Memories of Wickford

The Brickfields ... those tall terraced red houses - still there..

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 these terraced houses and when we went round the back there was a communal path, which led to the back gate, of a small yard - nobody used the front doors back then, and they all had a very long stretch of back garden, mostly used for growing vegetables, very beautiful and very well kept, behind of which went straight onto the brickfields, I don't believe they were even fenced off! Anyway. I've rambled on about these houses rather a lot, sorry, but they were very unique to me, I'd never been in any house quite like it, the front door led straight into the lounge, the lounge opened onto a good-sized kitchen, and in between these rooms was a narrow staircase, and upstairs, my friend told me, you had to go through a bedroom to get to the others!

My memories of Wickford

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 there a week or so when a landmine exploded just behind the cafe on the other side of the river.  My parents had not realised that Wickford was on the direct route the bombers took to London!  Later in the war it became known as doodlebug alley.
My father eventually bought a coal business in Runwell Road and we moved into a bungalow in Highcliffe Road, which in those days was unmade and without mains sewage, although we did have water and electricity, unlike some other areas like Ramsden that still relied upon gaslight.
I went to the C of E primary school in Southend Road until 1947.  Mr Bullock was the headmaster and I remember Miss McKenzie and Miss Jones. When I went on to Wickford County Secondary in Market Road my first form mistress was Mary Amos who I remember fondly for giving me an appreciation of music.  I was sad to move on in year two, although Mr Phillips was an interesting and inspiring teacher.
I remember going down to the market on Mondays and spending my dinner money on goodies like ginger root and buying a small loaf of bread, scooping the interior out and stuffing it with chips. Delicious! I also remember several forays to Mr Rose, the headmaster, where I had to obtain the cane and punishment book and get caned on the hands for some misdemeanour or other.
I was in the Cubs and Boy Scouts and later on the Air Training Corps.
Until they turned it into a Woolworths we would go to the cinema on the Broadway where the usherettes would walk down the aisles in the interval spraying us with some sweet smelling stuff that we presumed was disinfectant!  They also looked very glamorous in the spotlights as they stood at the front of the auditorium with their trays of ice cream, drinks and yes - cigarettes.
Wickford was still pretty rural in those days and we would range across the fields and woods - often getting chased off fields by a farmer with a twelve-bore across his arm. The Crouch would meander through the fields and was a constant joy to explore and fish for tadpoles that we would take home in jam jars.
The floods were quite something. I recall one in 1953 (?) when a friend, Maureen Marsh-Feiley, had to get from Nevendon Road to Southend Road to get married. The bridge was under water and there was a lovely picture of her on the front page of the next day's Daily Mirror showing her standing on the lower part of a lamp post above water level in her wedding dress and wellington boots!
When I married in 1959 I moved away from Wickford but only as far as Harold Wood and I regularly visited my parents who continued to live in Highcliffe Road and had seen it transformed from a country track into the large Highcliffe Estate. They finished their days in Berens Close.
I now live in a village near Liverpool and the last time I saw Wickford was in 1994 before I moved there from Welwyn Garden City. I decided that it was probably going to be the last time I saw the village that held so many happy memories for me so I drove across for a last look - and got lost. The town had changed so much in the intervening years and now seemed to be a part of the urban sprawl.
I still think back to the old days and hope that the friendly, neighbourly spirit of Wickford remains in the hearts of all of its old and new inhabitants and the plans for development of the river and the High Street/Southend Road junction give me hope that it will do so.

The Railway

Wickford is nice.

Brickfields

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.

Irvon Hill - Nr Wickford County Junior School

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!

The Blue Lagoon

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.

Halcyon Days!

