Ilford, Ilford Lane, The Market 1948

Photo ref: I34002

Hi there. I'll always have fond memories of Valentines Park, those beautiful swans and Canadian cygnets at the Cranbrook Road end, Gants Hill Odeon, library, the bird cage in Valentines Park, the boat lakes, the brass band on a Sunday afternoon in Valentines Park, Valentines Park lido, walking down Ley Street, Plesseys and those yearly Guy Fawkes nights with their perennial cartoons before the ...see more

The time was late 1950s early 60s. At the time I was on drums and vocals with local Ilford groups. Most Saturday mornings would find me with a mix of local band people chatting in Ron's basement with Chick and Joey Dormer working for Ron( who usually was upstairs with the vinyls). Joey, a brilliant technical drummer (liked Louis Bellson and Art Blakey, etc) would demonstrate stick work and finger and ...see more

The Pantomime Cinderella was performed at the Ilford Hippodrome from Dec 28th 1942 – Jan 4th 1943. When the pony hauling Cinderella’s coach stopped on the stage it went and dropped a load of poo. The children all thought it was great fun, including me. Sadly the Ilford Hippodrome was destroyed by the Germans when a V2 rocket landed at the back of the theatre on the night 12th Jan 1944 during a performance of the pantomime Dick Whittington – many were killed and injured.

I remember Mrs Strachan in 1947/48 when she came down from the Cleveland Road Junior School after Miss Butcher left rather unexpectedly. I also went to Woodlands Infants School from Easter 1945, I was 5 in January, and in September transfered to Cleveland Infants. After Cleveland School I went to Loxford Secondary Modern School which meant I had to Walk a long way to school as I lived just 4 door away in ...see more