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Halstead
Halstead maps
Historic maps of Halstead and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Halstead maps
Halstead area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Halstead and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Halstead
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Halstead.
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Remembering Mr. And Mrs. Simmons' Shop
First class clothing was always available at Simmons - my parents and I moved to Halstead in Oct-Nov 1939 as my dad, Stan Page, was evacuated with the London staff of Courtaulds to their Braintree/Bocking factory at the start of the Second World War. I attended Trinity Church School for 2 years then Halstead Grammar School for Girls until 1946. My mother always bought several articles of clothing when the coupons were available and Mrs. Simmons was so gracious. When I began my employment with Lloyds Bank, I immediately went to her to purchase my first suit and coat in the 'New Look' of 1947. The coat was a beautiful purple, fashioned with a highwayman's collar and flared skirt. It lasted me for years - I hated to see it go. As my mother and I entertained the troops, and performed at many concerts in the Halstead area, we were always in need of good looking dresses - and many of them came from our favourite clothing shop, invariably from... Read more
Greenwood School 1961/1971
It was as if it was yesterday, I remember walking up and down this High Street in Halstead, Essex. I used to buy all my records here, some of the Jackson Five and lots of others. I loved music then and I still love it now and I can still remember where the old post office was. I bet the old shops have gone now but thing do. We never had computers in those days but we still had a good time, doing lots of walks round the countryside and there were some beauitful sites and we did do lots of walking to Sible Hedingham/Colne Engaine/Greenstead Green and many others. We went to St Andrew's Church on the hill every Sunday. We also had three dogs, one was black, the other two were gold labs and it is funny but when I left I had cats for twenty years then when I married I had one golden lab, she passed away at the age of 12, now I have... Read more
Essex memories
Blacksmiths
I attended the grammar school 1936-9. Whilst waiting for buses home I used to talk to the local blacksmith. I said to him ,"My granddad uised to be a smith"
When I told him my surname was `King` he asked "Was he Tom King ?" I did not know as my relative had died when I was two but asked "Why?" I was told "All smiths named King were `Tom` Many years later checking the family tree I found it was correct ,three generations of smiths all surnamed King were either named or nicknamed `Tom`.The first was at Aingers Green Gt.Bentley. I then wondered was Dick Turpin`s partner in crime,Tom King a forebear of mine ? It seems NO, it was only a nickname ,his real name was Matthew !
Where I Grew Up.
I lived most of my life in Sible Hedingham, as a family we moved there from London in 1962. I was just 2 years old at the time. My father Robert Farren, "Bob" as he was best known and my mother Ivy, took over the licence of The White Lion, Church Street. Growing up I never imagined that I would ever live anywhere but there. My parents retired after 28 years behind the bar.
The White Lion can be seen in picture S276003 of Church Street, it is the second building on the right hand side of the photograph. The first building is, or I should say was a General Store. You could buy just about anything there from linens, clothing and yarn to cheese and sugar. It closed somewhere around 1972 and was turned into a private residence. The Lion was originally a workhouse and had several cottages on the premises, two of which I can still remember - they were in what is now the car park.... Read more
Richard Moss, Samuel Nott b. 1811?
Ancestors Richard Moss and his cousin Samuel Nott were from Sible Hedingham according to the 1841 and 1851 census. Richard was a brick maker and carter. Are there any traces of these family still in the village? They relocated to Rotherham before 1840 but I'd like to trace Richard's ancestors.
Church Street
My name is Jan Scott nee Boreham, my father's name was Peter and my mother's name was Elsie, my brother's name Andy. We too lived in Church Street in the Cottages opposite the White Lion and next door to Mr & Mrs Yeldham, and my mother used to work at the stores across the road then called Cloughleys. I remember the Farrant family very well, in fact Sue lived next door to us in Park Fields when we moved into our new home in the early 1970s. So many memories, I love this picture of Church Street...
The Ransons Move to Castle Hedingham
We arrived in Castle Hedingham around the turn of the year 1964/5, Mum, Dad, my three little brothers and myself. Our newly built house was just out of shot to the left of this photo of Pye Corner. Mum & Dad's friend Tony owned the white Alvis car parked on the green. We were very excited be in our big house. It was a cold winter and Mum was trying to get us settled in. Like all new houses it had it's teething problems.
We all eventually went to De Vere primary school on the other side of the village and made lots of friends, some of whom we still see. Also on Pye Corner was a lovely old house called Astles. It belonged to a man called Mr. Kelk. His granddaughter, Charlotte showed me all the nooks and crannies of the house and garden which fascinated me and began my interest in old houses that continues to this day. Mr. Kelk's house has recently been beautifully restored... Read more
