Grays 1951 1969

A Memory of Grays.

I was born at the Orsett Hospital in March 1951. First home was in Palmerston Road South Stifford. My first School was Stifford Primary at the top of Mill Lane, the walk up the hill seems to be awfully long now for a 5 year old. I do remember a Mrs Ridd as a teacher who used to produce the annual Christmas nativity, Mr Morgan was also a teacher and Mr Letherington who was head master and seemed like a giant. The weekly bus trip to the Exmouth pool on a Harris's coach is remembered and how cold the water was.
My favourite play ground was in the waste area between Palmerston Road and the old railway line that was used to haul chalk from the quarries to Wouldhams cement factory. Always an explorer I also remember the river frontage from Wouldhams to Grays, the old shipping berths and the Church walk from Belmont to the top of the Old High Street.
Shops along London road, there was Meeson Garage, the post office on one corner of east street and a dingy old sweet shop and general store on the other side. Cunninghams news agent, Mr Cottons barber shop alongside Mrs Cottons sweet shop, the Co-Op, The Magnet Cafe and Ballards Grocery/hardware shop.
The two major events I recall were when the Magnet timber yards lit up the skies when it burnt down and the night there was a collision on the Thames one foggy night and a ship load of busses headed for Cuba capsized. Many of the old busses were seen at a breakers yard in West Thurock for many years. I was 11ish when I got my first job. Harry Clark had a grocery/ Fruit and veg/butchers shop in West Thurrock and every Saturday morning he used to sell green groceries in South Stifford. My Job was to knock on doors and carry the customers shopping bags back to their homes, I remember that on the good weeks the tips amounted to more that the 10 shillings wages.
My secondary school was at Torrells secondary modern. My parents got me in there because I had 2 cousins that were already attending and they thought that it was a better option than Park school.
When I was 14ish I got a job delivering newspapers for Saxtons on Orsett Road. My delivery round was on Clarence Road. Starting with the Conservative Club then crossing the road to the barbers shop (a very good tipper) then working my way up to the top of Clarence road and all the side streets on the right hand side as far as Bridge Road then back down the other side. My mum got me the job as she used to be a clerk at Saxtons confectionery wholesalers in Cromwell Road. My grandmother lived and worked in Beasleys corner shop in Cromwell Road. The shop was jointly owned by my Grandmother and my Uncle George Beasley who owned several shops in the Thurrock area. I also got a job in Saxtons tobacco wholesalers in Orsett road, filling shelves after school, assisting one of the delivery drivers on Saturday morning and sometime making deliveries to local shops on a trader delivery bike.
When I was in my teens the family moved to Bradleigh Avenue. A fairly old house which required a lot of renovation before we could move in.
I left school at 15 and went to Thurrock Tech to study City & Guilds catering. Whilst there I used to work some evenings as a waiter when they had large banquets. Most of the staff were working mothers and 2 or 3 of them saw me as a potential slave. Fortunately I was rescued by the chief waiter who put me on as a wine waiter. A great move for me, the tips were great and I wasn't stuck in the kitchen washing up between courses. Not long after I started working at the Queens the Free Masons hall on Hogg Lane opened and I managed to get more regular work there.
I first left Grays when I was 18 in 1969 for just a few months. Then came back to work in Orsett hospital for a year before moving away again more or less permanently. Though Grays was my home base for about 3 years in the mid 70's whilst I was working on rigs or small shipping in the oil industry.
My last visit to Thurrock was in 1989 for my sisters wedding and I still have family in Thurrock. I shall be returning for a visit for the last week of June and most of July in 2016. I'm guessing that most of the places that I will visit in Thurrock will be a case of seeing whats there now as opposed to what used to be.