Memories of Ilford

Sally Lunn Restaurant, Cranbrook Road

Does anyone remember the Sally Lunn Restaurant in the Cranbrook Road? It used to be next door to Russells Garden Nursery that later became the Prudential Offices, at the time one of Ilford's tallest buildings

I remember

I was born in Ilford in 1961, in Stanley Road, opposite the cemetery of St Mary the Virgin! I remember well shopping trips 'Up Ilford' with Mum or Dad as a child. I remember too, going into C&A for clothes, and visiting the Clarkes shoe shop, down a side road, I believe it was near the Town Hall, there was a tank of fish in the shop. Does any one else recall the Nativity that appeared on the Town Hall steps each Christmas? I used to walk past the Ilford Palais on a Saturday when all the 'big boys and girls' (probally all of 13 or 14) were queued up, vowing that one day when I was big I would be going there on Saturday afternoons! (I moved from Ilford just before I was 13, so never got there!) What else, the Unigate Milk depot. The Pioneer Market, where Dad and I brought Saturday night sweets. Mum worked for a while at the bakers stall there and used to bring home mini Hovis loaves. The record stall at the end of the market. I brought my first Top of the Pops LP there!

i was one years of age in 1965

Good static shot, black & white (b&w), no doubt Ilford film, the best b&w in the world. I was 1 years of age having been born in 1964 about two or three roads away from where this shot was taken, it's Ilford High Road. I was born opposite the Ilford Pali which was opposite Lynton House, the redbridge council offices, next door to the Inigate milk factory where Mr and Mrs Richingson lived who gave me some comics which I should have kept longer than I did, God only knows how much they would be worth now. Boag Boag, a name for a kind of security guard on the look out, a nosey parker which was a good thing in thoses days. I was born and bred for the first 12 years of my life at the same address, where I was born in a house, no 1, I would stay until I moved on my 12th birthday in 1976 a Sunday, I was born on a Saturday ('Saturday's child works hard for his pay').
The times I have been in the town hall for gang shows with the Cubs, and to eturn my library books. So I am aware of this scene from my childhood. I went to Cleveland Infants and Junior School from about 1969 untill 1976 when I went to Dane Junior High, a very good school, for 6 weeks until Mum who worked for the council moved us to Wanstead Park Road because of the building of the roundabout and link-up road or whatever they called it, basically they knocked down the house I was born in and the road to make way for the new road and everyone had to be rehoused. Mum would not let us leave until she got what she wanted, which was a better house in Wanstead Park Road, where I spent my teenage years trying to grow up. So this shot is great for me because I am reminded of my birth town just after I was born and as it would have looked when I first began to walk and started listening to Sammy Davis Junior records because my dad was convinced that big Frank (I'm dyslexic) was GOD himself had collected.

Ron's Music Shop and Redbridge Photographic

The former Ron Pakeham (spelling?) owned one of the stores in Pioneer Market and sub-let half (and eventually all) that store to Redbridge Photographic, where I worked some evenings and Saturdays whilst at school and later college. The manager was Val Goldstein, who knew everyone in the trade! Chick ran the musical instruments side for Ron, and was a real character who enjoyed liquid refreshment... High points were a certain old gentleman called Frank Fl**ker who used to come in and buy the 'risque' 8mm shorts from David Hamilton, which were so tame by today's standards even the vicar would not blush, and a weird guy who dressed up in half of a truly ancient cinema commissionaire's uniform and claimed he had been in the Mounties which is why he had defaulted on his camera loan.

Ron sadly died but Redbridge soldiered on until the new traffic layout was instituted (late 1970s?) and much of the area redeveloped. I returned a couple of years ago (I now live on the Pacific West Coast of the USA) and recognised - nothing! I even got lost walking around. Oh dear, oh dear....

