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Wood Hall Parade

A Memory of Hornchurch.

I can remember most of the shops here. The off-licence, Stowells; where Robert Harlow and his family lived and served. Then Draytons, the sweet shop - Mr Drayton had rather red cheeks! Then there was Lings, the post office and paper shop, run by Mr Landless and family, Roger being the son. Then the family Curtis took over from them, Hilary and Stephen being the children. Then there was Greenstores, Les Appleton used to manage the shop. Then came the butchers, then the Skeels family had the green grocers shop, Harry, his wife, mother- in- law, daughter Margaret and son John, and their parrot! The next one I remember is the draper shop with a hairdresser's at the back. Then lastly on the end, the oil shop, with the spotty dog running up and down in the garden at the side! I have probably missed a couple, but I did leave Benets Road and Somerset Gardens, where I lived, in 1962!

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Added 19 September 2013

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Comments & Feedback

Wow! I haven't seen Woodhall Parade since 1953, when I came to Toronto Canada. I remember that Lings sold Walls ices and Drayton's sold Lyons ices--such tough decisions back then! I joined Drayton's layaway plan one year and when Christmas came, the only stupid thing I could buy was a tamborine--which I hid under my bed from my mum. Every weekday I walked along Wingletye Lane to Dury Falls Secondary school. Was best friends with a boy named Geoffrey Wells who claimed to be from USA. Thanks for that memory, Peter Williams.

By Peter Williams on Sun Dec 21st 2014, at 9:47 pm

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Happy memories, I left benets road in 1968 at the age of 10 but share Paula's memories, I think at one stage there was a co-op as I can still remember the family "divvy" number after 50 years! The hair dresser in the drapery shop - if not the whole shop - was called Christine's and was where ladies went to get certain "articles" every month. I used to be sent to the parade to Buy an ounce of Golden Virginia, a packet of green "rizla" papers and a box of "tips" so that my mother could roll her own cigs, no concerns re selling kids tobacco then ( and I don't smoke).

By Anne Keane on Sun Sep 13th 2015, at 11:35 am

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I remember Woodhall Parade well; we often bought sweets and chocolate in Ling’s and Draytons,. During the war Mr.. Drayton sold hand made Christmas crackers (don’t know who actually made them!). They contained things like three hair grips wrapped in a scrap of tissue; paper clips, etc. I remember Skeels, and Barker’s the butcher, also Greens stores, also the linen draper at the end. I won a model stage coach in a raffle from there, which I have still. Elsie Ellis.

By elsieellis5 on Fri Feb 2nd 2018, at 10:19 am

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There was also a greengrocers, at least in the 1950s and 1960s when I lived nearby in Glanville Drive the other side of the railway. I remember because they had a parrot in a cage in the shop, both cruel and unhygienic by modern standards.

By John Fricker on Fri Apr 9th 2021, at 3:08 pm

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