Harwich memories
Here are memories of Harwich and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Harwich or a Harwich photo.
I Know That Car
Born in Harwich in 1940, I have many fond memories of Church Street both as a schoolchild and as a teenager. The car parked on the left of the picture is an Alvis estate car which had the exceptionally nice wooden side panelling. It is parked outside David Wills, the baker, and did in fact belong to Mr Thomas Wills, who I always called "Mr Tom". It was used for the daily bread and cake run to his sister's shop, who was always known as Miss Florrie, at Tollgate, opposite Ernie Gant's farm. Mind you this was in the day's when bread really tasted like bread...
Childhood Visit
In 1953, while we were staying in a caravan park at Felixstowe in the summer holidays, just to the landward side of the level crossing, we went to Harwich and visited David Wills baker's shop as David Wills was my mother's half uncle. Incidentally we had stayed in a caravan the previous year too at Felixstowe, and what I remember especially was that the flower beds which had been full of flowers in 1952 were bare in 1953 as the salt from the flood had killed all the flowers.
Little Oakley (The Dolly Houses)
Just before I left school in July 1948 I with my mother, cousin Isabel, and aunt Hannah travelled down from Gateshead to visit my aunt Susie and uncle Don who lived in the dolly houses in Little Oakley. I recall there were a number of prefab houses nearby. I haven't been back since however several years ago I wrote about this visit to the Harwich local newspaper (Harwich and Manningtree) and I received replies from several residents. My uncle Don worked as a blacksmith's striker and in his spare time was an excellent painter. He and his workmate partner the blacksmith, who was a very good photographer their photo appeared in the local paper in 1964. I had two cousins I never met. Peggy and Teddy. Teddy was in the Merchant Navy and Peggy married and lived in Stone in Staffordshire. My cousin Isabel is now living in Molesey in Surrey.
Les May - lsmy59@aol.com
My Family
My father's family moved to Harwich in the early 1900's to cottages below Upper Dovercourt Church and lived there for many years. I was born in 1950 when my parents lived in Ramsey then we moved to Valley Road. I still have family in the Harwich/Dovercourt area. I come down to the area for holidays and stay at one of the caravan sites. Since I moved I have come back on holiday and seen some big changes: the road from Parkestone roundabout to Harwich and the shopping area off Barthside mud/the building onto the low road to Tollgate.
Memories of Essex
One Child's Memory of Living in The Covent in Doverourt
I have just been reading on the times of the floods in Dovercourt. My sister Rita and myself, known as (Rita and Mary Kelly), were brought up by the Salesian Sisters at the convent from babies until the time of the floods. The convent had to close, and we were then moved to another convent in Hastings called Sandrock Hall.I believe sixteen children made this move. It was really a lovely place to be, all the children there were so happy. We had our own 'Sea Garden' - when you looked over the wall, you were looking down into the sea. We had a pathway down to the sea where we could go swimming and fill our swim caps up with water, so the nuns could wash their face and hands. Also in the garden, the nuns taught us how to do a bit of gardening, we had little plots, sowed seeds and watched them grow, it was great when our flowers came up. I also remember when walking to... Read more
Palm Court
I remember walking along the promenade to the Pavilion. To continue our walk we had to go through the Pavilion. If my memory is correct it had a glass roof and front window and there were some palms and what seemed to a six-year-old huge greenhouse plants. I thought it was a most glamorous place. I remember the words Palm Court. Was it ever called Palm Court?
Ruth Wright (nee Ashman)
Bathside Boys
I was brought up at 14,Ingestre Street,and always consider myself a bathside boy.I was very lucky to have my school opposite my front door.Just up the street was Mr.Barneys shop where you could buy 4 black jacks for a halfpenny.There were sherbert flying saucers,rainbow drops lots of sweets to keep lids happy.One end of bathside was the railway bridge where if you heard a train coming you'd run to the top to disappear in clouds of smoke and steam.At the other end of bathside was the coke factory.Through the dirty windows men were stripped to the waist toiling away in the heat and grime.One street housed a crisp factory.Up by the park was kettles soft drinks my brother and I favourite was called kings cup.Along the sea wall was a scrap metal yard called skinners.Clothes could be taken there for money by weight.wool had to be separated as you got a better price.In the summer for a highlight of their holiday,campers at Warners in dovercourt would walk all the way... (Awaiting moderation, read more soon)
The Convent in Orwell Road
I was brought up in a Convent in Orwell Road between the years 1947 and 1954. The Convent was vacated in the summer of 1954 and moved to Hastings a year after the sea wall broke which demolished the old school in Harwich.
When I visited the convent again in 1980 it was still there, only standing derelict. I wondered if the building was still standing.
Ruth Wright
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