Laindon, Essex

1950

This was taken five years before I was born, but I remember the High Road very well and loved walking along it, looking in the shop windows, it seemed to go on forever.

Margaret Pearman

As Sheila mentions, the above photo shows my grandfather Arthur Pearman collecting my grandmother Margaret Pearman (whom I never met unfortunately). He didn't even realise someone had taken this photo.

Laindon High Road

This photograph shows a car with a lady coming out of a shop.This car belonged to my neighbour Arthur Pearman who now lives in Billericay. The lady was his wife who is now no longer with us. Arthur had bought this car as a wreck and rebuilt it.Obviously he was and still is proud of it because few people had cars... [more]

Family History

It was a very sad day when Laindon School closed and even worse when it was demolished. I have fond memories of my days at Laindon, I joined when Mr Chadband was head, and made many friends there. Apart from attending myself I was part of the PTA group that tried to keep it from closing, as my daughter was one... [more]

Bonnie

This is a part of Laindon we must preserve, there's not many left, but it should be safe on top of the hill. Many happy days were spent in the fields behind, flying kites and playing football, when I was a child and with my grandchildren in recent years.
The Crown was a favourite lunchtime haunt when the children were little... [more]

Houses in St. Nicholas Lane

These houses are in St. Nicholas Lane. I lived in the house on the left of the photo. It was named Neasden. We lived there until 1950 when we moved to London. The hill was a very good winter sports attraction with some very fast toboggan runs.

St Nics

this is looking towards St Nicholas Lane, isn't it?

Guy Fawkes!

This is another part of Laindon that is no more. I can remember waiting outside the Fortune of War with a Guy leading up to Firework Night, I always collected lots of change from the kind patrons of this local drinking establishment. I don't think anyone noticed that it was really my sister dressed up in the wagon, if they did... [more]

Basildon Living Memories Pocket Album

Laindon School—formerly Laindon High Road School—opened in 1928. It eventually merged with Nicholas School to become the new James Hornby High School (named after the final teacher at the St Nicholas's church annexe). The Laindon site was finally closed in 2000, when it was decided that the Nicholas buildings were more suitable.

Basildon - A History & Celebration

Basildon is one of eight New Towns which were set up around London between 1946 and 1949, immediately after the Second World War. However, the drift from the overcrowded cities (especially London) and into the countryside is not a new idea; it has been a phenomenon of the entire 20th century. Sir. Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928) was the principal founder of the English garden city movement. His plans outlined the creation of... [more]

Basildon Living Memories Pocket Album

D & E Flack's (left) was a general store and post office serving the area north of the Southend road. By the end of the 1950s, outlying shops were competing with the new Town Centre development. Reckitts Blue—advertised on the fence—was a well-known bleaching agent of the time.