Elm Park memories
Here are memories of Elm Park and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Elm Park or a Elm Park photo.
Growing Up - Childhood Memories
I was born in Elm Park Avenue in 1937 and have memories of the Second World War and after. I can remember during the war, especially during the Blitz, bedding down with my mother under the stairs in a steel wire cage, and on hearing the Air Raid siren having to go to the shelter at the bottom of the garden. One night there was a loud bang and the bunk bed in the shelter collapsed. I can remember the doodle-bugs later on and watching the flames go out before they dived into the ground. Once I even saw a Victory Roll performed right over where I was living. After the invasion of Europe I can remember the convoys that use to come alone Elm Par Avenue on their way to Hornchurch Aerodrome, they had to be checked in Abbs Cross Lane by the railway bridge before proceeding, once there was a convoy of over 200 vehicles. In the winter of 1944 I and my friends used to have... Read more
A Happy Childhood
My parents moved to Elm Park (Mungo Park Estate) around 1957, when I was around 18 months old, with my two brothers (John and Terry).
I attended Scargill infants and junior school, in Simpson Road, and in 1966 went to Brittons County Secondary School (as it was then known), leaving in 1971.
My friends and I spent many happy hours at Harrow Lodge Park, and swimming in the pool at Hornchurch (and Saturday morning pictures there!).
It was a shock when I went back for an impromptu visit to Brittons Park in early 2007, to discover the old pavilions gone, and more shockingly the play area.
On talking to someone walking in the park, I was informed that the pavillions had to be demolished after the local hooligans tried to burn them down once too often - what a sad indictment of our times!
I also worked at Elm Park station, in the ticket office, for a number of years, before finally leaving in mid-1986.
Elm Park was part of... Read more
Memories of Elm Park
I too lived in Elm Park from 1939-1955. I went to Ayloff Primary during the war years then on to Suttons in 1947. We lived in Carnforth Gardens when there were only 6 houses there, only 2 were lived in. Best mates were Hazel & Tony Barnard who lived on the corner of Rosewood Ave & st Andrew's Ave, as kids we had all the fields opposite us to play in so had good fun playing Hares & Hounds, & making our own dens, that all changed when they built the new estate. Loved the Tuck Shop & Bartons bakery, but hated the thick fog we used to get, especially coming down the hill from the station where you had to hang onto the fence to find your way. Have been back since but it's all changed, all the front gardens have gone, I should have stayed away & remembered it as it was.
Shirley Morris, nee Wollaston.
Relocation to Elm Park
It's very early 1947. My father has accepted a position as Mechanical Engineer with JRichard Costain. We purchased a new Costain home at number 90 Windermere Ave, Elm Park. It was a bitterly cold late winter period. Water in the systern in the attic froze, as did the pipes in the bathroom, we had no water for days, what a welcome. The quality of the house left a lot to be desired, but we had bought it so we had to live with it. We had Mr & Mrs Battle next door a very nice couple he had been a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain.
We had just moved from my childhood home in Buckhurst hill where I had lived all my fifteen years. Naturally I had to go to a new school. So I attended Suttons Secondary School in Hornchurch. I made some good friends, like June Crisp whose father held a senior position with the Daily Mirror. He was very interested in radio and devoted... Read more
Memories of Essex
Harold Court School
I remember moving from the east end of London in 1947 to a then new housing estate that is named Harold Hill. The nearest shcool then to where we lived was Harold Court, we used to have a very long walk either down Gooshays Drive, continue down Gubbins Lane, turn off at Arundel Road and proceed up Court Drive to Harold Court School, or we could cut across fields, one of which was known as Guys Field which was a short cut to the school, in those days it was a long walk to school in all weathers, but very happy carefree days. I would like to hear from anyone who used that way to school.
Gubbins Lane Harold Court Primary
I lived on Shepherds Hill and attended this school until I went on to Redden Court Secondary Modern at age 11. My name was Marguerite Valentine at the time. I would be interested to hear from anyone who attended during this time and especially those who lived on my route to school. Linda who lived just before the bridge that crossed the river Ingrebourne. Or Ann Swain who also lived on Shepherd's Hill. I have been in Toronto Canada since 1966 and am married to Alan Wong who I met in Hornchurch in 1965. We eloped in September 1965 to Scotland . Married in October 1965 and came to Toronto November 1966. I lived at 22 Shepherd's Hill with my sister Valerie, mum Ivy and my dad Walter James Valentine who worked at Warley Hospital as an electrician. My brother John was 11 years older than I and got married at 19. I don't remember too much about him as a kid except the ear... Read more
Where I Live
This is where I now live,backing onto the Rec,all the toys for the childen have now gone but new ones been put up over by the old tenns courts which is now an carpark.
I have lived at Hall Avenue since 1989
Where I Lived
This is where I lived between 1966-1984,above the Read Brothers newsagent in Hall Road,there is only two shops there now,one is still the newsagent and the other is closed at the moment,the rest of the six shops are now flats for the disabled.
Read Brothers
My mother and father worked for Mr Read between 1966 and 1987, most of the time around the Hall Road shop but later in the mid to late 1980's also up in the High Street shop, which has been pulled down and an new shop built.
Mr Read died in the late 1990's and since then the shops have been sold - the High Street is not the same now.
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