A W Sibley Butchers

I grew up in Hornchurch from 1947-1967 and remember the "village" well. I definitely recall the butchers shop with a small field next to it, although I remember seeing a cow not pigs!

My grandparents, mother and uncle all moved to Hornchurch in about 1931, not sure. My Mum and Nanny had very fond memories of it. Their surname was Williams (yes they were Welsh!)Grandad worked at the Ford factory in Dagenham and my Mum went to Romford High School then during the war went to work at the War Office. During the blitz she couldn't get home from work for several nights parents were going crazy. The War Office was evacuated to Cheltenham which is where my Mum met my Dad, they married then were sent back to London. Grandad was then transferred to Doncaster (much quieter I should think what with doodlebugs etc and my Mum followed in 1943 which is when I was born. Nanny always regretted leaving her house - 41 Lambourne Gardens which I've viewed on Google maps tonight. They had neighbours named Mackintosh and Mrs Mackintosh and her daughter Ann came up to Doncaster to stay for a while. We visited them when they returned home but I can't remember much. It's been very interesting seeing their house and photographs of Hornchurch. Lovely.

Although I lived at Woodford Bridge I often used to go to Hornchurch especially on Wednesdays when the cattle market was in the high street. My Father worked for London Transport for 45 years, last 30 of which as a bus driver and I recall that one day in 1941 he was on what they called the convalescent run properly know as route 66 that ran from The Green Man at Leytonstone to Hornchurch where after he had parked up at the terminus, he and his conductor had to run for their lives as a German fighter plane machine gunned his bus. I wonder if anyone from Hornchurch remembers that day. Norman