West Horndon memories
Here are memories of West Horndon and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of West Horndon or a West Horndon photo.
The Flying Fortress Crash
I remember, during the war, two flying fortresses crashed in Hordon. One came down near the Half Way House, the other one in a field in Chiderditch behind the pub. They were returning from a bombing raid on Germany. There was about fifty of them when all of a sudden these two collided - the wing of one chopped the tail section off the one next to it. I think all crew members lost their lives. It was terrible to watch these two big planes spiralling towards the ground, knowing you could do nothing about it. I went straight to the crash scene at Horndon - the police were there, but they let me take a souvenir which I then took to the other crash site - but the police refused to let me go in and see it. They said there was a secret factory there and no one would be allowed in. Does anybody in Childerditch remember the secret factory?... Read more
Treasured Memories
My family moved to West Horndon from Millwall during the war, my nan and grandad already lived at 13 cadogan and we lived at 9, later to be changed to 29. I lived in the village for twenty four years, got married at St Nicolas Church, Ingrave. We had two girls while living at Cadogan Ave. I went to school at Little Warley and then to Brentwood Secondary Modern. My memories are fantastic of the village and the people who lived there. My name was Owers, I had brothers Arthur & Brian and sister, Brenda. We could go for long walks, tracking through woods, going to local farms potato picking, pea picking, playing down at the old car. I read Karan Kavanaghs memories of West Horndon. I grew up with her dad, Colin Moore. I remember when we had floods it used to come down from Thorndon Lake, Colin always made a raft so he could take us across the brook where the... Read more
West Horndon, Essex
I lived in Cadogan Avenue with my Nan & Grandad Mizen, Mum and Dad until we moved to Hutton when I was about 4. My Nan lived there until she died in 2001, God bless her. I have so many happy childhood memories with her in the garden. My Mum Barbara Anne worked at the foundry, I think it was called Rotary Hoes. I believe my Dad, Colin Moore, moved to West Horndon with my Nan and Grandad when he was about 4, when the war broke out, but sadly my Dad's Dad died in 1949, his name was Harry Moore, and then later on my Nan remarried Victor Mizen, whose mum and brothers lived over the railway bridge in a little cottage on the right hand side. My Grandad would tie a piece of string onto my little three wheeler and pull me along to see my Great Nan. I always loved the village and when I was old enough would catch the bus from Brentwood High Street to... Read more
My Childhood in West Horndon
I lived in West Horndon at 22 Cadogan Avenue when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I can remember it was such a lovely time, all the kids knew each other, we were always over the rec or in the bluebell woods( are they still there?). We had a big newt pond at the bottom of our garden, us kids used to love it fishing for newts. I can also remember the old village hall which was also a library, it really was an old wooden building, but us kids had great times there. The village was full of children and I can remember most of them. We didn't have many material possesions but that didn't seem to bother us. There used to be a lady at the bottom of our road who always asked me to go to Hays shop to buy her a packet of fags (remember my age, I couldn't do that now), any way she always gave me threepence so I couldn't wait for... Read more
Memories of Essex
Farms
I want to know what the farms' names were in Brentwood Road, Bulphan in 1425.
Bulphan School
I went to Bulphan School in 1955/6 and can remember Mrs Last as the headteacher. Those were the days - I can always remember the lazy days of the 1950s. It was the best time. I can remember the school trips to Norfolk and Hampton Court. Mrs Last put herself out to arrange all of this and on a shoestring budget. She was a marvellous person. I can remember Martin Drury, Claire Packman, Linda Hanneman, Jeff Dommall, Roy Thomas, Len Buckley, John Scott, David Harris, Michael Grover, John Bisp, John Gnome, Hugh Cameron, Sally Morgan, Angela Povall, and Tony Wall.
Dinner Ladies at Bulphan School
The dinner ladies deserve a mention, Miss Went and Mrs Thomas, they looked after us kids and I believe that Roy Thomas is still in the village. The photo from Friths is just how it was - well done. Adrian Vidler
Anton Vidler
Adrian Vidler, again I forgot to mention my brother Anton Vidler and Robert Whiting, Robert Murray, these are past students of the school.
Bulphan School
I was at Bulphan School 1948 to 1954-55 and well remember my days at school with Daphney Thomas. Maraget Walls, Tess Cross, Pat Cross, Yony Ballard, Maureen Batchford, and Barbara Batchford. Happy days they were too. The teachers were Miss Haynes, Miss Beatty, Miss Snowdon, Mrs Calderbank. PC Cook and PC Man were the village police constables, the police house was in Church Road where I lived with Mum, Dad and two sisters. The park was just across the road where the new village hall was built, the old one had to be knocked down for the new road. Dad was the instigator for the playing field. I remember only two swings, that is all we had. Miss Went was school keeper, used to ride a motor bike. Our dinners were delivered to the school in stay-hot containers and they were proper school dinners. There were two shops, one in Church Road and one next to Tarrants Farm called Towns.
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