Postbag 2001

Listed here are all of the emails we received in our first year of operation:

Hello all
I found your website when I was looking to see if Manzes pie and mash shop was still in the High st. I was born in Pembroke rd Walthamstow in March 1945 and moved to Lowestoft in Suffolk in 1988. I noticed you have some photos and as I have a few was wondering if you would be interested in seeing them, of course I will have to sort them out first. They are mostly from around late 70s to mid 80s when I was very interested in photography.
please let me know, all the best
Dave Tootill email

Hi,
Is there anyone who remembers the Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Company of Fulbourne Road Walthamstow? I am researching a book about the company which made cameras and other photographic items. They were located opposite the ASEA factory which was bombed during the Second World War. In the late fifties the company moved to Clapham Common. If anyone knows any stories or worked there I would be very interested to hear their recollections or meet with them to interview them about the company.
Adrian Richmond email

My Walthamstow F.C.C. Medal pictured on your website: I received a helpful email from a former Avenue player who holds similar (but later) medals and it seems that the FCC stands for the Football Charity Cup.
I am about to offer this medal for sale on ebay.
Regards,
Donald email

Hello
In clearing out the loft I have found a couple of programmes kept by my father who brought me up to be a Wealdstone supporter up to the time they won the cup at Wembley against Hendon in 1966 when I was 16. It remains the highlight of my soccer-watching life!
One of these programmes is a particularly nice, uncreased and unbiro'd one for the 1952 Amateur Cup Final between Leyton and Walthamstow Avenue. If you or someone else connected to the club would like it, I would sell it for £50. Iam going to send a similar email to the Leyton club - if there is a website, so it will be first come.....
I am not a dealer, I promise, and you can check my name and address from the phone book if and when we come to do the transaction! Kind regards.
Peter Hoblyn, Bedfordshire email

I was born in Stoke Newington, but at the time my family lived in Palmerston Road. I remember being a small child and walking down to my Grandfathers Shop in Hoe Street. It was called Bermans Modern Homes. I can still smell the lacquer on all the furniture upstairs as they prepared the kitchen tables and chairs for sale downstairs. I remember the steam coming up and hitting me from the steam trains on our street, and the jellied eels!! My father was a Doctor, His practice was in our house on Palmerston. It was a very small surgery, but he served the community well!! He was there for over Ten years. My first memories in life are walking through Whipps cross and Eagle lake pond. I now live in New Jersey USA, many miles away.But my memories will always be there in E17
David Bendeth email
www.davidbendeth.com

I just came across your website. Having lived in Canada since 1977 I have been looking for an update on my old haunts. I was born in Chingford and lived there until 1968, attending Willam Morris from 1961 to 1968. My brother (Jeffrey Bell) also attended there, from !958 to 1963 (I think). My family (grandparents) were from Walthamstow, although I never knew them.

My fondest memories of the time are the daily commute on the 68 (later 249 as well) bus and the weekly school sports trips to Ainslie Wood.
I'll check in from time to time for updates and more stories. Would be great to find anyone from the class at WMTS!
Regards,
Robert Bell email

Hello,
I live in Edward Road in a one bed Warner flat. I am very much interested in the history of the Warner flats and wonder if anyone has any memories of this particular area and any old photographs of the street which I might be able to take copies of. My flat backs on to the playing fields and looks across to the reservoirs. I have heard that during the war a German air pilot crash-landed on the playing fields and had to be arrested by the residents and air aid wardens - wondered if anyone know if this is correct.Best regards
Michael Lake email

Pre 1940 there was a children's home in Oak Hill Highams Park
While I know this is strictly speaking outside Walthamstow I wonder if anyone has any knowledge of it. My late mother worked there for a few years around time of the war. Thank you
Bernard Green email

