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The Royal Hotel c1950
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The Royal Hotel was one of the "whitebait inns" which drew custom down-river from London in the nineteenth century. In both World Wars Purfleet was a transit camp for thousands of soldiers waiting to be shipped abroad from Tilbury docks. The Essex shore was called the Erith Rands. Rand was Anglo-saxon for border or Edge. At Purfleet, in medieval times Pilgrims on their way to Canterbury crossed to the Kent shore by a ferry at the Mermaid Causeway. Even earlier subterranean caves in the chalk cliffs neaby were used by the Danes. Including a tunnel which extended a mile under the Thames. On top of the cliffs there used to be a lighthouse, and before that there was a Limeburning Industry. In the 1940s a margerine factory and a Cement works and a paper mill operated in this area. An Illuminated Tidal Guage was erected in 1924 for the use of Thames Pilots when they guided ships between the Docks up & down the Thames River.

Holloway Sanatorium c1955
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On August 13, 1961 I took up residence as a student nurse in Lindsay Smith House across from the hospital. It was the day the Berlin wall went up, and, as I recall, the day before the grouse shooting season began. I was 19 years old. Miss Goodyear was the Matron. Miss Lemon was Assistant Matron; Miss Mitzi Tauber was Assistant Matron (rumoured to be the cousin of Richard Tauber the singer); Miss Cottingham was Night Sister. I wore a blue cotton dress, a white apron (fresh daily), a plain cap, black stockings and shoes. I was also issued a navy blue cape with a red lining. It was so cold dressed thusly, I made a red flannel petticoat and combinations to keep war. We were not allowed to wear a cardigan, unless by special dispensation, like when the boiler was not working. We worked 12-hour shifts from 7am to 7pm for four days. One day, we were on at 10 am. On our days off we were served breakfast in bed by Italian maids. The trays had a full complement of food, hot, cereal, tea, and little jugs containing milk. We spent three months, on probation, took a state exam after one year, and as part of the four-year course, transferred to general nursing at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington. The qualification of Registered Mental Nurse required three years at Holloway. I have so many memories. Turning our cloaks inside at Christmas time out so the red... Read more

High Road c1960
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I was born at number 7, Village Road, Finchley in 1932 and lived there until October 1939 when my dad's businesses in London were requisitioned. Lots of memories. Milk was delivered by United Dairies and the horse would always spend a penny right outside our house leaving a horrid green puddle. 'Old Fishy' delivered his wares every Friday walking from house to house with a big wicker basket, followed by the local mongrels hoping to get a bite of an overhanging tail. Then we had Walls ice-cream with the tricycle and bell announcing the ice-cream man's arrival. The road was unadopted which meant that it was private, and once each year a chain had to be put across each end to reserve our ownership. It was gravel, not tarmac, then. Dad had a fish tank and I was detailed to go to the stream (River Lea?) behind our garden and catch little larvae to feed the fish. I went to Hendon Preparatory School in 1937 for a couple of years until war broke out. We had a horrid little mongrel called Punch which waged war against Tiger Edwards. Tiger was the name of the third party's dog and he was Mr Edwards. If anyone still alive who can work the ghastly computer was around at that time, do please contact on dbritton1932@tiscali.co.uk Cheers .... David

Carlton Hotel c1965
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My family ran the Carlton from the early 1970s. We lived there for a year or two in the flat which was on the right where the garage is in the picture here. I remember cycling around the place on my blue plastic tractor (I was born in 1971 was I wasn't old). We found that some guests came into the flat and used our bathroom so we hid a fake rubber severed hand poking out of the toilet. They never came in again. Mike Ward used to play the Hammond Organ in the Caribbean Lounge (which was once a snooker room). The Lions Club would come in and I would try to win a huge lion every week but never did. After years of trying they presented me with a small one which I still have!

The Parade 1952
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I lived in a flat over 12 The Parade (then a Garden Shop) until I was ten years old, from 1944-1954. Our gate was on the alley round the back. At the Hare Lane end of the alley were hung 'pig bags' - sacks where people put scraps to feed pigs (post-war, so still on rationing!). The other end of the alley went through to one of the brickyards that were then still around Claygate. A rag-and-bone man came along The Parade every week, perched on a horse-drawn shallow cart; we called him the 'Yak-Yoh man' because that was what his 'ragandbone' cry sounded like.