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Walthamstow
Walthamstow photos
Displaying the first of 17 old photos of Walthamstow. View all Walthamstow photos
Walthamstow maps
Historic maps of Walthamstow and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Walthamstow maps
Walthamstow area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Walthamstow and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Walthamstow
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Walthamstow.
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Walthamstow in The 1940s
I was born in Thorpe Coombe Hospital in 1943, and lived in Corbett Road until I was seven - until I was 4, at number 37, with my mum, nan and grandpa, two aunts and one cousin; then at number 45, just me and my mum. My father was killed in the war, before I was born, and the neighbours down our street gave me a bible and prayer book, in sympathy. My earliest memories are of being put in the laundry basket under the table, when the bombers flew over (our air-raid shelter, just outside the back door, was always flooded). Somebody writes here about 'the Wood Street landmine'. Is that what caused the bomb site on the corner by Wood Street school? When the war ended, there was a party in our street, with a fancy-dress competition. I went, as a little Dutch girl, complete with clogs brought back from Belgium by an uncle, and won joint first prize. ... Read more
A Fondly Remembered Childhood
I was born in 1942 and and spent my childhood in Walthamstow, which up to the time I left in 1967 was predominantly a white working class area in north-east London; I went to Chapel End Infants and Junior Schools and then to William Morris Technical School. My wife Sandra was similarly born and brought up in Walthamstow and we married at St John's Church in October 1965. My earliest memories and experiences were of post-war austerity and general thriftyness. It was, during the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s, a truly wonderful place to grow up in. We kids were spoilt for choice in the availability of adventure locations and had the real freedom that allowed us to enjoy them to the full without our parents worrying about paedaphiles and the like. Opposite our house in Kitchener Road was the London Transport Sports Ground. Although 'out of bounds' to us local kids, we used to sneak in anyway. London Transport buses, mostly RT's but sometimes... Read more
Market Stall in The High Street
In answer to your question. "Do you know who owned the veg stall outside of Manzies pie & mash shop": I was a barrow boy that worked on the stall in the late 1960s. The stall was owned by Anita Blaunchflower who was the sister of the footballer Danny. She would get me and my mate tickets to go to Tottenham. But, only if she thought it might be a slack day. As she wanted us to work the stall as opposed to bugger off. We used to call her, "Anita, the apple eater".
Grandparents Home
From a very young age I have cherished memories of visits and sleepovers at the big old Victorian-era home belonging to my grandparents in Ringwood Road, E17. The cosiness of it is hard to replace these days. We would sleep in my grandparents' big old bed in the main large bedroom. The home never had a bathroom installed so we would wash in the kitchen, in a portable tub, and we had to use the outside 'lav' which was a few feet from the back door. It always smelt of lavender pot pourri (Nan's favourite). My grandfather was a French polisher, and he had a big room where he kept all his vinyls and polishing 'stuff'. We were never allowed in that room, but I can smell the exact smell that would waft around the doorway, to this day. My grandmother had a very old rocking chair, that I always loved to sit in. In the hallway by front door was a big old conch shell, and I liked to hold it... Read more
Fruit And Veg Stall Outside Pie And Mash Shop
My partner comes from Walthamstow and she would like to hear if anyone remembers her grandad who owned the fruit and veg stall outside the pie and mash shop in Walthamstow High Street? This would have ben around the early 1970s. His name was John Pettifer.
Greater London memories
The Flats, Bearmans, Lyons Cafe And Pie & Mash
I often think how lucky we post-war Leytonstone kids were to be born in the East End of London, yet have the whole of Wanstead park, the flats and what we called the forest at the end of our street, Browning Road, to get lost in. The mysterious Quakers Meeting house that was surrounded by the massive and famous 'Red Wall' where we all scratched our names in the soft red bricks and collected prized conkers nearby. In those days Bearmans, the local department store, seemed to us to be the biggest and best store in the world, perhaps comparable only to Harrods! Looking back though it was not that big at all by today's standards. Lyons corner house was a treat as you lined up with your tray after shopping with your Mum and had pie and chips with gravy, I'll never forget those lovely trifles in little cups. However as far as real authentic East End gourmet food is concerned what could compare with Pie & Mash from... Read more
Leyton in The 1950s
My family lived 7 Newport Road, my sister was even born there. As a kid in the 1950s I would go to Saturday morning pictures at the Essoldo, on Leyton High Road, it cost 7 pence. That's also where the library was. I had to get up earlier to visit the Rialto cinema but could get in for sixpence, afterwards it was into Bearmans to listen to the latest pop singles from America. Newport Road seemed to be quite long and the kids from both ends had wonderful snowball fights every winter. My Nana and Grandad lived on Albert Road. A fishmonger pushed a cart with prawns for sale. Milk was delivered with a horse-drawn wagon. The rag and bone man had a carousel attachment which was fun, and kids drove mums crazy for something to donate for a ride. Epping Forest was a favourite Sunday picnic area, there was a huge dead, hollow tree that every child wanted to climb, when I finally succeeded on getting inside my father had to... Read more
