Lost Times

A Memory of South Ockendon.

My memories are of Okenden in the early days, my father was born there and was from a family of 11 children, he was called Arthur Oakley, he lived there when the local bobby walked the streets pushing his pushbike, and if he did any wrong he got clipped around the ear. He worked at Ham River Quarry where he used to take me and show me all the places he spent time as a child,  so when I visited there there was always plenty of people to visit, and stories from the older families, they lived in Church Crescent, South Okenden, it would be nice if anyone lived there could say hi, I know it's many years ago as I am nearly 60, and I spent time when I was about 10, also my uncle who was called Thomas Oakley, he told me of times when they were not allowed out until they had picked a bag of carrots after school. One story I was told was when the kids played in the churchyard, at a certain time they ran round one of the graves as the clock was chiming, and the bet was no one could run until the clock in the church stopped donging, because at the last stroke the devil came out and sharpened his knife, as you could hear the knife being rubbed up and down on a stone, and it was not for many years they found out that an old gentleman opposite the graveyard came out at an exact time every day to sharpen his knives on the door step, but at the time it was fun as dad and Uncle Tom told me. I have another story, as my uncle was driving home very early one morning he spotted something shiny in the field, so he went and looked and it was some aluminium so he thought that would come in handy so he loaded up his car, yes it was wrong, and home he went, only later when the local bobby was walking through the village he asked 'Have you seen anybody take some aluminium from a field as a Mr so and so had had it delivered for his caravan, he was about to change it'. Tom being Tom said 'No officer',so he was asked 'If you do see anything let me know', so that evening about 2.00am he rolled up the aluminium, put it through the sun roof, and as he explained, when they were driving through the peace of night the aluminium was like a Rolf Harris digerydoo board, or better known as a wobbly board, and all my Aunty Kath and Uncle Tom could do was laugh, but a happy ending for Mr so and so. I would like to finish now but if anybody could help regarding knowing any of the family, or even how I could get information on the church in Church Crescent as some of the family I believe are buried there, I hope you enjoyed my little stories, many thanks for letting me say this.
howard oakley