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 pre-school age, my mum would take me to see it! We as a family would often go to Castledon Road and walk up to the Norman church, it was a lovely walk. There was an old bungalow converted into a grocery store up near where the Downham Arms is, and it smelled really musty - like old rotten cabbage, but came in handy on a Sunday as it opened in the mornings.  On the corner of Laurel Avenue is a shop that was once a farmhouse, it was owned by Mr Charles Andrews, who had a son called Colin.  It was known as Andrew's, he had both shops, but at one time decided to make it into one. It has changed several times, at one time his son Colin managed the smaller shop and it became like a 'hobby shop' where you could buy aircraft assembly kits and such forth.
Prentice was and still is THE place to buy bicyles, and has been there as long as I can remember!  There used to be a fruit and veg shop on the Halls Corner and the owner would call me Lindyloo and would every day give me a banana! Almost next to this, was the Post Office, I'm not sure if anyone else remembers this?  Just across the road, actually in the High Street, was the quaintest little library, it too smelled very musty and had noisy wooden floorboards, and woe betide any kids spoke or made any noise!! I am proud to say I became their youngest member, once I proved that at the age of 3 years I could read! My sister used to take me there every Saturday morning. Names of Wickford Shop owners that I remember: Adcocks, Egans, Halls, Mayes, Andrews, Prentice, Adrians - from around 1965.
I remember the cattle market, the narrow path under the railway, the travelling fair that parked up in Market Road, every Easter, Gypsies in painted caravans travelling down London Road in small convoys, at the end of every summer, morris dancers in the town on Monday morinings (Market Day), and the Salvation Army used to play their music on the green area in Laurel Avenue every Sunday morning.
Places I loved to play - No 1 - the Brickfields, where the Wick now is, was a fantastic place, had 3 big ponds and we used to get sticklebacks, newts and so forth, every year we got blackberry and apple pie from produce thanks to the brickfields, and there were a couple of old cast iron water towers over there which were great fun to climb on! We used to play over the river a lot too, there was a big barn that all the kids used to hang around in (off London Road). I remember taking the short cut to Beauchamps by going via the Wick, we used to walk through the fields and cross at the railway crossing, which now has a massive iron bridge over it.

Living in Wickford 1963 - 1972

We lived from 1963 - 1972 in Wickford, all of us 3 children going to Wickford Junior school up Market Road. I can recall a man who used to paint lead soldiers from his house near the school. From 11 years of age I remember working at Tilbury's the Butchers shop on a Saturday for 10 shillings for the day. The shop was located at the bottom of the High Street. I also used to play tennis att he Wickford Tennis club at the other end of the High Street, next to the Coal yard as a child, practising every Sunday.

I went to Beauchamps school as did my 2 sisters. I can recall being in the school band and orchestra, cycling up the steep hill towards the school from where we lived in Bromfords Drive. I had a 'chopper' bike, and had to carry a tuba on my back as it wouldn't fit into our Mini car.

I remember playing with our woodwork made boats, letting them float along the river which cut across the High Street at the bottom end. We also played on Nevendon playing fields, and also on the land across the road that was known as Brickfields (now I believe is a housing estate). We used to go fishing at Lake Meadows, Billlericay, cycling with friends to get there. Borwick Lane was also a place we played as kids, with catapaults made from the branches of local trees.

We used to play football on the local green in Bromfords Drive with many of the children who lived there. I can remember playing in a five-a-side competition on Nevendon playing fields wearing the next best thing to football boots - Jellies!. After Junior school we used to go to Nevendon Park and spend time on the swings and slide with our friends.  

Andy Reece

Gigneys Shop  

My wife's maiden name is Gigney and I know the family had busineses in Wickford and Stanford le Hope.

Can anyone supply more details? - one was a saddlers and general store. Do any photos exist of these shops? Indeed can anyone advise if they still stand or where exactly they were?

Flood

I was sent off to buy some bread by my mother. But crossing the river Crouch by the bridge was impossible.  Wickford was under water. I don't recall the year. But the brand name of the bread was: Wheatchief. I used to buy sandpaper in Mays for my dad. And Egans, I thought they could fix anything, as well as selling records!  But my Saturday haunt was the library in the High Street. A little room it was, housing their cardboard pockets to place your chosen book-ticket into. Does anyone remember the little library in the High Street? I went back to Wickford a fews years back, and well, the only thing recognisable was the cycle shop at Halls Corner - Prentice. Halls had been long gone too I was told. And the Castle Pub, now a supermarket is in its place.

back in 1963

I was moved to Wickford with my family in December 1963, a hard winter, removal van had trouble getting up the unmade road. Coming from London, it was a bit of a sleepy village for me and especially for my teenage siblings. Had to wait for 2 weeks to be able to buy a number one record, from Eagans the music store. The chickens and sheep being sold in the market place located where the car park is now beside the community centre. Adrian then was selling records in the market out of cardboard boxes. Narrow pavements under railway bridge, where the little shops, the cabin owned by Mr & Mrs Gladdin selling cigarettes. I attended Market Road infant and junior schools, later attending Beauchamps. So many memories.

My Memory

We left England that year for Australia. It was April, I was 12. All my friends left behind, playing in the park near the River Crouch. I don't remember names, it was long ago. I can see myself walking to different places, I wish I had more memories.

Willow Cafe etc...

Returning to Wickford after being in the USA for a few years I remember the Willow Cafe, Egans, Adrian's in a hut in Market Road, the livestock market where the Willowdale Centre is now. Dr. Rentons Georgian house in the High Street, Fish's, Stafford's Bakery in the Broadway, the Co-Op being opened by Dick Emery.

Going to school at Wickford Country Junior School and Beauchamps....my husband was in the same schools and same year....33 years later we met and married!