Treasured Memories

A Memory of West Horndon.

My family moved to West Horndon from Millwall during the war, my nan and grandad already lived at 13 cadogan and we lived at 9, later to be changed to 29. I lived in the village for twenty four years, got married at St Nicolas Church, Ingrave. We had two girls while living at Cadogan Ave.
I went to school at Little Warley and then to Brentwood Secondary Modern. My memories are fantastic of the village and the people who lived there. My name was Owers, I had brothers Arthur & Brian and sister, Brenda. We could go for long walks, tracking through woods, going to local farms potato picking, pea picking, playing down at the old car. I read Karan Kavanaghs memories of West Horndon. I grew up with her dad, Colin Moore. I remember when we had floods it used to come down from Thorndon Lake, Colin always made a raft so he could take us across the brook where the water was deepest. Colin and my brother Brian were very good friends.
My brother was born at the house in cadogan ave, as was my cousin, Tommy Polaine. As it was war time, we had my aunt living with us for a while, also my first daughter was born in the same house in 1955.
I remember going mushrooming, blackberry picking, picking crab apples, we always had things to do. I loved living in the villiage, as did my eldest girl - to me it will always be home.