Churchill Gardens And The Sherbooms

A Memory of Southend-on-Sea.

My father lived in Tunbridge Road and was employed as a landscape gardener by Ian G Walker Ltd of South Godstone, Surrey from May 1946 until July 1959. Churchill Gardens was one of the Gardens he was involved with, it was started by Mr and Mrs Sherboom, who lived in a house adjacent to the old sand pit. The Sherboom land was called Havengore, and my father worked closely with the Sherbooms to create what later became Churchill Gardens. I believe it was Mr Sherboom's choice to have the Churchill name given to what he created.

I have many photos similar to the photographs here of Churchill Gardens of the same period showing Mr and Mrs Sherboom with their dogs in the gardens (they had many Great Danes) and a newspaper cutting of the time details what Mr Sherboom acheived. It's a little sad that I find no mention of Mr Sherboom's contribution to Churchill Gardens and their creation in any Southend Council info, not least because of my own connection.. I was concieved in Tunbridge Road...:)