Hello John,
Like many of the other entries I came across your site completely by accident, you may be interested in a little history regarding your father, Geoff. My parents lived in the same house as your family around the late 1940's. At that time the house must have been split into flats as our address was 145A Howard Road. We must have moved around 1949/50 as my mother always told the story of her pushing my pram down the hill of Howard Road and tripping but holding onto the handle while being dragged along, taking the skin off both knees. My mother Millicent passed away three years ago but my father, Fredrick is still alive although not in the best of health. I dug out the old photo albums of my childhood and found this school photo as per the date 1958 and thought you would be interested in viewing it with your Dad standing proud.
Chris Warner email

I was just browsing through your web-site and found it very interesting as my friend who lives above me was born in Walthamstow in 1932, he is called Robert Horner and his Father was Robert Arthur Horner, his mum was Rose, they lived in Albion Road off Wyatts Lane, but moved to Halifax during the war because of the conflict, I have three small snaps, one of a street party after the war in Albion Road and the other of a group of elderly ladies, and the third is of a wedding group. Can scan and send if you wish. Yours respectfully ...
Peter Brook email (see photographs)

Hi
I am producing an economic,environmental and social report for my company.
We are trying to source a photograph of Walthamstow Avenue Football Club, who won the Amateur Cup in 1952.
We want to publish a photograph of this trermendous feat,within the 'Locality' page of the report.
Can anyboby help me? Regards
Derek Hall email
(Bovince Limited)

Hi There,
I would like to make contact with anyone who went to Whitefield School Macdonald Road Walthamstow between 1972-78.
Paricularly Chris Kelly, Chris Butler, David Bell, Peter Collett and also my friend Lee (Can't remember his surname who lived in Raglan Road.
Anyone else who remembers me.
Thanks
Darren Vidler email

Hello,
As an ex employee during the late 70s I wonder what became of F.W. Austin, the manufacturers of Austinsuite furniture, and its Argall Ave. site. The last I heard it was about to go into bankruptcy proceedings.
Any information will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Alfred Oliveira email

Congratulations on a great site – wouldn’t it be great if there were other web sites of this quality for other places in the UK/
I was born in Walthamstow (Thorpe Coombe Hospital, Forest Road) in 1959, but have lived in Australia for most of my life. I am seeking some help from anyone who lives in or near Walthamstow, who might be able to take a couple of photographs of some houses that I lived in? In return, I am more than happy to help with any research about Australia.
I am keen to obtain photos of the following houses, if they still exist:
39 Browns Road, Walthamstow
7 Queenswood Avenue, Walthamstow
And a little further out:
23 Normanshire Drive, Chingford
I would be very appreciative of any help you might be able to offer with this request.
Kind regards,
Kevin Johnson
Sydney, Australia email

Hi I am from Canada and have been woking on my family tree for 37 years. My grandparents had at least 5 children that were born in Wathamstow. One daughter drowned in the River Lea. The minister was Richard Cole of the Lighthouse Church. This took place in 1899. Her name was Alice Kate Maddeaux. She worked as a waitress at the Margate and was 19 at her death. This information came from Guardian Gazette of Walthamstow. when I first started this work I grabbed at any straw I that came my way. I knew my grandparents were in Walthamstow so I wrote for some travel information about this town. In the information that came to me was an orange coloured book called London Borough of Walthamstow. In the book was an ad for the Guardian and Independent. On page 99 a write up said they were the oldest newspaper in the borough 1876.I wrote the paper and told them what I was looking for and would like to visit them if it was posible to see back copies of their paper. It did not take to long before I got a reply saying they would love to see my wife and I. They also said they would have a cub reporter work with us. To make a long story short we did find the story about my aunt in the back copy and did obtain a copy of the paper for that time. We saw what the coronor had to say witnesses remarks. The inquest was held at the Hackney Mortuary by Dr.Wynn Westcock. I am looking for any in formation on my grandparents. His name was Charles Louis Maddeaux from France we don't know where in France. My grandmother also Alice Kate but maiden name was Alford. Her father was a seaman's missionary. Good site. Any help would be great. Frank email

Does anyone have any photographs/information/stories on Wyatts Lane E17? I couldn't find anything at the Vestry house museum. Especially Number 48 and the history of that house/ what was there before on that land (it is now a post - war ex - council house). I am fascinated by your magnificent website and cannot pull myself away from it. Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Paul email

