railway line. Later, there was the ATL Accountant (a one off DC3 replacement), Harvard smoke writers (D-FDOK) converted Prentices and Carvairs. I... Read more
Lancaster or Wellington Bombers?
Coincidentally Colin (Hayes) I lived near by you in St. George's Avenue! And around the same time I used to regularly cycle over to Southend Airport with a friend. Here we used to plane spot - do you remember the 'sea' of Auster planes parked up in the middle of the field? Also like you we used to sneak in under the fence at the far side of the field and crawl Indian style along to the cacooned Wellington or Lancaster bombers. We had a great time pretending to fly the planes - all without being spotted from the conning tower. Over the course of time we became very friendly with the staff there and they used to allow us onto the apron of the airdrome - even at night! How things have changed. On one occasion we witnessed a fleet of hearses collecting coffins from (I think) Bristol Freighters. All I can think is that this was the time of the Manchester United Munich air disaster (in 1959... Read more
When it Was an Aerodrome !
Ok, so it may have been a little later than 1955, but we used to live in Southbourne Grove, and used to thrash our bicycles across the fields (over the arterial road) and make our way to the back of the airport where the old engines were laid out in rows. If we were lucky, we could creep about amongst them without being caught!
Probably my earliest memory was seeing the Tiger Moths flying around, some doing aerobatics(!) I remember being taken, as a very little boy, to see one that had come down upside down in the field at the end of the road where the shops were - Bridgewater Drive? I forget the names of the roads, it was a lifetime ago.
I wish that I had been old enough to fly in one of those beautiful aeroplanes! Now all we can do is book a joy ride in one for a treat.
Flying From EGMC
I did my basic flying (ppl) at s.l.a.c with Ted Clack and Stan Diggings in 1969 then returnedto instruct at southend aero club in 1970 the Great Freddy Laker was at A.T.E.L then and Jack Jones Chanel Airways I often wonder what became of other great characters of that era Laddi Marmol Mike Abbot Clive Wren the ATC chaps Paul Cavanagh Dave Dunlop Dave Thompson "Welky" Winch and Mike Tuson to name but a few oh happy days flying was much more fun then less restricted and cheaper (what Wasn't)Oh happy days
