Chingford And Epping Forest

A Memory of North Chingford.

My family moved to Fairlight Avenue from Potter's Bar in 1949 when I was four, when my dad got a job as signwriter at Walthamstow Stadium [as the dog track was known then]. I went to King's Road C of E and Wellington Avenue at eleven (my brother got into Chingford County High) and we both joined the 40th Chingford scouts, at the bottom of Endleberry Road. My brother and sister took part in CADOS productions at the Scala Theatre in London and I was roped in to help backstage. Mr Brimble owned the newsagent's in Station Road then and I did a paper round from there. I still own my parent's copy of 'Brimble's Epping Forest'. It was Mr Brimble who named Blackweir Pond near Loughton 'The Lost Pond'. It was our favourite place in the forest and we caught tadpoles and sticklebacks there. The sticklebacks are no more since the pond was stocked with fish when licensing started. I have been back many times to Chingford and Epping Forest. Our house is still there but 'the lane' (May's Lane), our playground, was sadly devastated by Dutch Elm Disease since we left for New Zealand in 1964.