A surfeit of butchers in Old Laindon
More detail of the Laindon Butchers
The rival butchers shop to the north of Tollworthy’s in the picture was that of Eustace Godden who was, I believe an East Ham man, doing business there before moving to Laindon to open the shop in Laindon. Certainly, Thomas Vickery (my maternal grandparent) knew him well and Lizzie Vickery (née Pryor) patronised his shop, the Pryors having a reputation for meat eating. Lizzie’s youngest sister, Ada, who remained living in East Ham until shortly before her death in her late nineties told me she always “had a good joint at the weekend”, despite the fact that, never having married, she lived on her own. Not much hope for vegetarianism there!
When, during WW II, we kept rabbits, Eustace Goddard would always give us a good price for a carcass or two, so it is clear he was still in business despite the severe restriction on the availability of meat during the period of harsh rationing. In 1941 an order went out that butchers were to be closed on two of the shopping days per week to preserve stocks.
Another rival butchers to Tollworthy to the south in Laindon High Road was Lagden’s on the opposite side of the road. Shortly after WW II I was witness to the fact that, in a shed at the back of his shop, accessed from Windsor Road, a beast was slaughtered. Whether this was legal or not, I do not know.
As the article says, there was no shortage of butchers in Laindon, since there was a butchery department at the retail shop of the Grays Cooperative Society which was on the corner of Worthing Road. Other names to be recalled in the butchery business were Sizer, Gatley and, of course Buckenham who had two shops in Laindon. I believe there was also a butchers once in the Nightingale Parade of shops in High Road, Langdon Hills but the name cannot be recalled without further research.
In the “Recorder” of 14th May 1941: “Overcharged on Dripping, Laindon Butcher’s Manager Fined. Employed as manager of a butcher’s shop owned by Mr. Buckenham, Horace Steel of High Road, Laindon was summoned at Billericay Police Court for two offences of selling dripping at a price above the maximum controlled price of 6d per lb. He pleaded guilty. Prosecuting on behalf of the Billericay Food Control Committee Mr. Bestley said Steel should have known of the order as it was made 12 months ago in April 1940. The maximum controlled price of dripping was 6d per lb” Apparently, Steel was caught selling dripping to one customer at 1/- per lb and to another at 6d for half a pound. Presumably these customers had been sent into Buckenham’s with the express purpose of catching the manager out, which clearly they did, since he had told them both “not to blab” which, of course they did! Steel’s excuse was that, as the meat ration that week was only “1/2d worth” (viz.one shilling and two pence worth per head, meat remained rationed by its price throughout) and the hind quarter he had received was “very fat”, he had felt justified in stripping off the fat for dripping and selling it off as an item “off ration”. Shades of Jones in “Dad’s Army”. Steel was fined £3 and ordered to pay 15/-each expenses to the witnesses and a further two guineas advocates fees.
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Mr Bathurst mentions a possible butchers in Nightingale Parade Langdon Hills,
There was, and it was the very first shop coming down from the Hills.
It was I believe Harringtons and a Mr Bert Crowe ran it.
I think he used to have his own butchers at one time.
Hello David. Are you the David Reed that lived in Durham Road, attended Langdon Hills Primary School, and went on to Grays Palmer’s with Peter Sefton? If so , we were classmates at Langdon Hills. Shops came and went over time but I remember more than two butchers in addition to those you name. There was Buckenham’s next to Weedon’s newsagents, Sizers opposite the District Nurse, a butchers in the Co-Op a few yards north of the Radion, and a butchers in Green Stores on the corner of Durham Road. I’m sure I am forgetting one or two. There was an astonishing number. How on earth they all made enough to stay in business has always puzzled me.
During the 1940s/early 1950s there were five butchers in Laindon. Three of them were Godden, Wood and Lagden. Does anybody remember the other two?
