Nostalgic memories of Harold Hill's local history

Share your own memories of Harold Hill and read what others have said

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.

Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.

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Displaying Memories 41 - 50 of 62 in total

My family moved to Harold Hill in 1952 to 43 Sheffield Drive when l was only 2 years old, it was a new street at the time and all new families moved in about the same time. My school was at the top of the road, Priory Infants, later in years l moved to Harrowfields, my senior school. At the time we first moved in there were no buses to our area so we had to walk down to Hilldene to get any transport. Our ...see more
I lived at 15 Sedgefield Crescent leaving in 1960 to moved to Slough; dad was at Fords and he moved to Langley, Bucks. Dad was Gerry and mum was Lillian. My sister, Wendy, was born in 1953. I went to Dycourts and then to Harrowfield Boys. Only teacher I remember is the PE teacher Mr Graham, who would hand out punishment with a black slipper. If memory serves me right we 1st years shared the playground with ...see more
I lived at 46 Cricklade Ave until 1969 when we moved to Wickford, Essex. My name is John Sargant and I have twin sisters. I remember our neighbours, Mr and Mrs West, on one side and Mr and Mrs Rogers on the other. I attended Broadfords Infant and Juniors from 1963 until 1969. I remember Michael Caine who lived on the corner of Cricklade Ave and Dulverton Road. Our back garden backed onto the playground of ...see more
I lived in Hilldene Ave, 133 (to be exact) since I was born; almost opposite what was then Everards Hardware Store. Roof jumping at the back of the shops and riding bikes down the mud slope by what used to be the nursery by the church. Central park swimming pool with its diving boards; we used to go in when it opened and left when it closed. Not forgetting the hot Bovril and bag of chips on the way home. Manor Park ...see more
I lived in Whitchurch Road, number 85. I was Pat Smith then, mum was Connie, and dad Ron, was there from about 1960 until 1976. I went to Dycourts School and had Mr Smith as one of my teachers - he was brilliant! I remember he read The Lost World book and made it come alive. I was also still there when half of it burnt down; we had a few weeks off after that. I played in the woods opposite for hours and hours. ...see more
I was10 years old and as I got out of the removal van I cried, I wanted to go back to London. My parents showed me our house it was the first time I had my own bedroom. We lived in Dagnam Park Drive right near Gooshays roundabout. There were no shops or schools and I had to go to Maenry Road Junior School by coach. I later went to St Edwards in Romford. I can remember I used to go by bus to Harold Wood ...see more
I attended the 'boards' training school based at Harold Hill, along with 79 other apprentices during 1960/61... I shared lodgings at Collier Row for the first year of the apprentice training course where we made a basic tool kit and tool box all by hand initially, & from raw steel and drawings, along with relevant machine workshop training. After this we were dispatched ...see more
I lived in 71 Hailsham Road off of Straight Road till we sadly moved in the April of 1971. I always remember; the Grammar School, at the back of Appleby Drive we used to have Saturday fetes with the small steam train ride, remember folks? And of course turning into Hailsham from Edenal Hill Road - the great blue Tonibell Ice Cream van with the cow mounted on top. These were the picador finned CA vans ...see more
We moved to Straight Road, probably in 1938. It was just a country lane and we used to play on the road without any problem. The Harold Hill estate hadn't been built then, a good job because of the number of bombs, doodlebugs and V1's which dropped there. A previous contributor mentions Mrs Sexton, the Midwife; she delivered some of my siblings and I can remember her sleeping all night alongside my mother when ...see more
I was born in north London in 1951. We moved to 3 Penzance Road when I was about 6 months old, I lived there until 1972. I remember Wallies van, buying broken biscuits from the shop in Petersfield Ave, playing runouts and tin tan tommy. Making carts out of pram wheels and going down Lemington Hill sitting on a skate with a book on it. I had 3 good friends throughout my school years which started at Mead ...see more