From Patricia Volante..............................................Chalkwell....Essex..............12th July 2007

Hi Richard
I came across your website by chance and have thoroughly enjoyed reading your memories and those of the people who have added theirs.
I was born in Rosebank Grove, Walthamstow in 1944, but we moved to Westcliff-on-sea when I was two years old so I have no memories of Walthamstow.
Your early memories of being bathed in a tin bath in front of the fire and of coppers and mangles reminded me of my early child hood. We didn't even have a gas copper. My mother had to light a fire in a little door in what I used to think was a huge copper because it towered over me!

I first watched television on the day of the Queens coronation. It rained during our street party and I was taken into a house with other children to watch the coronation on the television. I thought it was amazing and badgered my parents to buy a TV for days. It was another 5 years before we had one of our own!

In my first year at infant school I was invited to several birthday parties so as my 6th birthday approached I started inviting my class mates to my party. Unfortunately I had know idea that I ought to ask my mother if I could have a party first! You can imagine the look on my mother's face when on the day of my birthday all these mothers started arriving with their children just as we got home from school!

My brother Ivan was 9 when I was born, so I'm sure he must have gone to school in Walthamstow and would have his own memories.

I'll tell him about your website.
Regards
Patricia

From Joan James............................................Cornwall....................................27th March 2007

Dear Richard,

I found your website last night while trying to find info on old walthamstow for my brother Keith. After reading all the emails I thought I would add my memories.

I was born at 57 Beaulah Road as was my brother Colin and my sister Jean.We lived there until just after the war started when my mother was offered a house to rent in Campbell Road. We moved there when I was six and my mother lived there until her death in1992.I started school at Maynard Road infants and remember the naps on little rush mats in the afternoons.When we moved to Campbell Road I went to Greenleaf Road Infants and junior schools and then passed the scholarship for William Morris in Gainsford Road. I left school at 15 and had a variety of jobs until I went to work at William Fox chemists at the top of High Street where I worked until I married meeting my husband Tony who worked on his parents fishmongers stall outside. His aunts also had two fruit and veg stalls there.We were married at St.Marys church in1956 and first lived in Orford Road, then in a Warners flat in Warner Road, then back to Grove Road not many doors away from the Athans Club. We were living there when it was visited by Prince Phillip. We lived there until the death of my mother-in law. Then we moved into her house in Folkestone Road (opposite Folkestone Road Hall). Next door lived Tony Law who run the Sea scouts at St.Marys.We lived there until 1993 when we moved to Cornwall because my husband had to retire due to ill health.

I spent yesterday evening reading all the emails to him and we both remembered lots of the things and places written about. My husband also started school at Maynard Road and eventually went to Clarkes Colledge on the corner of Orford Road. I also had another brother and sister born at Campbell Road my sister Edna born in 1942 and my brother Keith born in1946. They both live in Cornwall and my sister Jean lives in America. My brother Colin died a few years ago but he was still living in Walthamstow.I have five children all but one in Cornwall my youngest son has recently moved back to Chatham as he found life in Cornwall too quiet.

Joan James (Rodger)

From Jacqueline Slater...................................Braintree...Essex.........................3rd January 2007

Hi Richard

Just found your web site,could not stop reading it.

I was born in Walthamstow (Thorpe Coombe) in 1945. I lived in Rosebank Road until Ii got married in 1965, then lived at Exeter Rd and also Chelmsford Rd,until we moved to Essex in 1982.

I went to school at Greenleaf Rd (infant,s and junior,s ) then on to Mc.Guffie also in Greenleaf Rd.

One of your emails from a lady said that her friend was a Jacqueline Spooner. Ii also knew a girl of this name, she used to live off the High St.

As regrading the shop in Lea Bridge Rd that Robbie Patterson was asking about. My husband is from Leyton and said that it could have been "Wakefield's" also known as the "walk around shop".

This shop was on the corner of Knotts Green Rd and Lea Bridge Rd and we think it is still there.

My father was on the Building of the Walthamstow Technical College as it was then known and then he worked in college until his retirement in 1969.

I will certainly keep up with your site as Ii have found this very interesting .

But my! How the old Walthamstow has changed. What a shame.

I have a cousin that still lives in Glenthorne Rd at the bottom of the High St and she will not move she still loves it there .

REGARDS JACQUELINE SLATER (nee Robins)