Thundersley memories
Here are memories of Thundersley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Thundersley or a Thundersley photo.
Caught in A Storm in 1948
When I was 4 years old I lived on an ex troop carrier which we named the Rembrant (its name was originally the Martello, I think). There was a storm and the moorings gave way and we were adrift at the mercy of rough waters and towering over the smaller houseboats. Mum had to throw my baby sister Heather down into the arms of someone in a dinghy, while we children were standing on the gangplank. A photographer took a photo of me playing marbles and posted it in the local newspaper. My mother was Muriel Swanson who was known for her paintings and did many for the local people.
Rayleigh Coffee Shop
Does anyone remember the coffee shop that used to be at the top of Rayleigh High Street, opposite the old Barclays bank, this would be in the early 60's. I would love to know what it was called and who took it over or what became of it.
Hart Road Service Station
I used to be the foreman in the garage, I am Maltese, so anybody about my age (67) will probably remember me repairing cars there. The service station was owned by Mr Willetts who lived on the corner of Kenneth Road with Hart Road, in a house painted white with black wood. I had lots of nice customers from around the garage. I used to love the fish and chips from Kempi (that's what we used to call the shop opposite the garage). Occasionally had a beer from the White Hart pub and my home was in Kempton Close. My relative Mick used to live in Swansea Close, that's how I found myself in Thundersley in 1965. I still remember the radio shop in the same area and the technician Derek Lukas that worked there. My daughter was born in the Rochford hospital in 1967 and we used to take her to the clinic in Kenneth Road. My first good impression was the small triangle traffic island, all flowers, deparating... Read more
Badger Hall, Thundersley, Essex Circa 1900
My Great Uncle and Aunt, Archibald “Arch” and Clara Meade, owned Badger Hall, Thundersley, around the turn of the 19th to 20th century. It was then described as having 22 acres of parkland and holding house parties and balls and being a centre of culture, in particular music and Greek. Unfortunately Arch kicked Aunt Clara out and she had to take up residence with her less well off mother at Leigh-on-Sea, otherwise I might now be a millionaire ! My refs are taken from two family books but both writers now deceased. I would be pleased to email anyone who can tell me more about the Meades at Badger Hall. Please contact me through the message service of this website.
Cottage Opposite Hart Road Caravan Site
I remember a beautiful old, I think thatched, cottage situated opposite the entrance to the caravan site in Hart Road, Thundersley, opposite the phone box. It had brightly painted plaster figurines wearing very old costume (pargetry?), under the eaves and an inscription that read:
'Built before the battle of (either Trafalgar or Waterloo)', I can't be sure now exactly which, and a date. It filled the whole of the corner plot next to Triton Way and Hart Road. A very old and very lovely white-haired old man lived there alone after his wife had died. (I never saw or met her and I presumed she'd died a long time before). He was really tall and slightly stooped and had to bend over even further to enter the cottage, which had low ceilings, thick black wooden beams and a massive black-beamed fireplace. He used-to sell fruit from his orchard, tomatoes and other vegetables from a lean-to at the side of his cottage. I remember he very kindly gave me some windfall... Read more
Bracken Lodge
My family lived at Bracken Lodge on the Little Common in the late 1950's
Is Bracken Lodge still a little smallholding ?
Bracken Lodge was rather spooky. We had many strange experiences while living there.
In short - it was haunted!!
Are the reservoirs still there?
I must come back someday.
Regards,
Michael Cockerill.
Dark Lane School
I went to Dark Lane Primary and Junior school from 1976-1982 whilst living on Sandown Road Thundersley. I remember the various ways of getting to school, through the common, the woods, which were brilliant in early spring when the bluebells were out. The two sweet shops outside the school gate always seemed to do a roaring trade, especially with me, at the end of school day. The lollypop men and women were always friendly. I remember the grey and yellow uniform which we all had to wear, whilst the teachers are still etched upon my memory, Mr Riley, Mr Knight Mrs Davis all have made their respectives marks upon me. I also remeber walking down Hacks Drive and then along the main road to either the hardware store or Wavy Line shop with mum at the Woodmans Arms, before the hideous Sainsburys was built on Stadium Way. I also remember when it was very cold the sound of the gritters starting their engines from the council yard at the back... Read more
Childhood Memories
I remember buying a lollipop & a caramac bar from the little sweetshop opposite my school in Dark Lane most days after school (they also sold Tizer by the glass). Mr Pope the kindly school lollipop man. The fish & chip shop where a very old lady (I was 6 so anyone over 30 was old!!) called Emma worked. Fairy lights strung along Hart Rd by the shops at Christmas time. Thundersley Infants School being set fire to, so no school for a while (Hurrah!) then lessons in some kind of huts near the church for a couple of months
before finally being shipped by bus daily to a school near Hadleigh for 2 terms while our school was repaired. Playing for hours on the common, in the woods & in the play area which had the highest slide I had/have ever seen. It was so high the top was caged in for safety. I left Thundersley 36 years ago when I was 11 (I was Maureen Slattery back then)... Read more
Memories of Essex
Bus Shelter
Living in Canada now I'm not sure if the bus shelter in this photograph is still there. In the early sixties I, my brother and sister caught the bus from this stop to our school, Holy Family RC Primary, in Benfleet. We'd have our pink bus passes at the ready and join a host of other kids on their way to their respective schools. A sign of the times in that I don't think anyone now lets their primary school aged kids travel by themselves on public transport. One winter the weather was really bad with lots of snow and some of the public buses didn't run. Happily, we had a couple of days off school and were disappointed when we heard that our school and only our school had arranged for a special bus. Trudging to the bus stop that morning one or all of us hatched a plan to have one more day at home. As the bus approached we hid behind the... Read more
New Hadleigh
The Esso petrol station on the left is now a Macdonalds eating place.
Rectory Road
In 1964 I was 4 years old. My Mother, brother and sister moved to Hadleigh, living at the Hollies on the corner of Softwater Lane and Rectory Road. The small parade of shops on the right were bulit sometime between 1964 and 66, I'm guessing. There was a newsagents and a kind of bulk supermarket. I can't remember how many sweets we bought at the newsagents, but it was a lot. The stores on the left included a cheap shop. Looking at this photograph really takes me back. I live in Canada now.
Rectory Road
I lived in Hadleigh from the late sixties until 1982 - The name of the sweetshop in the parade on the right was Hunts but we nicknamed it "the post office" as there was a small post office at the back. Other popular sweetshops were Hampsons, and Pontons. Davis the bakers was next to Hunts with a great mural/photo of wheat on the wall. The Market shop was on the left with the awning and sold all sorts of bits and bobs - Choice is still there and takes up about 4 shops now. I think the Supermarket was a Liptons.
Birthdays & Tobogans
Many of us growing up in Hadleigh were lucky enough, weather permitting, to have a birthday picnic at the Castle. Plenty of food prepared by various mothers, kite flying, games and everyones favorite rolling down the hill. Of hills, Anyone who has lived in Hadleigh will have heard of or even participated in tobogganing down Castle Hill when winter conditions allowed. I was lucky enough to share this the last time we visited with my wife and children. I now live in Florida but part of my heart remains on the windswept Essex downs.
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