Our butcher was Eric Godden. He ran the store with his wife until he was called up. For the rest of the war she ran the shop by herself. A very busy woman as their shop was one of the most popular butchers in the High Road. Upon his return, after being demobbed, they ran the shop together again. On the weekend Eric Godden could usually be found playing snooker in the Winston Club.
Matters of interest needing a response are only found in late evening when an early start is needed tomorrow!
Buckenham is a name that I have encountered – is this the same Buckenham Family that owned a Farm in Laindon? Some years ago, when I was in Hospital, another inmate was a retired Bank Manager (Lloyds I think) who reminisced about his former Customers. When I mentioned this to my Mother, She recalled that Her Father, Benjamin Fox of Kimberley Road, knew the Buckenham Family.
Eddie Keil was indeed a Furniture Carpenter of the Victoria Park Area of Hackney. He moved to Canvey, and either moved, or set up his model aircraft kits factory in Wickford, Russell Road (or Square or Avenue?). I met him when I was a poor underpaid apprentice at Elmic Ltd, at Gallows Corner. They made tools for KeilKraft as well as their own brands of model boat compoments (among other things) that KK marketed.
Editor: Yes, the Buckenham family – a well established large farming family, farming from Sellars Farm, Mundles Farm etc.
Hi, Just stumbled upon this page when researching some family history, so not sure if this is being followed anymore.
My great grandfather was Bill Tucker who ran the butchers shop in the picture. My grandparents were Gwen Rust (nee Tucker) and Alf Rust. Wondered if anyone knows why the Tuckers came down to Laindon from Islington? Thanks in advance of any help!
Editor: Julie, all the articles remain live and I am sure your comment will bring forth more comments from our contributors.
I will also post your request in our do you remember section.
Re LAGDONS BUTCHERS- I was good friends with the daughter Vivian who lived above their shop and indeed there WAS a slaughterhouse at the back of the premises where I was told animals were often slaughtered.
I was given a conducted tour of the place by Vivian and saw the hooks and stun gun no wonder I turned vegetarian !!
Judging from the above collective memories there must have been at least half a dozen butchers and meat shops in Laindon High Road, if we include the Co-op and Green stores.
Similarly, memory says there were the best part of half a dozen greengrocers, cafes, newsagents, bakeries, and dairies. I do not know the population of Laindon in the years before and after WWII but it could not have been large and certainly by no means affluent, quite the reverse.
I wonder how on earth so many competitors managed to remain in business. Certainly the profit markup, given the state of the economy pre war, war time restrictions on prices, and post war austerity, must have been minimal. When one remembers that Laindoners did a certain amount of shopping, on occasion, in Upminster, Romford and other nearby centres it becomes even more puzzling.
Alan In the 1930s the parish of Laindon was the largest in the area, with a population of 5,580. The population of adjacent parishes were as follows:
The shops in Laindon served a fairly large area including, some of the population of Little Burstead, Great Burstead and Basildon together with Langdon Hills, Lee Chapel and Dunton as well as Laindon it self.
Laindon was not only the residents main local shopping centre but, with some exceptions, it was the centre for public transport, prior to the boom in the ownership of cars.
Reading through this page I noticed that John Bathurst enters a report from the Laindon Recorder 1931 that J.G.Cottis was trying to get the High Road renamed the High Street. I find this strange as there was already a High Street running at right angles to the High Road just south of Careys and Mr.Henbest in his advertisements gave his address as No.1 High Street on the corner. However I did find that in my effort to remember the previous owner of Tolworthy’s it was not Tuckers which was to the north of Durham Rd. Another name which comes to mind is Woods, perhaps this may stir a positive memory from someone.
JCB, 28/09/11, suggests that the Paragon Model shop would have been the smallest in Laindon. I believe there were two others which were even smaller. One was a shoe repair shop/shed which stood in front of the more established shops a little further to the south and was operated by a family named Salt, then there was that tiny plumbers shop between Knights and Goddens.
