1955 To 1972

A Memory of Corringham.

I grew up in one of the bungalows at the foot of One Tree Hill and often spent weekends and school holidays with the Keeper's children, Peter and Jonathon Scott.  One Tree Hill was a fascinating place to spend our weekends and school holidays.  I remember the sand pit and an old spa.  There was also a wartime pillbox/gun emplacement placed centrally on the hillside.

My father worked at Cawdor Hall farm at the foot of the hill so I also spent time with the farm children, and if we weren't building straw camps from the bales we were fooling around in the barns. At Guy Fawkes we always had a bonfire which the children mostly built.  We used to make a guy using old clothes and straw each year, with the Springfield Cafe being a tremendous source of firework money from "penny for the Guy" sessions.

Photography was a serious hobby of mine and I have several photos from the 1960's and 1970's.   I lived there from 1955 to 1972 and remember steam trains passing under the bridge beside the farm and the introduction of traffic lights at the junction of One Tree Hill road and the A13, prior to which this was an accident blackspot.  I recall my father telling me that, prior to WWII, there were plans for a hotel at this junction.

My memory of Winters is one of snow.  I had a succession of toboggans and would spend Winter evenings and weekends sliding down the hill until darkness fell.  

There was a small cottage close to the garage at the foot of the hill, and I recall the occupant being Mrs Shipp.