Nostalgic memories of Wickford's local history
Share your own memories of Wickford 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 31 - 40 of 54 in total
My name is Kevin Mears, I lived in Wickford from my birth in 1958 until I got married in 1980.
I shall describe my memories of Wickford as a couple of walks around the Wickford area.
My first walk is from the Baptist church in Shotgate to the the C of E Infants School on Southend Road. Turn left out of the Baptist church, which I used to attend in my teens, and proceed along ...see more
I'm trying to find out the history of a shop located in The Broadway which is now Kraftt Jewellers. Does anyone remember when it was Josephs? and does anyone have any pictures? I would be really interested to know what it was before Josephs as it's a really interesting building.
I lived at the junction of Brock Hill and Wantz Corner from birth in 1949 till 1960. In those days we had fields to the side and rear of us and also across the road in Brock Hill. We played in the brick fields, and I remember my mum shooing us all outside to get fresh air. We didn't have a TV so we spent a lot of time outdoors, making secret dens and building forts etc. Some time after the floods of 1953 ...see more
The Brickfields, a place to catch sticklebacks,newts, tadpoles and slow worms. A friend of mine used to live in one of the terraced houses,I believe they must have once been workers' houses and were then taken over by the council. They still exist today, and fortunately haven't been ruined by renovations, as far as I can tell anyhow. There was a path at either side of ...see more
My parents and I lived in North London near Hendon aerodrome. Because it was well known as an RAF base the German Luftwaffe raided the area regularly. My parents decided to move to somewhere safer and because my mother's sister, Mabel Dunk, owned the cafe opposite St. Andrews on London Road, in 1940 my mother took me to live with her until my father could find work and somewhere to live. We'd only been ...see more
Wickford is nice.
It's good to know that others have fond memories of the childhood haunts I shared with many other kids of the baby boom generation. For me the brickfields were the best, many a school holiday was spent there from dusk till dawn.
I remember the man who used to paint lead soldiers, he lived in that tiny little 'bungalow in Irvon Hill! A couple of years ago it got burnt down and now there's a new home been built there? Do you remember the Nursery opposite whereby there was an old man who would often give us kids loads of tomatoes on our way out of school? He had many big greenhouses there? and there was a muddy 'mound that we used to climb up and down (actually in Irvon Hill) ? It would be great to hear from you!
Does anybody remember The Blue Lagoon at Battlesbridge? it was a nightclub/disco back in around 1970, it was round the back of the pub that is an eatery, I can't remember its name but it's still there (2009). The so-called nightclub was a kind of prefab building and I believe back in the early 1960s was once an outdoor swimming pool? I was just wondering if anybody had any information on it, or used to go there? I would be most grateful if you could let me know - thankyou.
I was born in a newly built house in Laurel Avenue - and was told whilst being built my mum and dad had gotten to choose which one they wanted! The midwife who delivered me was Miss Reece, who I believe lived in Wickford until she passed away. I have so many great memories, it's hard to know where to begin. London Road - I remember Billy Foyle had a lion in a huge cage, halfway up the London Road, and when I was ...see more