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Hadleigh
Hadleigh maps
Historic maps of Hadleigh and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Hadleigh maps
Hadleigh area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Hadleigh and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Hadleigh
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memories of Hadleigh.
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Bus Shelter
Living in Canada now I'm not sure if the bus shelter in this photograph is still there. In the early sixties I, my brother and sister caught the bus from this stop to our school, Holy Family RC Primary, in Benfleet. We'd have our pink bus passes at the ready and join a host of other kids on their way to their respective schools. A sign of the times in that I don't think anyone now lets their primary school aged kids travel by themselves on public transport. One winter the weather was really bad with lots of snow and some of the public buses didn't run. Happily, we had a couple of days off school and were disappointed when we heard that our school and only our school had arranged for a special bus. Trudging to the bus stop that morning one or all of us hatched a plan to have one more day at home. As the bus approached we hid behind the... Read more
Hadleigh Castle And Town c1963 Onward.
I purchased my first house at 28 Chapel Lane with my late wife. This lane led down to the Salvation Army Farm where an annual event of motor cycle scrambling took place. The lane was quiet apart from this event and to compensate the organisers gave residents complimentary tickets which we used on several occasions. The castle stood to the east of this area. Alas our house was pulled down c1971/2 for new ones to be built. Opposite the end of Chapel Lane at its junction with London Road (A13) stood our "local", a pub called the Wagon and Horses. It was later modernised into a pub/restaurant and then eventually demolished to make way for retirement flats. Just prior to 1963 the old Kingsway cinema was demolished and its organ is now preserved in a barn at Wakering? A large car showroom and grounds was built in its stead and it too has now closed and moved elsewhere. I have witnessed many changes to Hadleigh including a dual carriageway between Victoria House Corner and... Read more
Born in 1956
i was born in Hadleigh in1956, my grandfather worked at Gallaghers butchers which from my memory was back this side of the Esso petrol station.
Birthdays & Tobogans
Many of us growing up in Hadleigh were lucky enough, weather permitting, to have a birthday picnic at the Castle. Plenty of food prepared by various mothers, kite flying, games and everyones favorite rolling down the hill. Of hills, Anyone who has lived in Hadleigh will have heard of or even participated in tobogganing down Castle Hill when winter conditions allowed. I was lucky enough to share this the last time we visited with my wife and children. I now live in Florida but part of my heart remains on the windswept Essex downs.
Rectory Road
I lived in Hadleigh from the late sixties until 1982 - The name of the sweetshop in the parade on the right was Hunts but we nicknamed it "the post office" as there was a small post office at the back. Other popular sweetshops were Hampsons, and Pontons. Davis the bakers was next to Hunts with a great mural/photo of wheat on the wall. The Market shop was on the left with the awning and sold all sorts of bits and bobs - Choice is still there and takes up about 4 shops now. I think the Supermarket was a Liptons.
Rectory Road
In 1964 I was 4 years old. My Mother, brother and sister moved to Hadleigh, living at the Hollies on the corner of Softwater Lane and Rectory Road. The small parade of shops on the right were bulit sometime between 1964 and 66, I'm guessing. There was a newsagents and a kind of bulk supermarket. I can't remember how many sweets we bought at the newsagents, but it was a lot. The stores on the left included a cheap shop. Looking at this photograph really takes me back. I live in Canada now.
New Hadleigh
The Esso petrol station on the left is now a Macdonalds eating place.
I Remember The Queues to Get on to The Island!
My Dad had the sweetshop opposite the police station in Benfleet High Road, and in the summer we used to do a roaring trade selling Lyons Maid icecream to the overheated drivers & passengers - often very fractious kiddies. Even after the underpass, there were still queues. The new road on to the island was welcome - we might have lost a bit of passing trade, but the narrow High Road was a lot safer - I nearly went under a petrol tanker on my bike in the early 60's. As a kid, I used to take the bus to Canvey seafront, spend all my (old) pennies in the slot machines and have to walk home. I remember there was a nice chip shop somewhere along there - can't remember the name.
