Fond Memories

A Memory of Barking.

I have fond memories of Barking back in the early sixtys.,Oh I know its a dump now, dirty and no charm at all, but back then it was a place to be proud of. The fair held at Barking park (sadly not the park it was then), the carnival, going on the rides and trying to pick up the girls at the fair, a pocket of money and high hopes... But seriously do you remember Blakes market? Every Saturday I would wander down and go to the guy selling comics, and how about the green grocers where you could buy your fruit off the table outside the store; back then it wasn't wrapped all in plastic and tasted so much better. Aaahhh, the Odeon every Saturday; I would go to Saturday morning pictures with my friends and cheer the good guys on and booed the bad guys. We always sat upstairs, so we could throw popcorn down onto the kids below (we got into so much trouble for that!) We lived at Salisbury Ave across from the railroad lines, I still remember the steam trains that whistled by, sadly now of course it's all electric, London transport (or it was, I dont know about now). Barking Park used to be a gorgeous park, I remember going on the motor boats or the phoenic paddel boat (which I believe sunk in the lake). Does anyone remember the park keepers, "Oiy, get of the bleeding grass you little sod" they would yell; we always ran off laughing. If anyone remembers me from Ripple Road School please make contact, I was in Mr Burdett's class and before that Mr Clark.