Going To Church

A Memory of Corringham.

I left Corringhamin 1956 when I was 11 years old I well remember the Bull Inn as I passed it every Sunday on my way to church, my dad was the rector there for 21 years. I remember all the coaches that took the church members on trips to the seaside in the summer and to the pantomime around Christmas time. Someone mentioned the conker tree near his grandparents house and I remember all the conker trees which lined each side of the drive up to the rectory. I was so sad to see my former home some 40 years later almost burnt to the ground. I went to Herd Lane school and remember a Douglas Cattaway in my class, any relation to John? I remember coach trips in Jim Jones coaches and buying sweets from the shop on the corner of Fobbing road and Herd Lane. I have very happy memories of my first 11 years living in Corringham and friends that I had, Patricia Wood, Vivien Scholes, Liz Dewar Pat Hayes and more, I'm pleased to say that I am still in contact with some of them. Happy days.
Ursula Bennett (ne Nottage)


Added 15 June 2016

#339751

Comments & Feedback

I remember the Rev Nottage and his Rolls Royce the lady mentioned Douglas Cattaway well I am John his brother .I left Corringham in 1963 and I have lived in Australia ever since I visit Corringham when I come to England and I see many changes
I used to sit next to a George Cattaway when I went to Herd Lane School from about 1953 to 1955 ish. Any relation?
George and I used to swap stuff. I remember swapping a small piece of brass for a small piece of lead, among other things. As I remember, George lived just round the corner from the school which backed on to an old gravel pit, known locally as Bata's. The keeper for want of a better word was a Mr Bata who had a daughter Ann who was also in our class. The pit was exclusively used for fishing by London Transport Bus Drivers, based at a garage in Hogg Lane Grays. Mr Bata was a competent rose grower. He grew a new rose and called it 'Rose Ann Bata.
Along one side of the school was a public footpath which used to lead to Corringham Station. We used to walk along this path looking for glow worms. The only place I ever saw them. Opposite the school was a milking parlour where we used to watch the cows being milked after a day in school. Herd Lane Farm.
Just to add a bit about Corringham Station, which was sited behind a ways where Young's Seafood is, if it's still there. The station was a stop along a now defunct branch line off the Fenchurch Street/Southend line. It used to run to Kynochtown just east of Shell Haven Creek, now known as Coryton. In 1895 Kynoch started to build an explosives factory there and it became operational in 1897. It was eventually taken over by ICI. The older part of Digby Road used to house many of the workers from Kynochtown. Houses were also built at the factory site too which is why it was eventually called Kynochtown. When I was a lad exploring, you could just make out where the railway lines used to run as you walked along a nearby footpath. Traveling down the old Manorway towards Coryton, as you reached the right hand bend at Stephenson Hardy, now Calor, on your left was a set of level crossing gates. The only sign left of the railways existence.

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