Seven Kings memories
Here are memories of Seven Kings and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Seven Kings or a Seven Kings photo.
Looking at The Old Downshall Senior School.
I went to Downshall School in 1957 after moving from Downshall Juniors. The big tree on the right covers St John the Evangelist Church and Downshall Junior School. To the back of the shops on the right used to be the 2nd Seven Kings scout hall and Sunday school. On the left 50 metres on from the 105E Anglia were a group of shops that were suppliers of goods to the local community.
Walking to School
I went to Downshall Infants and Primary up to the age of 12 when I then went to Ilford Country High in Gants Hill. I remember the daily walk along Meads Lane calling for a sour grapes gob stopper that would dye our mouths dark purple.
The school seemed so big and when I look at this photo it looks like something out of Dickens! Miss Backhouse was my infants teacher and in the primary I had a wonderful teacher Mr Richards who was so supportive of me - he gave me faith in myself - thank you always Mr Richards!
From Downshall I remember we were all walked over to Seven Kings Park to play sport because there was no oval at the school.
I now live in Sydney and have done since 1972 - I'm now 57 and wanting to return and pick up some of those memories.
Please leave me a message if you have any memories of being at Downshall!
Downhall School
I arrived at the Infants School aged 6, fresh from a tiny village school in rural Somerset. My abiding memory was of the outside communal toilets with a trough at the base of a wall which used to back on to the pavement of Aldborough Rd. We would compete to see who could reach the highest up the wall (if you know what I mean) and attempt to score a bullseye by actually aiming right over the wall onto the pavement.
A more respectable past-time was playing with our Dinky racing cars in the playground, I recall they always went faster backwards! As I write this I'm looking at my No.6 racing car, a Cooper-Bristol, on the dresser; it has weathered the 55 years since then a bit better than I have.
Downshall School.
I went to Downshall school as it was then. It is vastly altered now. On the left of picture was a row of shops. First on the left was a greengrocers. Then the fish andd chips shop. Then Alberts Cafe, Balls the chemist. Then Leslie W Hubbard the hardware shop. Correct me if I'm wrong but that's not a bad memory going back to 1955. I lived round the corner in Norfolk Road at 128 and was late for school most days. Mr Tucker and Mr Crisp were very good teachers. I remember St John's Church with that rotten bell that used to wake us up every Sunday at 8 am. The Irish Padre was quite a character.
Memories of Greater London
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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