Mardyke Hill

A Memory of South Ockendon.

Just read the memory by Ian Pescott. Mardyke Hill and stream in the summer, as you say, was a perfect spot for kids. It was about half an hour walk from Foxglove Crescent where most of us lived or a 10 min ride on a "bitza" bike. These were normally fixed wheel made up of other old bikes. Problem was if you did not move your legs out wide enough going down the hill, the fixed wheel drive made sure the peddals clattered your legs. There was a rumoured crashed Spitfire or German bomber (depending on who was leading the gang at the time) buried in the woods although we never found it. I remember the spike bridge, miracle no one was ever hurt. H&S non existent then and as kids we were bomb proof any rate. Most things we did as normal would send present day enforcers grey. To the best of my knowledge no one checked the frayed rope string over the stream ever, it was just there, so it had to be ok. All trees had to be climbed, the higher the better and if a girl climbed higher than you your whole set of mates were let down. Branches thrown to remove conkers could easily kill you. Anything that looked edible was and the water in the stream was ok to drink once you removed the sticklebacks. Games were there to flatten the other side and bruises were a way of life. One game where we all stood back to back while a mate in the middle threw a handful of darts straight up in the air required the winner to be the last one to run away. Sort that out H&S executive! In the Winter it was a different story. The 370 bus often struggled to get up or down due to ice, snow or fog. I started to do a paper round for Mr Phillips who had a shop in Stifford when I was 11 (1954). My round was from Mardyke school to the bridge in Foxglove Cres. In the winter with a full paperbag on your back and 2 shopping bags full of Sunday papers hanging from your handlebars it was hard enough, throw in lousy weather 7 days a week and it was a killer. I drove along the road the other day to Stifford ,first time in years, still don't know how I managed that hill. As I went down I wondered if any kids did find that crashed plane and did they celebrate by swinging on that rope?