From Pauline.......................Cambridge...............16th
June 2005
Hello Richard,
I just wanted to say what a wounderful
web site you have. I have been reading all what different people have
had to say, its lovley reading back. I am 44 now but my family have lived,
well, I can't rember how far back it
goes.
I have been telling my mother all
about it. She was born in Walthmstow in 1931 and lived in a road called
Cedars Ave, at No.51. Her name was Pauline Martin had a mum was Ruby.
It would be lovley to hear from anyone who remembers her or her mum. Please
keep up the great work as I have children and they love to hear about
the old times as they say. They are always asking my mum (their nan) to
tell them all about it. "Tell us about the old days nan ha ha".
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Thank you once again. Pauline Woodford.
Here is Pauline's email address if you would
like to get in touch. linky01@hotmail.com.
From Terry.......................Colchester...............6th
April 2005
Hi Richard
I lived in Walthamstow from around 1944 to 1970. I remember Job Stocks
in St. Mary's Road and in Beulah Road they used to sell Army surplus stock
of all kinds and it was like a treasure trove just going in and looking
and I have been chased out many a time as I was only looking with not
much money to spend in those days, In Beulah Road there was a bakery next
door and the smell of new baked bread and cakes was something to die for
and we used to go in and get mini Hovis loaves for next to nothing but
they were lovely. I also remember Hitchmans Dairies when they had electric
carts. I also did a paper round for Desboroughs News agents in Orford
Road I think thats how it was spelt.
I spent quite a lot of time in Connaught Hospital and Comely Bank Outpatients.
The Co op in Hoe street when then money used to zip through the air tubes.
I went to Maynard Road infants and Junior schools and also to St Marys
Church for Sunday school and youth clubs. In Grove Road on the corner
of Beulah Road there was a shoe menders and then a sweet shop and then
Jack Nices cycle shop.
This has brought back some memories reading all the comments on your sight
keep up the good work well done.
Regards Terry
From Phil..............Farnborough.....................2nd
April 2005
Hi Richard
Thanks so much for finally putting my mind at ease - how could I have
ever forgotten it was called Bateman's, you don't find too many shops
around like that any more that's for sure! And I even remember that Scissors
Crossover railway track that hung on the door, talk about a memory surge!
I was born 18 May 1955 at Thorpe Coombe and we first lived in Courtney
Place (now I believe re-named Courtney Mews) bang outside James Street
Station, which probably had something to do with my life-long interest
in trains before moving in the early 1960s to Shernhall Street, which
after Courtney Place seemed like moving to the countryside as from our
flat you could see the trees on the horizon of Epping Forest.
I can always remember the big treat for me as a kid was being taken by
my nan for pie and mash with the obligatory green gravey just around the
corner (please tell me that this bastion of good food is still there)
- and being totally fascinated watching the eel man outside cutting up
the live eels for the customers. It was at this young age that I was taught
to swim at the old baths in the High Street as well, and remember paying
6d for an hour swimming Lesson with a Mrs Anderson and using the changing
rooms at the side of the pool - and no matter how well you used to make
sure your clothes were placed in the cubicle they were always soaking
wet by the time you changed.
Some of the other market characters I can remember was the biscuit man
who stood outside Percivals, always resplendent in white coat - the laceman
who always wore a Davy Crocket hat - Slash who sold just about anything
and everything and who must have done very well for himself as he opened
up a shop as well in Wood Street - and my absolute favourite the guy that
sold treacle toffee, cough candy and every other form of loose sweets
that were guaranteed to pull your fillings out!
We moved to Farnborough in 1970 and I was apprenticed as a hot metal compositor
in print and after working on the local paper down here for many, many
years, like a lot of other people was made redundant - so there was only
one thing really for me to do reall - and that was to become a market
trader myself!!!
You have a lovely site Richard, it's so important that people like you
take the time and care to keep the memories alive for people like us for
which I thank you.
Kindest regards
Phil
From Phil..............Farnborough.....................1st
April 2005
Hi Richard, I came across your website
by accident and what a delight I've found it to be, since doing so I have
spent many happy hours going through it having many old memories stirred
up. I was born Walthamstow but left some 35 years ago now, and, as a youngster
spent much of of my time being dragged up the High Street by both mum
and dad and grandparents - which leads me to a question that I hope either
you or someone can help me with - can anyone remember the name of the
craft and model shop in the High Street. I remember spending an awful
lot of my pocket money in that shop, but for the life of me I can't remember
it's name and would be grateful for any information.
Keep up the good work Richard
Kindest regards
Phil.
Part of my Reply to Phil :-
Hi Phil,
Many thanks for your email.
I too spent many happy hours in the model & craft shop. I almost 100%
sure that it was called "Bateman's" If this rings a bell, then
I'm probably right. I was always intrigued by the "Scissors Crossover"
railway track formation that hung (I think) on the door.
Thanks again for your interest.
Regards,
Richard
From Richard Cuswoth.............5th
March 2005
Hi Richard its me again. A chap called
Peter has sent this further info . Is there a pub called the Lord Brooke
in Shernhall Rd? It seems Dickys was opposite or nearly opposite this
pub.
Cheers Richard.
From Janie Reeves (nee wright)..................
