You
wouldn't recognise the High Street now fromwhat it was
)
click
here to enlarge picture“I used to have to
go before I went to school. Go to the butcher's and the green grocer's
and that, and there used to be a company called Williams Brothers and
she used to give us a list and we used to have to go down, right down
to Markhouse Road almost, to take the order and then they would deliver
it you know. Used to get a hapenny to get on the bus or tram to get
there, but you ran all the way there and bought a hapenny's sweets”
“I remember the butchers
and the cattle going in to be slaughtered and it was lovely meat. On
Saturday nights they sold it off cheap. All the meat was hanging outside.
We'd get a nice Sunday joint half price. Because we didn't have fridges,
we'd put it in a pail of water or make a hole in the ground and cover
a wet cloth over the top. You brought stuff fresh every day then, not
like we do now”
)
click
here to enlarge pictureLeytonstone High Road
Looking North, from south of Gainsborough Road, c.1950.
)
click
here to enlarge pictureAdvertising hoardings at junction of Victoria Road with Leytonstone High Road, c.1959.
“Leytonstone High Street
was a very long street. There was a big department store called Bearmans.
It was huge with all fabrics and furniture and stuff like that. When
you paid they put the money into a little bowl which was sealed and
then it would be whizzed across to the cashiers”
I
used to live on the posh side of Leyton High Road, and Margaret used
to live on the other side. It was like that in those days“Bearmans used
to have a fantastic Father Christmas. But you had to be middle class
to shop in there. They had a lovely tea place downstairs with all the
cake stands, and they brought out your tray with your little cups and
saucers. The co-op took it over in the late 60's. It was kept quiet
for six months, my mother in law worked there. They kept it quiet because
they had so many account holders there, as soon as that came out everybody
cancelled. People from Wanstead and Woodford did not deal with the
Co-op! It was called Pioneer, for a short while, so that it didn't
sound like Co-op. It closed within six months. People just didn't go
in there”
)
click
here to enlarge pictureLea Bridge Road
The banks of the River Lea burst on 16th July 1949, having also burst in 1947. Water supply was affected and flood prevention measures were drawn up.
)
click
here to enlarge picture(left)
Advertising hoarding for the Bearmans Sale on the corner of Gainsborough
Road and Leytonstone High Road, 1956.
(Image courtesy of Vestry House Museum)
(Image courtesy of Vestry House Museum)
previous
topic
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture
)
click
here to enlarge picture