What you feel about the Archive

The home for you comments

I have chosen Andrea’s article about the Archive’s activities to act as a home for your comments on how the Archive is working for the community. 

It is a location for you to tell us what you like or dislike about the Archive and also to inform us what else you would like to see the Archive include.

The article by Andrea Ash

Visited Laindon Library yesterday (Thursday 27th October 2011) and met up with Patsy, Ian, Mr Taylor and Ken.  Just like to compliment them on the hard work put in running this site; they are doing a grand job.

Also happy to meet up with Jimmy Quinton after all these years and to chat with Brenda Lewis.

Just like to add that I regard Messrs Bathurst and Diment as the anchors of all our comments – thank you for your knowledge.

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  • Hello Don,

    I think you are a year out somewhere, Terry & Ronnie were a year behind me at LHR and I was never in Mr Bear’s classes. I was there 1959 to 1964.

    In 1966 I left Laindon to go to Australia and although I have been back many times, not for the 2000 reunion. I still have family in Laindon.

    The only connection I can make with you is that my maternal grandparents also lived in Leinster Road, but way back in 1950s.

    I also spent a lot of time around the Pound Lane estate as my friends lived in the estate, but I lived in Essex Road, opposite the fire station in the High Road until we moved to Bourne Avenue.

    Anyway good to see you on the site, certainly provokes lots of memories as you have found out.   Best Regards.   

    By Eric Pasco (04/09/2015)
  • Eric, thanks for the reply, when I said put me right, I didn’t mean THAT right! I was at LHR 58 – 62 so you were a year below me, only everything else was wrong. I was never good with dates, in fact I’ve never been good with numbers, unless they had a pound sign in front of them. However I did know you somehow, as I recall you were a keen footballer? So you’ve been in Oz since 66, you should be getting used to it by now, likewise they should be getting used to you? Look forward to hearing from you from time to time. Ooroo Don. 

    By Donald Joy (04/09/2015)
  • So sorry to learn of the demise of William (Bill) Diment. I unfortunately discovered this website only recently, I feel sure I would have liked to have known about it sooner. Had this been the case I might well have had the opportunity to meet Bill at one of your meetings. I am certain I would have relished the moment as he sounds as though he was a most interesting person, a mountain of local information. 

    I shall make every endeavour to be at the September meeting and look forward to making the acquaintance of other site contributors. People I believe I would enjoy meeting such as Messrs Bathurst, Humphrey, Porter, Ash, Sewell etc., as they all appear to have stories to swap and information to share. I will be bringing some items to hopefully have added to the site’s pages, items from a box I have marked “Dads Treasure”. Can’t wait! 

    I frequently come across the name of Eric Pasco attached to comments. I know you, I do, I know you. A year lower than me at LHR as I recall  Mr Bear’s class along with Terry Ludlow and Ronnie Stanley? I saw you, I think at LHR reunion sometime about 2000? Put me right on that one.

    By Donald Joy (03/09/2015)
  • Would it be unseemly or improper of me to enquire as to the ages of two of the major contributors on this site? The people in question are: John Bathurst & William Diment.

    I am intrigued by their vast amounts of knowledge regarding the history of Laindon and district and can only assume that they both must be approaching 200 years of age. They have both mentioned things that have triggered a small memory for me. For example: the black tar coated buildings on either side of the A127. I remembered them only when I read about them and doubt if I ever would have done otherwise. I had obviously seen them and been too young for it to have registered, but it was dragged from the back of my mind just by being mentioned.

    I really enjoy their writings and wonder just how many more recollections are spurred through what they both have to report. Ken Porter is another who knows lots but I know he is only a year or so older than myself but felt I needed to give him a mention for his good works too. 

    By Donald Joy (01/09/2015)
  • Hi Donald.  The answers to your enquiries can be found within the articles on this website.  John Bathurst was born in 1929.

    William Diment is sadly no longer with us.  He was born in 1922 and passed away in September 2014 aged 92.

    Ken Porter is the Chairman of the Laindon and District Community Archive, the Basildon Heritage Group and has for many years,  been a leading historian for the area.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (01/09/2015)
  • The way in which this site has expanded is just wonderful and must be of enormous satisfaction both to the organisers as well as those looking at the site. It has brought back many memories for me. Clearly the outcomes of the site are being met in adundance. My brother (Robert Jones – Bob) was born same year as John Bathurst whereas I started life in 1939.