While I am not quite sure as to how the matter of coal merchants entered into the “Surfeit of Butchers” page, one name that is missing is that of Hall & Co. As to the butchers, Goddens would visit homes and in the case of my mother would bring several items of meat that they considered she would like even though there was no specific order as in those days we did not possess a telephone. The report of JCB in respect of the overcharging by Bill Buckenham would seem to be a case of “agent provocateur”, (entrapment), which used to be considered illegal although it is widely used today in using underage persons buying alcohol and tobacco. My mother prior to her patronage with Goddens did have a dispute with Buckenhams in respect of a joint of meat which was bought but the bone was removed after weighing and charging. She never dealt with them again.
I lived at 5 Worthing Road next to the woodyard, the garden the VE day party is in.
The garage behind was used to rent out as parking for local people’s cars.
The Normans lived next door at No 7 both were very large plots both containing about 30 mature fruit trees.
I lived at 5 Worthing Road, on one corner where it met the High Road was a large woodyard and sawmill next to that was Worths the ‘Oil shop’ and hardware. Just like open all hours!! On the other corner was the Co-op a sort of multi-store with a drapers, bakers, green grocer, butchers, and large section of grocers, all departments had a cable system to shunt money in a little container to a central cash desk. Does anyone have any photos of the Co-op?
Steve – check out my photo of VE Day in Worthing Road, I think that you are in it – it was held in Miss Norman’s big garden next to the woodyard.
Hi Gloria, I think it must have been about 1960 when I worked in the Pitsea shop the manager was Owen. The first hand, his name I can’t remember, but I know he had a drink problem. The lady who looked after books her husband had the barbers in Station Lane. Can you remember Richard’s brothers wife’s name, I think she was German, they lived in the road by the dentist. There was another relation Alf Rust he had a shop by the railway bridge near Tescos. Richard lived in the flat above for a short while and then moved to a bungalow on the A127 near the Fortune of War.
I must try and think of some way how I can remember you maybe if I think of Worthing Road because I know you lived there and I lived in Railway Approach.
I must remember you Richard, I was Maureen’s sister Veronica’s best friend, spent a lot of time with the family until Veronica moved to Wales in approx. 1960 thinking caps on. I used Tuckers when I lived in Pitsea for a short time in 1975 and my twins were tiny were you there then Gloria ….
Hi Gloria Richard Tucker ran the shop in Laindon until his brother who ran the shop in Pitsea died from a heart attack. I know this is right because I was working in the Laindon shop at the time. After his brother died Richard, Maureen and myself went to the Pitsea shop which is now Barclays Bank.
Hi Gloria can you remember how many coal merchants there was in our town? I can remember 4 Gibbons, Turners, Co Op and Toomey. I can remember you. Fred the coalman he lived in Worthing Road near the prefabs, he had a nice Humber Supersnipe car
Hi Ken there was another one I think their office was between the Laindon Hotel and Toomeys they were called Charringtons. We always had that one because you had a book and paid all the year round so you always had coal for the winter.
If I remember rightly Turners used to come round our estate Saturday mornings and you could buy what you needed. This was very handy because when you bought in bulk from Charringtons and you didn’t keep your book up to date you couldn’t have any more till you did.
Poor old mum my dad was self employed I think this happened to us more than once and she would buy cwt off Turners till she caught up bless her.
I think one coal company was run by was Fred Gibson he always wore a brown leather body warmer and a cap, then the coalmen went down to the back of the station where the coal train would drop off the coal they would weigh out their bags of coal on big iron flat scales and hump it onto their lorries. I don’t know if I am 100% right but I think the coal used to come into the yard on a siding track.
The big old Humber Supersnipes oh yes 10 mpg, my Uncle Bob had one of those real leather interiors very plush.
Hi David, the butchers in your picture is Tucker’s they also had a shop in Pitsea.
Hello are you the same Venessa Crew that lived in the end house at the top of King Edward Rd? If you are my brother Fred and I lived just two doors down from you at no.64. This would make sense if you know Richard as he was a friend of my brother Freds.
