Baptism And A Marriage

A Memory of Dagenham.

I was baptised in the Parish Church just beyond the trees on the left. My sister-in-law lived in the cottage on the far right - almost next to the Vicarage garden. In the late 40's and 50's I used to walk to Church Street from my home in Foxlands Crescent quite often. Haircuts in the barbers nearer the top of Crown Street - hay and bran and other animal food from the corn chandlers on the left as you walked down the road. In 1956 (or 57) my late brother John married the girl I mentioned above in the Parish Church and the reception was in The Cross Keys. This pub became a fairly regular meeting place for us in the late 50's and 60's - and I often bluffed my way into the News Year Eve party in the function room at the back! Lots more stuff about other sites and events if anyone is interested - and some bits may be banned under the rule my wife has - "Dont talk about the war!"