I recently came across this wonderful web site and thought I would add my mother's family history. My grandfather, Charles Henry Miller, who was born Dec. 26, 1857, married my grandmother, Elizabeth (Bishop) on Christmas Day, 1880 in St. Peter's Church, Walthamstow. They had eight children, all born
in Walthamstow. Charles's occupation was as a coachman, and sometime in the late 1890's he became manager of Tower Stables which was on Hoe Street and just across the road from the Hoe Street Station. I have no picture of Tower Stables and wondered if anyone reading this may have one. My mother,
Dorothy Alice Miller was born March 13th, 1892 at Number 9, Church Path, which I believe was just off St. Mary's Road. When I first looked at your site the first picture I saw was of the Infant School there, and that is where my mother first went to school. I have a group picture of her and her older sister Olive in that school, probably taken about 1896 or so. Later she went to Maynard Street school, and I have a medal she received in 1906.
One one side is an emblem with three swords and a sailing ship. On the reverse is written, "Awarded to D. Miller for regular and punctual attendance, 1906". I recall many stories she told of growing up in Walthamstow. The family lived in premises right next to the Stables, though mom's older sister Olive, lived with their grandmother, Alice, Lottie Bishop, in a little cottage on the other side of Epping Forest. I have quite a number of photographs of members of the family taken by two photographers. One was a C.P. Daws at #162 High Street, and the other, Serpell, at #37 Selborne Road. My mother's three older brother's immigrated to Canada in the first decade of the last century, and the rest of the family followed in 1911, settling first at Regina, Saskatchewan. My grandmother died there in 1920, and my grandfather passed away in 1928 while living with my mom and her first husband at Oyen, Alberta. She was later
married to my father, Harry Richardson, and they lived in Banff, Alberta, later on Vancouver Island, and she passed away in 1963 while we were living in Carmel, California. I remember my mother telling me that when her father died in 1928, there was a newspaper write-up in Walthamstow, as he had been well thought of there. Anyway, I would love to hear from anyone that can give me more information on Tower Stables, or has pictures of it and the house next door. I don't believe it had a tower. That must have been the name of the man who owned it, and he had other stables in cities in England and they were all managed
by his son's with the exception of the one in Walthamstow. Of course they would be the equivalent of a taxi company today.
Thank you for having such an interesting web site,
Best regards,
Tas Richardson email
Tas' memories ad pictures are here

Hi,
Just found your site, I was born at 4 Station Rd in 1937, above the butchers shop, I wonder if you knew my brother Dudley, he is older than me, my Mum worked in Uncle Evans dairy, next door, for a while. I went to Coppermill Secondary school and found it fascinating reading about streets and places that I had forgotten about, when I last visited I asked my younger brother Stan ( named after our father) to take a trip down Coppermill Lane to see the old school and was told its not there any more and is a housing estate, didn't get to go down there. My older brother went to Markhouse Road school, we were evacuated during the war to Bedford. I used to look out the window above the shop and watch the comings and goings from the Blackhorse pub, also had a boyfriend that would wait on the corner there and when I saw him I would make an excuse to go for a walk.his name was Ron and he was in the air force, when he went to Germany I lost
touch, can say he was my first romance. My name was Mavis Upfold.Do you know of us?. Regards
Mavis (now Coomber) email

To whom can help me, I came across this story about Mr. Len Hall, and the part of the story about the furniture was quite interesting because I believe that I have some from that area from that time (AUSTINSUITE) is on a small label. My family is from England, Birminham I believe, but this furniture is very old and in great shape , But no one knows its true origin. Any web site or info on this company would be really helpful to my research. Thank you
Wayne Coss email

I was born in Walthamstow on 25/05/49 at No. 71 Netley Road, and was the first of 5 children. I went to Mission Grove infants school, followed by Edinborough Road, and then Markhouse Road senior school, where unfortunately I did not excel!

