Nostalgic memories of Gants Hill's local history

Share your own memories of Gants Hill and read what others have said

For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.

Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.

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It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the 'Add Your Memory' buttons to begin

Displaying all 6 Memories

I was born in a house on the Eastern Avenue between Cantly gardens and Denham Drive in 1955. I moved to wales to go to uni in 1975. I worked as a Saturday girl in Barton’s the bakers in Gants Hill for a ridiculously low wage. Loved it. I then worked in Chelsea Girl in Oxford Street on a Saturday that paid a lot better. Gants Hill station was my second home taking me and my friends to London. I attended Newbury ...see more
Rossi's ice cream shop in Barkingside, Pennyfarthing Records, Ilford, the old Sainbury shop in Gants Hill and Gants Hill tube station our gateway to "up west" !!
My grandmother lived in Waremead Road from 1934 and my uncle lived there till he died in 2005. I remember the dentists opposite Waremead Road, and also the library. This would be the late 1960s to early 1970s. In Waremead Road there used to be a shop which I vaguely remember, it is now a house on the corner. I remember that Faces was once called the Melody Inn but a previous poster said it was called The Villa ...see more
I moved to Gants Hill in 1968, from Bethnal Green, at the age of 8. I later moved to Wanstead aged 32. I have great memories of the place, I lived on the Eastern Avenue between Ethelbert Gardens and Beehive lane. Ray Powell was the main car dealer directly opposite, they were a Leyland dealer, with a filling station, and next door was the United Dairies depot. We had bikes for Christmas bought from Halfords and mum ...see more
I grew up in Gants Hill and would like to share my memories of shops in the area... The Toy Shop in Cranbrook Road (now Burtons Newsagent). This was a double fronted blue painted shop with a newsagent on the left and a toyshop on the right. It was run by an elderly couple and I always found the lady a bit frightening... Tailor Shop/Shoe Repairers (now United Sports). I used to stand looking in the shop ...see more
I used to live in Montreal Road, off Perth Road, and remember the bus-stop outside Smiths stationers. There was also a real butchers, greengrocers, shoe shop, Woolworths, banks, a small dress shop and later a Jewish delicatessen/bakers and a kosher restaurant. The photographer is standing with his back to the Gants Hill tube station on the Central line, and behind him to his right there used to be a ...see more