The Good Old Days

A Memory of Aveley.

I was born in our house in Central Avenue in 1954. I went to Aveley Infants and Junior Schools and Aveley Secondary School in Love Lane. Many a time my sister Maggie and I have struggled home with bags of shopping we carried from the village stores. Everyone knew you and your parents. The Harmans!! It was a different world then, much nicer although we didn't realise it at that time. We loved it when the fair came to the recreation ground but we weren't allowed over there really but I think I can remember sneaking over there a few times once I was a teenager!! The fairground boys always seemed handsome to us girls! My auntie's house was in Hall Road/Ave (can't remember)but it backed on to the recreation ground. There were five of us siblings that lived in our house at one time, three sisters and a brother. After I left school in 1969/70 I went to Bushy Bit Art College which was the old secondary school. Aveley School in Love Lane had a 'youth club' in the evenings which I loved, we used to take our 45 records up there to play on the record player, us girls would dance etc and the boys would play football outside or watch the tv, nothing changed there then! We used to have trips out and once went to Wembley to see a concert arranged by Phil Brandon, some of the acts I can remember were Peter Sarstedt, and Love Affair, there were a couple of American singers too but I can't remember who they were now. My friend lived on the Kenningtons Estate and I met my 'husband to be' when visiting her as he lived next door! He was at work as he was 17 but I was still at school then as I was just 15. We used to go to the Youth Club together along with our friends, it was a good community spirit in Aveley then and we were all pretty well behaved. You did hear of the occasional 'druggie' but it was pretty new then and didn't happen much. I don't think anyone drunk alcohol, very rarely anyway as far as I can remember. It was always a big thing if there was alcohol at a party because we never had it in our homes unless it was Christmas! I had my first job at Marley Tiles in South Ockendon it was as an Invoice Typist. I married my first love in July 1973 at St Michaels Church Aveley, where my sisters also married and my brother I think, but am not sure about him, and my dear mum and dad also married at that church so it holds a life time of memories for me and also holds my grandparents remains in the churchyard there.  I am still happily married to him after almost 35 years! I left Aveley in 1974/5 when we got our first home after living with my parents in their house since marriage, we moved away to Stanford Le Hope which was a great adventure for us then as I had always lived in Aveley and my husband although born in Fulham had been moved down to the Kennington Estate when just a child. I still visit Aveley to see my husband's parents who live there in a sheltered housing complex in Dacre Avenue, it reminds me of going up that road with my mum who was a home help and sometimes took me to work with her, even in those days before the complex was built there were a lot of old people in bungalows up that road. Aveley is nothing like it used to be really but I still have a fondness for it and the memories it holds for me. Since my mum just passed away on Friday it seemed poignant that I came across this site, both my parents are now passed but Aveley will always hold a special place in my heart.