The Way We Were

A Memory of Wanstead.

In 1946 my family Mum, Dad,brother Alex and sisters Jenny and Kay moved into a requisitioned house in Hollybush Hill. The house was called Surinam and it was a beautiful old house with a sweeping staircase and cellars that were great for playing hide and seek.. The garden was huge with very neglected greenhouses that backed onto the railway line. These greenhouses made excellent runs for our pet rabbits.
There were a lot of lovely big homes in Hollybush Hill but looking on Google it would appear the area has been redeveloped and new homes and flats built. I would love to be able to go and see for myself the changes
We spent the winter of 1946/47 in Surinam I remember how bitterly cold and draughty the house was and when the snow thawed the cellar was under several feet of water.
At this time my brother attended Aldersbrook School and I went to Wanstead Church of England. I remember the walks along Church Path to go to special church services and I still have the bible I was presented with when I left in July 1948 .
Mrs Riches was the headmistress and I think I recall a Mrs LaHive The outside toilets were pretty grim and the caretaker would come into the classroom to put coal on the open fire..At times we had to do our lessons wearing our outdoor clothes.
Every Saturday my mother would give me a basket of groceries to take to her mother who lived in Forest Gate. I would walk down to the High Stone and then onto Woodbine Place where I would get on the 101 bus to Forest Gate
On the opposite of the road was the Kinema and the George Pub. I was only 9 years old when I made that journey can't see a 9 year old doing it these days, we live in such a different world.
Opposite the school was the shop of Arthur Hands photographer by a huge coincidence I went to work there in 1953.
On my way home I would walk down the High Street past Snaresbrook Station and turn left past the water fountain onto Hollybush Hill.
Across to the right was the Eagle Hotel and Pond and on the far side of the pond was Snaresbrook School.
In 1947 we moved to Finchingfield Avenue Woodford but I continued to go to school at Wanstead .It meant getting up early to get the No 10 bus from the bottom of Snakes Lane to Wanstead but it was better than going to yet another new school. I hated being the new girl.
I wonder how many of my old school friends are still around .Janice Lambert,Jean Kirk ,Maureen and Shiela Fitzpatrick, Christine Pocock Brian and Rodney Newman to name a few.
Do you remember the huge fairs they had on Wanstead Flats not far from my grandmother's
home the two headed calf,the bearded lady ,flea circus and boxing ring.
Lillian Collins

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