Your dad if you are the same Vanessa had a car, the only one of my friends dads who did I recall, it was great to get a lift home from Markhams Chase with you, did save a long walk.
Mr & Mrs Gibson and there two boys lived next to you in between us both. The Billingtons, Bartleys, Brooks, Pattles, all lived around us and had kids our age I do hope it is you.
I get so excited when some old pal comes up on site.
Vanessa, well, how are you doin’ – at last someone from my class pops up! For us Mr Rosens class followed Mrs Hodgsons at Laindon Park, just a few of us that year, then we went up into Mr Rees’s class, you, me Christine Thompson and Larry Clark as I recall. Do you also recall Janet Smithers, Jacqui Sheppard, and Keith English, Brian Stepney from Laindon Park. They were all with us at some stage at LHR. What can you remember about our days in Mr Rees’s class – top class in those days, housed in the library, brilliant times. I can remember Mr Rees letting us have records at Christmas – Poetry in Motion with you and Christine Thompson dancing, me and Geoff Heather watching. I saw you on friendsreunited are you still in Oz?
Hi Richard, I was also in Mr. Rosens class. He was a great teacher. I remember reciting an excerpt from the Merchant of Venice for him. He also coached me in long jump. Don’t know how he managed with 40 in the class. Think I would be too upset to see the school gone.
My mother Dorothy Richardson and her sisters & brother also went to LHR. She was a favourite of Mr. Woodward and used to tidy his office for him weekly, lots of fond memories.
I also remember going to the betting shop behind the butchers on a Saturday with our lodger. He would then go to a place near the station to visit the local prostitute. I didn’t understand at the time what was going on, as I would have been at Primary School.
I Remember sitting down stairs waiting and the record “She wears Red feathers and a hula hula skirt” playing. Funny memories.
Hi Richard, Just thought I would let you know your old mate Stan Mortlock lives in Perth, Western Australia as I do. I should know you but cannot put a face to your name. I am usually pretty good at remembering but you must have been a year above me.
Hi Eric, I certainly remember your name from LHR. You were a year below me, as was Stan Mortlock, only because I was born in June 47 and him in Dec 47. I found him on Friendsreunited and knew he was in Oz. Been a bit of a catch up week, people on this site starting to say what year they were at LHR, fascinating stuff. I don’t know if you have been over lately to look at the old school site to see the new houses etc. I think they are ok, it doesn’t bother me that the school has moved on. I looked around the school in 2002, the janitor didn’t mind me having a last tour, the place was empty at that time. I went into my first classroom (Mr Rosens from 1958) it looked so small for holding 40 children. Walking round the corridors was weird as well, with no noise of hundreds of excited kids talking. Also the last room we were in during 1963 in 5x, I got pretty choked up. Anyway, hope you’re ok Eric, keep logging in to this site – something new crops up everyday.
Hi Richard, yes it’s not a bad place to live.
I have no facilty to scan documents but if the editor will provide you with my email we could arrange to meet up.
Hi Rich, spot on with your diagnosis that is my house on the corner of the terrace of three. I have been here since 2002 and when we moved in the vendors gave me a box containing all the deeds to this plot from 1899 to 1956. In 1956 builders named in the paperwork built all these properties as you well know. I even have Mr Mortlock’s original mortgage paperwork he paid £1,450 and moved in in December 57 ahh! those were the days for house prices. Thanks for the reply, hope to meet soon, as I think all these deeds should be copied and put with LDCA. I also have complete set of Laindon Recorders from 1960 to 1964. PS Ashton’s timber yard soon to be developed and PPS my two neighbours still original tenants from 1957.