3rd March 2005...............Holland
Dear Mr Dunn
After reading your intresting site and everyones E-mails I thought I'd
like to add my story of Walthamstow I was born in holland And as a 9 month
old baby in 1946, came to Walthamstow in Westbury Road (off the High Street)
to live with my Nan. I lived there till I was 9yrs old 1954. I rememberd
the coal man and his horse, use to tip the coal down a hole by the front
door into the cellar. I never liked going down the cellar as it was spooky
down there! Going up the High Street, to Frost the grocer to get some
shopping for Mum or when we got tuppence off our Dad to buy sweets in
I think it was Jackson sweet shop. Or collect our pennys for the Guy for
Guy Fawkes then spend the money on sweets !! If I remember right, there
was a pram shop on the corner of Westbury Road. Percivals ?? Then they
moved further up the road ? Having our Baths in the bath house as my Nan
was too mean to put the back fires on !! Played in the park in Selbourne
Road. My friend in those days was Jacquline Spooner . Going to the Dominion
Pictures on the Butlin Road and have a singsong following the white balls
on the screen. I also remember playing on the bomb site on the corner
of Hoes st-High Street.
We moved to Higham Hill Road and I lived there till I was married. My
teenage years I spent my time drinking coffee in the Picollo bar in Markhouse
Road, going to the ST Marks club under the railway arches! Every time
the trains went over the dust use to come down out of the bricks!!? I
think it was in Boundary Road where there used to be a group that played
called "The LEROYS" (Micky Sturgges was one of them) and the
rest of our crowd ?? Pauline, Fred, Micky,Alan Chris Silvia etc etc we
used to organise parties in the Common Gate Pub on the Markhouse Road
and we also went to the Comtemporary club the great MRS FINESILVER used
to run it who remembers that ?? It was in the Old Church in Queens Road.
Happy memories.
After we married we lived in the Higham Hill Road corner of Mount Pleasant
Road a shop where I use to serve which is now a chinese. That was in 1960-3.
Old Fred Reeves use to own it. We sold anything from parafine to food
and paint and crockery etc a mini super store ????!!! You could even buy
a pane of glass!!
We lived in walthamtow till 1969 then we went to Austrailia from there
to Holland . Love to hear from anyone that remembers any of this .
With fondest memories from Janie
From Richard Cuswoth.............26th
February 2005
Hello Richard,
Just a quick update that seems to have been a result of your site.
From somebody called Peter It would seem that Dicky
Birds operated from Shernhall St and the owners or owner was a person
called Shales. Whether or not this was a shop or a factory it does not
say. But it is a bit more information to add to the list.
Cheers Richard Cusworth.
From Evelyn Arizpe................25th
February 2005
Hi,
We are researching the life of Robert Augustus Johnson who was rector
of Walthamstow around the 1770s. Would you know of anywhere in Walthamstow
where we could find more information on him, such as when exactly he was
there?
Yours,
Evelyn Arizpe
From Kit Withers..........................25th
February 2005....................New Zealand
I looked at your site hoping for a
photo of St Marys where relation Gertrude LONGWORTH (c July 1880 Denton,
Lancashire) married in1906 at Walthamstow Parish Church [St Marys?] to
Fred KINDER b1876 Gee Cross, Cheshire.
Have not been able to find a photo or exact location
of St Marys.
Any KINDER'S still in Walthamstow ?
Regards
Kit Withers
[My Reply : -
Hello Kit, Firstly, thank you so much for taking the trouble to
write to me.
You know, you are quite right, there is no picture of St. Mary's on it's
own, but you can see the tower of the church at the end of Orford Road
in the Ancient house section.
There are now so many trees around the Church that you cannot get a decent
long shot. However, I've attached a not very good picture of the Church
Tower that I took last year, and an excellent Photo from a postcard that
was posted in December 1904.]
( I have now put the
two pictures on the website. Richard)
From Richard Cuswoth.............3rd February 2005
Hello Richard,
Just a quick update that seems to have been a result of your site.
From somebody called Peter It would seem that Dicky
Birds operated from Shernhall St and the owners or owner was a person
called Shales. Whether or not this was a shop or a factory it does not
say. But it is a bit more information to add to the list.
Cheers Richard Cusworth.
From Richard Cuswoth............15th
February 2005
Hello Richard.
Further to my plea for help regarding Dicky Birds Ice cream and the Dot
Motor Trucks the following extra information has come in .
Firstly another truck from this company is or
was until lately in the Battlesbridge Motor Museum, and the last registered
owner of the one I have was a Mr Frederick Herbert Bowman of 161 Sinclair
Rd Chingford who acquired the vehicle in May 1954 and ran it until December
1955. Whether or not he had anything to do with ice cream I don't know
. These extra snippets of information may or may not be of help.
Thanks,
Richard
From Richard Cuswoth.............3rd
February 2005
Dear Mr Dunn, Just found your history
site and was wondering if you can help me. Iam at present restoring a
1948 Dot Motor Truck This carries the livery of a firm called Dicky Birds
Ice Cream . I am told that this company operated in the Walthamstow area
in the early 1950s. I am trying to find an address for them so that it
can be added to the signwriting on the vehicle also any other interesting
facts connected with them. Attached is a photo of the livery as it appears
today perhaps it may jog a few memories.
From Jenny Hayhurst..............................4th
January 2005
I am trying to find some information
about a house in the lower end of Forest Rise for family history purposes.
The censusof 1901 lists several people as "Inmates for Waiting"
.
I was wondering if anyone has information about the houses listed at 1-12
forest Rise.
Hoping you can help.
