Growing Up In Great Baddow

A Memory of Great Baddow.

I moved to Great Baddow with my parents when I was four and we lived in Gowers Avenue, No. 2. This estate belonged to the Marconi Company and my father worked at Baddow Labs. I used to walk up there to meet him from work when I was older.

When I was about 11 they build on the lovely orchard behind our house, and in the fields above our estate. Before that, we used to walk the dog over the fields and lay in the grass listening to the skylarks. I had a friend called Vivienne who lived opposite, and have lost touch with her. I went back to have a look at the outside of our old house a few years ago and the estate is very much the same as it was, but they have removed some of the trees and shrubs. There were some lovely walks around in the old days but they build on most of the fields before I moved away to go to University in 1976.

Heather Chaplin nee Baker.

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Added 18 July 2008

#222053

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My grandparents lived in great baddow. In church street I believe. They lived in a house which my grandad built. It was called" Ruskin" . Unfortunately it was knocked down for the new road which was going to be built. My sister has memories from early 1950 of the house being near a shop and a fire station, of which we are trying to find photos of. We have pictures of my grandad on the fire engine from the early days. She also used to play with a little boy called Chris. We would like any information however small

By cazh59 on Mon Apr 2nd 2018, at 8:03 am

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My grandparents lived in New Road, my Great Grandfather Ely and Grandfather Ely built four of the first houses in that road in 1910. I have a book - Great Baddow Oral History by Allen Buckroyd and members of the Baddow and Galleywood U3A - apparently the fire station was on Church Street housed in a wooden building next to Munnion's coach builders who made fire engines, however it's long gone and was replaced by a garage and small business premises. There were several shops and businesses in Church Street. I can't find any reference to the house 'Ruskin' - sorry!

By Delia Dyer on Wed Jan 9th 2019, at 8:48 am

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Thank you Delia for the information, my sister has a few photos, but she was quite young when our grandparents William Coleman and Edith Coleman moved to Chignall Road Chelmsford, with their children Doris and Bernard . We have a photo of a fire engine which has my great grandfather in it. I will continue my search and return to great baddow for another look in the library. We have still no information of the little boy Cristopher who lived next door to my grandparents in "Ruskin"

By cazh59 on Mon May 6th 2019, at 5:56 am

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