Rob, a very good decision of yours to move into Lynview, my old buddy Stan Mortlock would be pleased to hear it. We had many a scrap playing ‘Soccerette’ in the living room after tea in the winter. Those houses had the first of the through lounges didn’t they. Our house was £1950 in August 1957 but as ours was a semi, thats what maybe made the price difference. I envy you in some ways its such a nice place to live, despite the school being pulled down and all the old shops gone. I still have friends in Laindon, your neighbours if original must be Mr Bull and Mr Chater, I’m not suprised they are still there! Ashtons timber yard used to wake us up early on the weekends with the saws buzzing away – super times!! Were the plots divided into separate properties before the builders came in 57? If so, how many, could you scan it and put on this site? Rich
Hi Rob (of Laindon – arent we all?) When you say the house opposite do you mean in Nichol Road or the High Road? Certainly I dont remember any show houses there. We moved straight into No1 when it was only just ready for occupation and the garden was still a mud heap full of kitchen tile cut-offs. However, if your property is the one on the corner but actually addressed High Road I remember it was a better finished house with close-boarded fencing and a detached garage at the time. The residents were called Mortlock, having moved down from Woolwich in December 57 the son was the same age as me (b1947). Why they called it Lynview I dont know. I’d love to see the 56 plot deeds.
Re Butcher Shops – where was Sizers then?
About John Gilchrist – he would spend so much time in class reading Rabbie Bunns (as he called Robert Burns). I was heartbroken when he left our school; a lovely teacher.
To answer first on the Sizers location it was on the corner of Nichol Road / High Road opposite Pelhams sweet and penny drink shop. This was near our house No1 Nichol Road. When we moved down from Barking into the house, built brand new in 1957, the butchers shop had already closed down. It stood for some while, a white painted shop with red lettering S R Sizer and Sons Family Butchers.
Gloria has written some interesting facts about the local bookies taking bets behind the shop several years earlier.
There is now a mini roundabout forming the junction with Nichol Road, so different to the muddy rutted approach back in ’57.
Hi all, love this site, this is my first time to comment on an article. Interesting notes regarding the butchers, I live in the house opposite. My house was built in 1957 and was a show house built by builders from Romford.
I love local history and a few years ago put up a slab stating when the house was built, you have probably seen it. I also have all the complete set of deeds from 1899 to 1956 when it was all plots round here. I also have a conveyance from 1967 when Nichol Rd was made into a proper road and the then owners of my property were given 5000 pounds for gusseting the corner off there garden. I must bring the deeds to a memory day one day, many thanks
How great to hear some of you boys with your great memories. I remember you as a fantastic lot and nobody cared then about machoism we were all just good friends the best ever.
There once was a rather poor photocopy made of the October 1931 edition of the “Laindon Advertiser”. I do not know who held the original from which that photocopy had been made, but believe it was in private hands. In any case, the photocopy was a few pages short of the original paper and had been given to Laindon Branch Library and maybe still there.
While at the library I managed to make a transcript and index of the actual content of that edition of the paper and, in the light of the interest shown on rival butchers in Laindon High Road to Tollworthy’s, point out that in 1931 Lagdens the butcher’s was being operated by J W Lagden and that E Lagden was operating the “wet, dried and fried” fish mongering side of the business. All this information was contained in a single advertisement and will also be found in that form in the March and April 1931 editions of the same paper. Those who remember the shop(s) where this business was carried out will recall that, in the block just north from that containing what is apparently best remembered as “Kentex Corner”, the two businesses appeared separate, the fried fish shop being only a single storey annexe built onto the butcher’s shop over which there was living accommodation. In reality there was an inter-connecting door between the two shops although it was rarely opened.
What is particularly interesting about the October 31 edition is that in the advertisement it contains for H Simmons, Wheatsheaf Stores (Corn chandler) there is the claim that he is the manufacturer of the original “Laindonia” Sponge Mixture. Now, I wonder where the cooks amongst can buy that product now?
The other interesting fact to be drawn from the 1931 local papers is that J G Cottis was trying very hard to convince people to call the main road Laindon and Langdon Hills “High Street” in Laindon where he had his lock-up shop and over the railway bridge, where he had his actual “machine” bakery, “High Road” through Langdon Hills. His ideas never did catch on despite his extensive involvement over the years with Billericay Council.
