Memories of Stanford-Le-Hope

I too have many memories of Stanford-le-Hope.  

I was born in Orsett hospital.  My mother came from South Wales whilst my father came from Ashford in Middlesex.  The reason they came to live here was my aunt and uncle already lived here.  My uncle had lived here most of his 95 years.  His mother used to teach at Stanford Primary School in Corringham Road and he went on to teach at St Chads in Tilbury.  

I remember many things from all those years ago.  The railway crossing and the man who used to turn the wheel to open and close the gates - I am sure to this day he took great pleasure in closing them early and opening them late.   There was the old station kiosk which was at the bottom of a slope where the ticket office is now.  My uncle used to run Stanford Photography Service and I can remember him collecting film and returning prints to this kiosk.  There was the woods to the right of the station along Runnymede Road where we all used to play and when we had snow there was the hill at the bottom for us to use our toboggans.  At the bottom of Runneymede and up the hill there were some pits that were filled with tar for some reason which are now St Clere's playing fields.  I was always told by my parents not to go into them.

Along London Road between Kingsman and Poley Roads there was a car showroom and Shell garage and on the other side of the road was a Murco garage, much smaller than the one that there is now.  Also on that side of the road was a wood shop, wool shop, Mercers the sweet shop, the original Welcome club which burned down on the site of the flats on the corner of Ruskin Road, and Lathams the fruit shop.

Our house in Poley Road backed onto the Police Station which is now a block of flats, and many a night we would have those on duty in for a cup of tea.  And of  course there was the laundry which is now Euro Windows.

There were several not such nice things that happened that I remember, including the burning down of the Welcome Club.  I remember a fire at the refineries and counting the number of fire engines that went by.  From what I can remember we got up to at least 26.  Also I can remember the brook by the station flooding and coming up level with the road.  Fortunately it was before the houses were built on Chantry Crescent.  

On a final note, I have a photograph of the Stanford-le-Hope Fire Station and Fire Engine with 3 firemen standing in front of it.  I didn't know there was a Station in Stanford or where it was, so if anyone can enlighten me I would appreciate it.