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Snaresbrook
Snaresbrook maps
Historic maps of Snaresbrook and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Snaresbrook maps
Snaresbrook area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Snaresbrook and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Snaresbrook
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Greater London memories
Days Gone By.
It was a long walk to Wanstead Park from where we lived as children. We lived at Stephens Road, Stratford West Ham. Weekends and school holidays Mum would pack a picnic for the six of us, usually jam sandwiches or cheese if Mum had some, and a bottle of orange squash. We also had our jam jars and nets for fishing in the ponds for sticklebacks, a bat and ball, also a football, and off we would go for the day, as most East End children did in 1955.
We would enter the park from the Manor Park side, it was a short walk through a small wood the trees seem so tall, the ground was soft. I can remember the smell of the soil, it was always damp, sometimes we would see a squirrel or a small mouse, I can remember the sound of small birds, which in the streets where we lived you didn't see or hear. Then came the open space of green grass, the grass would... Read more
The George PH, Wanstead
Facing the viewer is the George Public House, which I believe still exists; behind is Wanstead underground station and an open area of grassland leading to Redbridge Lane and my then school, Wanstead County High. The High Street is facing us and leads to Snaresbrook, also with its underground station and also a magistrates court!
Definately NOT A Paint Tin! Woodford Wells
About a mile or so from South Woodford toward Buckhurst Hill, on the New Road, is Woodford Wells. My friend lived in the third house from the corner diagonally across from Bancrofts School. The house next door had been destroyed by a bomb, and all the wreckage had been taken away. Another chum, my friend and I often played football on the vacant concrete pad where the house had been. One day our ball rolled down a hole and almost out of sight. We fished around with a stick trying to get it out without success. After each if us had a go trying to get our ball back my friend yanked out a fairly big chunk of metal, perhaps an old paint can, then we realized it was the fin from a bomb. WOW! What a prize, we proudly took our latest souvenir to show his mum. She went next door to show it to the man who lived there. He told us to keep well... Read more
GATES CORNER MEMORIES.
This is such a memorable photograph for me. This very garage delivered a new company car to my father in 1932. It was a Model B Ford with V8 engine. He drove that car for 17 years during the time he worked for W&C French in Buckhurst Hill.
I was a young child of seven when the Second World War broke out. Living on Epping New Road beside French's Yard. Dad was working away from home a lot bulding new airfields. Mum and I would often go to the Majestic picture house on a saturday ( in the distance of this photo). On this day the sirens had gone , the cinema screen had told us, but we chose to stay like most people. When we got home we found all our windows blown in and the front door blown down the hall and jammed into the opening to the kitchen. Our little dog Nan was wimpering and hiding upstairs under my Mum's big bed and thankfully unhurt but... Read more
When Gates Corner Was A Corner
Lived in South Woodford with my parents from 1952-1972 before marrying, and worked for Gates in this very building from 1968-1977 before moving up the High Road to their new Head Office when this building caught fire overnight, the new 8-lane A406 Nth.Circular having already scythed its way through the heart of Woodford, ending 'Gates Corner' forever.
From 1975-1977 the motorway was driven through under our very noses, beginning with the endless pile-driving of what were to become the supports for this part of the High Road over the new A406. What a noisy summer that was - and a very hot one the following year ('76) when temperatures soared and even the nearby Hollow Ponds in Wanstead dried up !
As we lived just down the road from here in Woodford Green we also watched the southern end of the M11 taking shape just half-a-mile away. Then, where it connected with the new ultra-wide A406 going up to Gates Corner, Charlie Brown's roundabout was changing shape and was never... Read more
Growing up in South Woodford
I lived In Priory Close which faces the shops on South Woodford high road, I left when I married aged 19. My memories are of a wonderful childhood. I used to play out with all the other children who lived in the flats at the time. There was always someone to play with. No one seemed to have much money but, everyone new each other and had time for each other. In 1965 I attended Churchfields Junior School I felt very important there as I was a dinner monitor and I remember playing on the school field in the hot weather and the wonderful school sports days which were held there. I would go down to the park which was on the other side of the bridge at the bottom of Churchfields Road and all the children would be packed up with marmite sandwiches and orange juice, we would play on the swing and slides all day and go home at tea time. I always went... Read more
Wonderful Childhood
I used to live in Churchfield, my old house is the only one left standing amongst a maze of flats. It was a council house in those days and we shared it with another family, the Caines. I went to Churchfields Primary and Junior Schools, as did my two sisters. I have wonderful memories of my time at Churchfields and me and two friends went back there recently to have a look and to our amazement there was a caretaker there who let us go in and wonder around. he even produced a large box of old photos to show us. Sadly the old school is being demolished this year as it is so old the maintenance on it is too expensive. A new school will be built on the site. I used to play in the park, the other side of the railway lines, Gordon Road I believe it is. We used to stop on the top of the bridge over... Read more