    By Gerald Jones (01/09/2015)
  • I keep reading the many and informative, plus interesting items from John Bathurst, the man is incredibly knowledgeable. Who is with me when I suggest he should in future be known as : Laindon’s Living Encyclopedia? He either knows just about everything about Laindon’s history or he puts in vast amounts of research. All power to him and thanks John. 

    By Donald Joy (29/08/2015)
  • Nice to hear from you Ian hope you are well.You brought back some good memories of us all building them underground camps and the large tree house.  Some of these camps took us weeks to build and boy did we have some fun.  I think the worst idea was the rope bridge from the tree house to the large willow tree that snapped with a girl on it and she just got up unharmed.   A bit of a surprise considering it was around 15 feet up. We also had a endless supply of materials from the old bungalows that where being demolished at the time in Dickens Drive. There’s a row of flats now built on that area called Copperfields.  Great times.

    By Barry Ellerby (16/10/2014)
  • Just a note to say how impressed I am by this archive and the efforts of the contributors which I have just come across today. Nice to see that Barry Ellerby finally up digging holes and making trenches behind his house on the site of the bungalows fronting Nicholas Lane (which I often joined him in) and is making a sterling contribution to this valuable archive.

    As for me, my family moved to Kathleen Ferrier (the middle Wavy Line shop) in 1967 and we had 6 great years there. Must ask my father to email a piccie of the shop for the archive. Keep up the great work!

    By Ian Reid (15/10/2014)
  • Hi Ian and Andrea. I have been working for some time on a ‘time-line’. It is almost completed and I will shortly be submitting it to Ken and Ian for approval and publishing.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (27/08/2013)
  • Thanks Ian for using my article from 2011. Just to add that I feel the History site is getting better and better. 

    Previous named are still at the hub but now I would include Nina and Colin who work very hard to get ”correct” facts; with that in mind I am wondering if two lines of contact could be formed – one that has documented evidence of fact and the other with our memories as we recall them? 

    Am I asking too much! Incidentally, I will take this as an anniversary present, being as 25th August – yesterday – was not an ideal day for us and not one where we could celebrate, but this has cheered us up! Thank you again.

    Editor: We have always had the intention of creating a historical time line for the community and I fell that now is the time to put it into place (Ian) 

    By Andrea Ash (26/08/2013)
  • Gday Ian, Patsy, Ken, Nina and all of you guys at this fabulous site. I would like to firstly, thank you for what you are doing and for the reunion back in April.

    What a great few hours I had, and secondly, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and an even greater and happier New Year. All the very best to you all, regards from Melbourne Australia.

    By Ken Page (21/12/2012)
  • I can’t remember the names of staff, but I can remember the layout in what almost tiny space they had compared to the current one.

    By Brian Baylis (24/01/2012)
  • Brian, I am so with you on this one, this site makes me miss my old Laindon and its people so much. But when I have returned and seen what progress can do (I’m sure for the better in lots of cases ) it’s not for me any more. I now live in a large village just like Laindon was but a bit nearer the sea, I thought my roots were lost forever till I joined this site now I am so much enjoying sprouting shoots again.

    By Gloria Sewell (25/11/2011)
  • In 1962, aged 19 and married, I seem to remember I needed my husband’s signature to join the library or am I dreaming? This was the library near Kentex where Mrs Hernandez worked with another lady.

    By Andrea Ash (nee Pinnell) (25/11/2011)
  • I can remember the original Laindon Library when it was close to Townsends Corner. I have visited the current one, but sadly not been to Laindon since about July, as now sadly being a Widower and with pets to care for, I can’t get there as much as I did. Despite the changes, I do miss the town, but sorry, I can’t move back.

    By Brian Baylis (20/11/2011)
  • I wish I could have been there to thank everyone in person who has recorded my memories for me on this site. I am going to try real hard for the next one, there are so many lovely people from my past I am now back in touch with thanks to this site, I so want to say hello again to them.

    By Gloria Sewell (04/11/2011)

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