Way Back When

Back in 1959, when I was two, my mum and I lived in Seven Acres with my Nan and Grandad and Uncle Len.  They were Mr and Mrs Len Johnson. Going further back, my Great Grandmother, Zilpah Murphy, lived in Egbert Gardens (No.10) from 1950 onwards, until she died in 1957, just before I was born.

Great Grandmother is buried in St. Mary’s Church on the Runwell Road.  My father was American and was the only American living in Wickford from 1966 to 1981 when he moved to Basildon.  Dad is now buried in Wickford Cemetery in Park Drive.

Remembering the following in Wickford:

Adcocks, Willow Café, Egans electrical shop, Adrians Records, Midland Bank, the doctor’s surgery behind Suttons, as it is now, Staffords Bakery on the corner across from the Swan, Franklins Butchers, the original Co-op food shop, Clapham Brothers furniture shop, Martins newsagents, Fish’s haberdashery shop, t he good ol Bake n Take on Halls Corner, The Castle pub, the railway cottages where the betting shop is across from Quirks Estate Agents, and, last but not least, the livestock market now built on where the Willowdale Centre is. 

Dr. Renton’s surgery in London Road and Prentice cycle shop, Rowlands sweet shop in the old Southend Road and of course Selina Squirrel toy shop when the old Post Office was open.  Not forgetting the Midwife’s bungalow and Methodist Church at the bottom of Southend Road.

Those were the days.