Cleveland Road School

I was born in Ilford in 1933 living in Elstree Gardens near Loxford Park. After attending Woodlands Road Primary School, I went to Clevend Road School off Ilford Lane. The headmaster was a very kind man called Mr Edwards and our teacher was Mrs Strachan (pronouned Strawn). We were very well behaved so at the end of lessons we hurried to get out into the plaground. This involved descending the many granite stairs to the ground floor at breakneck speed. The roar of this exodus as kids sped to freedom is something I will never forget. Thank you Mr Edwards and Mrs Strachan for making our school years happy. They also taught us something because I passed the 11+ exam and was sent to the best school in the borough, Ilford County High School. We went to ICHS before the war ended and the corridors were still reinforced with brick blast barriers to protect pupils against bomb blast. The barriers were removd however shortly after the war ended. Headmaster of the school was Mr Harry S Kenward who was a stern disciplinarian although gentle when you got to know him.The head teacher was Mr MacPherson, a very likeable man who taught economics. Every morning we had assembly when Mr Kenward gave announcments and led most of th boys in hymns and prayers. Music was provided by Mr Selwyn Lowe on the grand piano who used to turn bright red if the boys substituted a rude version for the words of the hymns.
We attempted to learn French but it was difficult as none of us then could see the point of it. The French teacher was a Dr Bryant who expalined that he was born in the part of Belgium where French was the first language. He kept a small cane in the back of his cupboard that he called "the stimulator."
We had a good education at ICHS and I owe much to it, having now retired after a successful career in journalism. I still see some of my old school friends monthly at a pub in Epping, Essex. Considering that we left ICHS in 1949 this says something for the strength of friendships made at school.  

Pioneer Market, Ilford Lane

I used to work at Memory Brothers in the Pioneer Market. I cannot remember the exact year, but it was around 1964-65. Right opposite our shop was Holmes fruit and veg shop. I seem to also remember that they had two shops. Our shop was open counter on three sides, grocery, bacon and cooked meats which was the counter I worked on. We had a lot of fun with fellow traders and customers alike. Great days, alas long gone.

Harrison Gibbisons Fire

Though this picture is dated 1955, I think its actually later than this. The reason for this is that about 1960 the Harrison Gibbison shop had a big fire that not only destroyed that shop but also Selfridges next door. This picture shows the Selfridges store after it had been rebuilt after that fire. Also looking further down the high road I can the Marks & Spencer store this was not built until 1965.

the pioneer market

I have very fond memories of the pioneer market ilford my aunt & uncle peggy & ernie holmes owned the veg stall they had no children so as there only nephew i was a very spoilt 4 year old an added bonus was that my nan daisey macCarthy worked on the oppsite hardware stall again as her only grandchild i was spoilt i remember going home with bags of sweets and toys. sadly ernie died of hodgekins disease in 1955 he was 29 aunt peg married louis amato in 1958 they had fruit & veg shops in romford road and walter hurford parade manor park they retired to barking louis died in 2004 peggy in 2006 they were 80 & 78. nan died in 1983 aged 90 her son my father benjamin brown who is from her first marriage is still alive he lives with my wife jean & i near spalding lincs he will be 94 on boxing day 2007

Born in Ilford

Ilford Town Hall is on the corner of Oakfield Road where I was born in 1937 and lived throughout WW2. The public Air Raid Shelter we used to sleep in was opposite the Town Hall in Oakfield Road. A very large department store called Moultons was opposite, in the High Street.  Moultons was bombed one night & flames were pouring from its windows, the firemen looked so small on their ladders as they fought (successfully) to save the building.
Jack & The Beanstalk was the pantomine at the Ilford Hippodrome but the night we were going there I was naughty & was sent to bed, that night it got a direct hit from a bomb.
Ilford was badly bombed during WW2 but even as a child I remember the incredibly brave spirit of the people, I always felt safe with them, though I realise now that I'm lucky to be alive, so many were killed.
I live in NSW Australia now, but Ilford will always be so special in my memory.

Wow, I used to work right here

My first job as a teenager was with ICT, which subsequently became ICL and I think has now disappeared. I used to repair punch card equipment at Ilford Film, Plessey and Ilford town Hall back in the early 60's. I probably have walked up that piece of road a hundred times. The town hall is just visible on the right.

In the entrance to Ilford Film, Roden Street I believe, there was a working blacksmith's shop in the early 60's.

lford lane

I was born in Ilford in 1928, I now live in Australia, came here in 1948 so my memories are of that time. This picture is of where we used to shop every week.
We lived in Dunedin Road.  Is the railway close by? I was in the Gaumont Super cinema when it was bombed. But that is another story.
I remember the Hippodrome too.