Faces & Places

[Zelley]

How many of us browsing through the many threads have Essex connections or golden memories of Essex.

How many of us remember the "Talza Arcade" at
Southend-on-Sea.  It could be our experience
of limited to reading about Terry BOBIN, the book seller
talk about his memories. Or it could be a real live happening
so many years ago where we could browse through the Chinaware of Rebecca (Kyne) HABBERLEY or be served by
the late Albert WOODS.  But, for many a London child
we were  more to have been interested in the toy shop, the candy shop, or licking that pink big rock candy or making castles in the sand until the tide rushed in and washed away the fantasy.

As we step back in time to a place like Barking, if we listen
to the distant voices, we may catch a yarn or two at
Henry SEABROOK's "Fisher Smack". And what shenanigans did the teenage Jute workers like Joseph BRIGHT or
William RILEY Jr. get up to.  But, wouldn't the widows Margaret CROSS and Mary Ann COOPER keep the lads in line.

One question to ask is how many of the fish caught by the Barking fishermen such as William GODBOLD, Daniel POOL or George YATES end up in the hands of the shoppers at the "Billingsgate Fish Market" in London Town?

But no Essex story would be complete without thinking about
the "Tiptree Jam Factory" or a hike through the Epping Forest
or a day trip to Waltham Abbey.

[Zelley]

As I flashback to some of my childhood days, I remember Southend-On-Sea in the early Fifties.  I welcome views from others to explore the many faces and places of that part of Essex.

[old rowley]

Walking through the aisles of market stalls at Romford market hearing the cry's from the different traders plying their wares, Fancourts the fishmongers with wet fish straight from Billingsgate, The Saint's selling toys and electrical items and other bits and pieces, and Peter the Pletter with fabric and curtaining material to mention a few...........then there was Peter the tramp, a true gentleman of the road, old tattered brown coat with an equally tattered old hat perched on his head standing next to his scenes of sea scapes and old tramp steams -always painted in red and black livery- which were hung on the green iron railings outside the old library at the top of the market................

Day trips to Southend by railway and the excitment building up when we spotted the parked areoplanes at Southend airport then after getting off the train at Victoria Station walking through the town down towards Pier Hill and straight onto the pier it self.  Walking the short distance from the start of the pier to the pier railway with its hard wooden seats for its short journey to the end of the pier (well sort of the end). .......walking on the planking and being told to be careful (as a small child) not to drop any small change as the sea below would claim as a right after it had fallen through the cracks................The sound of squealing children on the small rides and trying to walk up right in the crooked house in Peter Pan's Playgound is something that I remember fondly........then after a bellyfull of Rossi's ice cream and candy floss from the sea front it would be a weary walk back to the railway station to catch the train homeward bound........

Camping in the summer hoildays on Mersea Island, where, as children you were free of school, and other restrictions and you could run free catching your toes in the early morning dew before going down to the "beach" where you would play on the stoney beach and if you were lucky the tide would be in. The smell of the salt marsh and sampfire always takes me back to Mersea as does the call of the curlew.......ah I'm there as I type..................
 

old rowley

[Zelley]

Where oh where is the pink candy floss & rock candy to crack your teeth on?



Another summer sunny day at Southend-on-Sea

[cazpro77]

hi there i live 5 mins from southend seafront all comericalised now.
in the winter its so peaceful quite and relaxing
but in the summer crowds noise etc
' southend on sea the place to be'!!!

the2/3 fires to the pier i have pics of the last one never never land peter pans,the kurzal has just been rebuilt again but occurding to my dad has lost its mobo!!
coming from an east end family southend was top day trip chalkwell leigh on sea jointly second place
my fav is the dogems (im 29!!) in peter pans lol
i dont know of anyone remebers east beach shoeburyness
well the cafe there that has been there for generations was burnt down recenlty such a shame
take care caz
if anyone would like phtos of the seafront let me know i would be very happy to oblige

please email me on Email deleted by Moderator to prevent spamming - plese use the PM system to exchange such information - thanks!
rootschatters gave my father a chance to meat his family and for that i will always grateful

take care caz

[Clincher]

Soon I'm off to Sarfend from Tower Pier on the paddle steamer Waverley. My memory tells me that it used to be Golden Daffodil in 1950s but same difference to me.
Thanks for the memories folks. Nice ones.

[Blunny]

Hello all,
During the late 40's early 50's going to Southend from Croydon to visit my grandmother. My fathers mother, her husband died in 1935. On a couple of special occasions we went by boat on the paddle steamer from Tower Bridge area. Once we went on to Ramsgate, that was a "long" sea journey.
The first thing I wanted when we got off the train was to go and get a Rossi's ice cream, there was nothing like that in Croydon. The other main memory is the shrimp sheds at , I think Leigh. We always had to stop there for some shrimps, to take home, ha ha . they never got further than the railway station on the journey home, before they were all gone.  I beleive that the sheds are gone now, what a shame. Its Progress or is it.
The last thing, was waiting on the platform for the train and being very wary of the steam from the engine as it came in.
Did any one else get very hungry there,?after a day or so you could eat a large meal as often as they put it in front of you.

Those were the days, no worries, someone else did that

best wishes Peter

[Clincher]

All is not lost Peter. Have a butcher's at

http://www.leigharttrail.co.uk/leighonsea/index.html

or

http://www.oldleigh.com/cocklesheds.html

[Blunny]

Hello Clincher,
Many thanks for your reply and the links, especially the oldleigh cockleshed site. spent the last hour or so looking at the sites I used to visit. Great, calming and peaceful in these days of rush and everything to be done yesterday.
Again many thanks for your post, much appreciated.
Peter