Old Dagenham

A Memory of Dagenham.

I REMEMBER THE NAME O'DELL AND WHEN I SAW THE ADDRESS IT RANG BELLS.

I LIVED IN FARM CLOSE AND MY NAME WAS MARGARET CLARK

. OUR NEIGHBOURS WERE THE WOODARDS, THE READES, HART, MARKS, JAMES, BUTCHER. Others on the estate were the Watsons,, Pages, Pocket, Bloomfield and Dunning to name but a few.

There was still a farm when we moved there. ' Maddocks Farm', Rookery Farm obviously took its name from that.

There was an orchard where Ballards Road is now. Horses and chickens could be seen from our windows. Shire horses Johnny and Nellie wandered about.and we even heard a Cuckoo.

Rookery Farm had a strong tenants association who built a hut in the fifties which my father played a pivotal role.They had an allotment group and for a time kept pigs around near the church boundary wall. Have many photographs that my father took of all these events.

Flower shows, fayres, street parties (especially for the Coronation) Festival of Britain.
Attended first the Methodist Church on Rainham Road South then Leys Infants and Beam Bridge.

Shops were Enids, news agents, Johnny Payne furniture? The Clarks butterkist factory which made the best butterkist ever.

As a child I frequented Rectory Library and eventually I went to work there. Loved the people. Staff and borrowers. Egbert Smart was Librarian at Rectory for many years and was the Official Borough Photographer. Nat Crosby was a famous name associated with the films made of these events.

I married in 1973 at The Parish Church (Rev. Lendon) and moved to Romford when I married in 1977.

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