The Paragon in Dorset Parade, Laindon High Road, must have been one of the smallest shops in the High Road. Never mind swinging the proverbial cat, there was hardly room for a cat in the front door when there was a customer at the counter! The shop was at the very south end of the Parade with Curtis’s shoe shop at the other (the north) end and Henbest’s Bespoke Tailors shop was three of four days away. I am trying to recall if The Paragon was a “lock–up” or not. Surely it was too narrow to have living accommodation above like the other shops in the parade?
There were several undeveloped shop lots between the Paragon and the Primrose Café which always gave the impression that those who had built this shop parade had run out of money before they had been able to complete their over ambitious project. Before and during WW2, the Paragon, like a few other shops in the district, offered a penny-a-week library service having stocked their shelves with books obtained after rejection following constant use by the bigger firms, like Boots the Chemist who ran similar services elsewhere. At the time, the free library service provided by Essex County Council consisted of two cupboards in the hall of Laindon High Road School, which cupboards were only opened for two or three hours, once a week. In contrast, the reader could change his or her borrowed book at any time that the Paragon shop was open, the only snag being it didn’t take long to get through the whole of their limited stock, it not being supplemented very often.
It was probably WW2 that encouraged Paragon to start stocking model-making kits. The excitement of the Battle of Britain meant that the boys in particular needed to display their prowess at being able to distinguish all the different kinds of aircraft that were involved and the pictures of planes included in every packet of cigarettes were not enough. This led to the introduction of kits in which the chief mediums of construction were balsa wood, tissue paper and “dope”. Eventually these was replaced by a wonderful new product; involving the provision of parts manufactured from extruded plastic. A gentleman from Hackney whose first name I am unable to recall but who was, I am reasonably informed, of naturalised German descent with the surname Keil started off by supplying kits with the balsa wood content and easy to follow plans eventually changing to plastic. He called the kits “Keil Kraft” and the expansion of business led to the factory and depot of his firm moving to Wickford. Unfortunately, the success that this interest brought for Mr Keil was late on in his life as was his marriage and by 1952 he was dead. His widow, and his seven or eight year old son, Kenny, were then living on Canvey Island and Kenny, a very bright lad, was a pupil at Long Road Primary School. As this was shortly before the appalling East Coast floods, it would be interesting to know what happened to the family and who runs Keil Kraft now.
Ken, I do remember some lads flying combat planes on the field behind the Laindon Hotel one Saturday, maybe they were your guys. This would be about 58/59. If you left school in 1959 that was my first year at the High Road school. That means you are on the panoramic school photo of October 1958 which I have a copy of. My friend Dave Gowlett who went to the High Road has an original copy in mint condition which I got my copy made from about 10 years ago from the same photographers in Braintree who took the shot. Anyway, recently I downloaded from the internet an original Keil Kraft plan for Skystreak 26, not easy to make though without the parts marked on the sheets of balsa as they were in the kits. Also there was a plastic canopy in the kit which made the plane and gave it its character. Eddie Keil was the guy who had the factory in Wickford, dont know if its still going – doubt it. Also I have a brand new unrun PAW 1.5 diesel in its box, I bet its a right little screamer. In your other reply to Glorias memories of the school you mentioned Mr Gilchrist, as you say a hard little character, he used to make us head footballs back to him in a circle, I always seemed to cop the bit with the laces and go home with marks all over my head, making my mum think we had all been in a scrap. Also I liked Joan Sarfas remarks about the school staff room, thick with smoke, some of them used to smoke pipes which really gave off some heady aroma, maybe the early days of pot. Funny how the staff room was near the boys entrance, we used to slam the footballs against the walls going back into the changing rooms, just to show off and wake people up, real studs then and dubbin. Take care.
