Howard Park

I was born in 1945 and until I was 7 lived in Purbeck House which was opposite the old Rectory, this site is now St Gabriels Church, where I also was married. Howards Park was my playground for all those years. Your right they where good times then.
You mentioned your friend Mabel, would that have been Mabel
Huntsman by any chance?
Regards
Mike Wager

The same,Mable was my next door neighbour and also one of my bridesmaids. I think you must have been one of the Wagers from the dairy, Mum used to send me there for the milk, but I used to pop into Pembrokes for sweets at the same time. Happy memories Fran Turner.

Yes I am one of those Wagers - I remember Mrs Pembroke very well, a little ray of sunshine she was not! If I remember correctly
Mabel had a brother , who was about my age, Roland.
We used to take part in the school holidays in Summer with about 50 or 60 others playing cricket with about 30 or 40 a side.

I'll continue, these matches used to go on for ages or until everybody got fed up waiting to bat!!
I left Pitsea in 1960 and went to sea for a few years, one summer just before the Dairy was sold i helped out by doing a small round which took in Rectory Hill Road / Rectory Gardens etc. I used to see Mabel most mornings I think she worked in London then, she used to cheer my day up considerably, that girl could sashay!!
I could go on, lots of characters and good times.

I was born in Rectory Hill Road Pitsea in December 1955 and we backed on to Howards Park, which was great for my older brothers walking straight into the park from our gate. I vaguely remember falling from the top of the slide when I was about 18 months old, I was in the park with my brother Gordon who was 8 and standing on the small platform waiting to go down when someone pushed past me and I fell, I still have the scar from the stitches I received.
My 8 year old brother was also hiding in one of the many bushes when someone threw a brick into the bush not knowing he was there and he ended up with a fractured skull. My other brother Robert also had an injury to his eye when someone fired a bow and arrow and it caught him just at the side of his eye so he was lucky that it missed by half an inch.
Then my father James had his car go on fire and I still have the cutting from the newspaper.
My mother Rebecca also worked as a barmaid in the Railway Hotel along with Linda Green.
My two brothers also went to Pitsea school.
We lived a few doors along from Mrs Diggins who had a lovely dog who wore a choke chain and one time I took it off him ( he was inside his gate) but couldn't work out how to put it back on bearing in mind I was only about 2/3.
We moved to Southend about 1959 and in 1973 we moved to Northern Ireland as that was where my mum was from and my dad's health was not great and I still live here, but when my children were young and I was over in Southend we used to take them to Pitsea park. I do remember the police station being in the centre. Our name was Simmonds

hi everyone, I'm getting a bit freaked out as I am Tony Howard and am just discovering my family history! If anyone is still in touch with any of the Howard family or knows their whereabouts could they please get in touch here tonyhoward@outlook.com It's magical to read all of your memories, thanks for sharing, I will be visiting soon!!!

I don't suppose you would be the member of the Howard family who threw a brick at me circa 1956? If so, you should know that I'm still alive and well despite the fractured skull and umpteen stitches. Us kids knew how to play rough in those days.