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Langdon Hills
Langdon Hills photos
Displaying the first of 5 old photos of Langdon Hills. View all Langdon Hills photos
Langdon Hills maps
Historic maps of Langdon Hills and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Langdon Hills maps
Langdon Hills area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Langdon Hills and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Langdon Hills
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Langdon Hills.
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Joan's Nostalgia Trip
I was born in Berry Lane Langdon Hills in 1948. I went to the primary school in the High Road and later to Laindon High Road Secondary School. I rmember so much about the town of Laindon - the shop names - Jack Lagdon the butcher, Tommy Cole the Fishmonger, Cisters corner for fruit and veg, Careys the builders, Morrisses the outfitters with the mmoney thing that went all round the store, Parkinsons the garage, the old Radion Cinema, the wonderful steam trains at Laindon Station where I used to meet my dad of the train every evening. My friend Yvonne Heather who was secretary of the Dave Clark Five Fan Club - so many memories but all good. I used to do a paperround and worked for Pepperills in the High Road which was next to Cottis the bakers - the names just keep flooding back
Well Green Cottage
My husbands family were in Langdon Hills as early as 1797 when John Bacon married Sarah Graylin at the old church Langdon Hills. The family had many occupations, thatcher, bailiff, agricultural labourer etc. They eventually settled in Well Green Cottage as was in the family up to 1950s.
Thanks. Alma Bacon
Essex memories
The Bruntons of Dunton
I was born in 1933 at Oak Cottage, Victory Avenue, Dunton. Dad worked as a cook in a nearby "Work house", this was during the great depression and times were hard. I have vague memories of the school there though on a rare visit back I went there and everything had been replaced by factories or so it seemed. At the age of 5 we moved to Pitsea (around the corner) where we remained till the end of the war, then on to Southend. After school and a job I went into the Royal Navy in 1948-60. Got married and with 2 daughters 14 years later in 1974 came to Australia. Still miss England, Essex, Southend, Pitsea and yes Dunton.
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 in those days it was indeed a luxury.He is also sad about the High Road no longer being there,it was over a mile long with shops all along both sides. It was compulsory purchased by the then Basildon Corporation so he says.Evidently his family owned much of the land in Laindon.On the other side of the road there is a white van from which goods are being sold. this man is the same man who kept lions along the Crays Hill Road for many years and became very famous because of that.
My Fathers Workplace
This memory of the Fortune of War, was a photograph that my mother has. This is of my father Reginald Waddingham who was a barman at the hotel. They all wore white jackets. The photo showed all of the employees and the boss standing outside. It was amazing that a lot of people worked there. I can remember catching a no 14 Eastern National bus outside the Fortune of War to Southend and watching all the coaches coming into the public house on their way to Southend on Sea for the day. It is now a shame that the Fortune of War is no longer there, only houses, but what a lot of memories that the hotel holds.
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.
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 of the last to be taught there. My son also attended, or so I thought at the time, I have since learnt his schooling was more in the field!
But it doesn't end there, as both my parents were students as well as other members of our family. My dad Leslie Hymas was there the same time as Sylvia Simms. He thought himself a bit of a stud and was a local football hero, having scored many goals for local teams.