Gday Richard, I sure can remember the Paragon shop, many’s the model aircraft kit I bought there. Started off with the ‘Keil Krat'”cutie”, a tenpenny chuck glider styled on the famous Spitfire or Hurricane. As I grew older I moved on to gliders, [best one was the ‘Dolphin’], then on to motor powered control line models. I spent what was then a small fortune on those things only to have them crash into the ground and destroy themselves. Oh to have the stuff available now in those days.
Hi Ken, glad someone remembers it. I was into the diesel powered control liners in about 1960 having built an Invader glider in 58/59 with my dad’s help. My friend in Dunton, Keith Jackson, had loads of planes and all the engines lined up in his cupboard drawer. Him and his brother David had some rare engines, ED Fury, PAW I think and maybe an Oliver Tiger. My engine was a DC Merlin. Keith gave me one of his flying wing stunt planes then I bought a Skystreak 26 kit, a beautiful plane I painted with yellow dope. Crashed it but repaired it well enough to sell on to another kid at Laindon High Road. Very happy times, I wish I was back there now.
Gday again Richard et al, there was a group of us lads from about 1956 onwards till I left school in 59 that formed a sort of aero modelling club. Names I can recall are Alan Collen, David Goldsworthy, John Ward, Trevor Spurling, Stan Quinn, Martin Collinson, Michael Taylor, plus myself. We got together on school sports day in 1958 and put on a big display on the playing field at the school. We had one bloke, I think Dave Goldsworthy flying a beautiful biggish stunt model, his models were always built and finished the best, three of us in a circle doing chase the streamer combat, with another bloke popping balloons with a speed model. Overall the display went down very well old Mr Woodward congratulated us at the next day’s assembly at a well performed show.
I have a group of mates here in Oz that now fly huge radio controlled models, old blokes with too much time and money gawd bless ’em.
Editor: I will start an article on model making as it has now made an appearance in many articles
Nice to see the memories coming out, Simmons was the corn and seed merchant from memory, the Welcome Cafe was run by the Siggers or Shrimptons???? can’t remember which but I’m sure someone will know.
Yes, you guys are correct, Mr H Simmons ran the previously named Wheatsheaf Stores (Corn and Seed Merchants).
Now, can anyone remember the Paragon Stores in Dorset Parade on the other side of the High Road? I bought my model aeroplane kits in there, a nice lady serving who always knew which Keil Kraft kit I wanted.
The Shop after the Welcome cafe was Simmons where I used to get my feed for the Rabbits
Hi, I worked for Harrington’s the butchers in Nightingale Parade when I left school. The butchers in the photo with the white front to me looks like Tucker’s Butchers mum & dad always shopped there, and the guy that ran that shop went to Harrington’s. When I was at Harrington’s I was the delivery boy on a bike with a big basket on the front. Thems the good old days.
Hello Ken and Jeff, I can add a bit about Tucker’s Butchers. My best friend Veronica Nightingale’s sister Maureen married Richard Tucker in, about, 1955 and they had thier shop in Pitsea, whether they were bought out in Laindon by the Corporation and moved to Pitsea, sorry can’t recall that. I will hopefully be back in touch with Veronica soon and I will find out more and let you know.
I love the rainy day photo from David Merchant above showing the butchers with the bikes outside. I can just i s in the ust beyond Green’s Stores. Looks like a V8 Pilot peeping out of the gated access to where there was Jeakins removals and storage yard. Brings back so many memories, all our best years. Shops, coming towards the camera are, Surridge Dawson, Charsley’s shoe shop, Tucker’s Butchers, Welcome Cafe and Wheatsheaf Stores. Happy days
Editor: I thought the shop after the Welcome cafe was Simmons.
Gday John, thanks for that update, amazing how someones memories stir ones own, I now remember Lagden’s shop as well!!
The butchers in Nightingale Parade was owned by a bloke called Harrington. When John Tollworthy moved his business to Southend, Harry and my mum went to work for him, the shop was adjacent to Vowler Road, she worked there until leaving to come to Australia in 1969. Her total years in the butchery game were about fifteen.
I have no idea what happened to ‘young’ Harry after then, maybe someone will remember him?
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