The Town Hall c1965, Ilford
The Town Hall c1965, Ilford Ref: I34024
Memories of The Town Hall c1965, Ilford
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.
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... Read more
Ilford C & A Store
I remember working on the C & A store in appoximately 1964 I think, from start to finish, all the electrical work, it brings back many happy memories for me. Is it still standing? It was said a cinema stood there prior to C & A being built, which was bombed during the Second World War, and it was said to have had a ghost from that time on. Denno
Ilford & local memories
Read and share memories of Ilford and Essex inspired by Frith photos.
Summer Holidays.
Country born and bred, I regularly stayed with aunts and uncles in Seven Kings and Barkingside My regular haunts were Valentine's 'Cranbrook' and Barkingkside Parks as well as the disused airfield known as Fairlop. The latter being a haven for aircraft modellers. I cycled everywhere and made many friends of my own age. I was a good rower at that age and took a group of townies out on a skiff on the Park Lake which caused great excitement. This picture caught my attention as there is a possibility, albeit vey slim, that the lad in the picture is myself (12) and the couple on the right are my aunt and uncle. The school clothing is indentical, although common in those days. I purchased the picture in the hope of carrying out research to make identification easier. Sadly this is not a true photograph from a negative or hard copy as expected but a reproduction from a magazine or newspaper which makes clear enlargement impossible due to the typesetting. My Uncle worked for the... Read more
Pig Farm
I can recall going with my father up to Barkingside after an air raid during the Second World War and seeing a farm that had been hit. There were fire hoses all over the road and pigs running up the High Street. The farm was just across the road from the cinema (The State?). We too were to be bombed out of our house, at the bottom of Clayhall, near Peal Drive. I think about that time a numner of houses were bombed in Chalgrove Crescent with a number of deaths.
Cleveland Road School
I remember Mrs Strachan in 1947/48 when she came down from the Cleveland Road Junior School after Miss Butcher left rather unexpectedly. I also went to Woodlands Infants School from Easter 1945, I was 5 in January, and in September transfered to Cleveland Infants. After Cleveland School I went to Loxford Secondary Modern School which meant I had to Walk a long way to school as I lived just 4 door away in Rutland Road.
I also remember the Market where we bought our weekly shop from, I think it was called Whites in the furthest entrance from the Broadway.
Oposite the market was a small row of shops which housed a Horse Butchers and Terry's Bookshop.
Memories of Growing up in Gantshill
I have so many memories of this place. I was born in Martley Drive, 1947, my grandparents originally bought the house back in the 1920s when they moved from Bethnal Green. It was a good place to live, I went to Gearies School all the way through from Infants, Juniors to secondary. It was just a short walk. Sadly the secondary school part appears to be an adult education centre now. I wonder if anyone knows what happened to Barry and Nigel Cox who used to live in the same road as me? When we were coming up to teens I used to go out with my friends rollerskating for miles around. I remember come home satisfiyingly tired at the end of the day. Each day was an adventure and nobody used to worry about safety in those days, it was such a wonderful sense of freedom that children had. Out in the morning and back in the evening during the school holidays. As we got older we ventured to... Read more
Sally Lunns Restaurant And Prudential Building
I was born in Gantshill in 1947 and my formative years were spent all around the area. I remember my meeting my mum for lunch at Sally Lunns sometimes during the school holidays as she worked at the Prudential Building. I went to Gearies girls school which no longer exists and when I left school I worked at a hairdressers shop in Cranbrook Road called Betta Waves which was run by an old couple called Miss Davies and Mr MacKenzie. I can remember most of the memories that people have been talking about. Could anyone remember there being a blacksmiths in Barkingside? my grandmother used to take me there. It was on the site of the police station and opposite Banardos?
Sally Lunn Resturant, Cranbrook Road.
I worked Saturdays and the school holidays at Sally Lunns.That was from 1960 to 1964.
Thet use to sell a Vienna steak which I helped to make, their crinkly chips were fantastic. They used to be part cooked (Jerries) at a lower temperature and placed in a huge bowl. When the lunch time rush started, the heat was turned up and the jerries were quickly fried and were crisp.
The Lewis family owned the establishment, David and his brother-in law were in charge although when I started the old man was in charge.
The Prudential Insurance company had the new building next door.
I used to help with the outside catering with Albert and had the privilege of collecting the Wedding cakes from up the road.
I loved Ilford when I was a lad but sadly my last visit 8 years aqgo, shook me to the core. The sedate Cranbrook Road had become Bombay.
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... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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.
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 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. T remember when Moultons was on fire one night & flames were pouring from its windows, the firemen looked so small on their ladders as they fought (successfully) to save the building. I remember there was a pantomine on at the Ilford Hippodrome but the night we were going there we had to canceI, 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.
Born In 1966, in Ilford
Got to be honest, I don't remember a thing, I was adopted soon after I was born, but I still regard myself as being an Ilford-ite. I really want to visit and look around Ilford soon, just to see now what my hometown is like, of course I understand it'll have changed LOL, but I still need to visit. Nice to see some 1966 pics ... seems like a long time ago eh. Maybe see you sometime, Mark
A Year Away From 'The Colonies'
I lived in Ilford in 1963. My father had won a scholarship to study chest disease in London, so he and Mom packed us up and carted us off to England. Ilford offered the cheapest acceptable lodgings close to London for a family living on a shoestring. We moved into a house that had been passed from one medical resident family to another. In all, there were seven of us including my parents. My oldest brother, Blair, was nine years old, Gary was eight, I was seven, Mark was five and Rob was four. My sister, Janet, was born in July. As I recall, the address was 24 Shawville Gardens. But when I look at a map I don't see the street anymore, so perhaps the name has been changed. Our next-door neighbours were the Bakers. Susan Baker was eleven then. As the house was a semi-detached, Susan and I used to tap messages through the wall between our bedrooms. I remember our school - St. Augustine's Primary School,... Read more
Really Good Days
I lived in Ilford in the 1970s, the place was magic, and it had a bus to the place. I could walk down the Broadway at night without any worry, and I was always in the Cranbrook pub. I went back last year to the Cranbrook pub and just made it in time, it closed just after. That was in 2008, and it opened in in 1970. I also had a walk in Valentine's Park, that was nice, it brought back good memories as I lived across the road in Cavendish Gardens, I loved all the night clubs in those days, Room at the Top, Lacey Lady, I think they are still going. Love Ilford, a good part of my life.