Following school, I was employed by the post office, where i still am. After starting work, i joined a youth club at the Lighthouse, in Markhouse road, as shown on your pages. Is there anyone out there who would like to make contact, and especially from the Lighthouse? 1964-1974. Regards
Richard Holland email

Hello I am a resident of Walthamstow and am looking for photos of Clarendon Road, Walthamstow especially number 68, so I can find out how it looked originally using this pictorial infomation I then can put the house front back to its former glory. if you also know of any other sites that would be usefull to me please let me know. Thankyou ever so much. Yours sincerely
Ben email

Hi great web site.
I was born in Thorpe Combe in 1957 and lived in Boundary Road, near the parade of shops where Percy Morgan the barber had his shop. In 1961 we moved to Billet Road, a lovely house which backed onto Higham Hill recreation ground , a place where many evenings were spent racing jiggers, flying model planes (elastic band powered), great days.
In 1962 I started school at Roger Asham infants school and spent many happy years there before moving up to Sidney Chaplin in Folly Lane. I left Sidney Chaplin in 1971 and spent my last year of schooling at Mc.Entee in Billet Road and couldnt wait to leave and get a job. Left Mc.Entee in 1972 and started work at Notons in Blackhose Lane rivetting suitcases, 23 new pence an hour.
I like most of my mates owned pushbikes made from bits and pieces and we seemed to ride miles on these old wrecks , Southend, The Owl pub at Lippets Hill, along the River Lea to Waltham Abbey, happy days.
My mum and Dad still live in Walthamstow in Sheltered accomadation, so I still visit 3 or 4 times a month. If anyone remembers me and would like to share some memories drop me a message and ill get back to you ,bye for now.
Brian Jones email

Dear Walthamstowites,
I remember John Knowles very well. He once took me to the Bell on a date!!! On the photograph with Phil Myers, isn't the John?, John Donnelly. He used to be a good friend of Phil's.
I lived in Campbell Road, just around the corner from the school, and went to WMTS. I have somewhere a photograph of Campbell Road street party in Coronation year. I can remember many of the stalls down the market, including Clares the fishmonger, the egg lady, and the lady selling peanuts that used to be next to Oris's the fruit stall. Do you remember the stall where a dwarf or to be pc - a very small man used to have a weighing chair with weights almost as big as himself?
My brothers used to go to McGuffie, scruffy McGuffie we used to call them.... We used to go to Saturday morning pictures, and pretend to be Batman, or Superman, depending what was on from the Granada, all the way back through Holdstock's stable yard and back home. I remember singing the "Walthamstow Granadiers".
Long time ago now.
I may yet join in the "Memory Lane" of your site.
Regards,
Lesley Wilding email

I am seeking information on the descendants of Robert & Francis WRAGG - owners of the Wragg Stage Coaches, which ran between Walthamstow & London from 1759 to c. 1850 when the Lea Bridge Railway replaced coach travel.
This is not my own branch of the Wragg family, but I would like to know more so that I can add details to my WRAGG One-Name study.
Loved your website - keep up the good work.
Carol K Toulson
Essex, UK email

Hi
I am a collector of pottery from the Fielding Crown Devon works previously in Stoke on Trent. I have just acquired a fine beaker which bears the crest of the Borough of Walthamstow and the words:

Borough of Walthamstow
Charter Day
10th October 1929

The beaker obviously commemorates this event in Walthamstow's history and I would be most grateful if anyone could give me any details of the Charter Day so that I can place the beaker in context in my collection. Many thanks in anticipation. Regards
Tony email

Hi
I have discovered your web site whilst looking for info on Walthamstow which would bring back memories to my father Arthur Brocklehurst. He was born and lived in Hawarden Road in 1919. His mother's maiden name was Handson. I believe she had a Walthamstow background before she married whereas I believe my father's father was from the Dover area. Unfortunately my father's father died at the age of 32 years leaving a young family of three sons, Norman, Arthur and Peter and two daughters, Doreen and Greta to be raised by my Grandmother. Norman died in the war years in Africa whereas all the other children are alive. Arthur joined the army in 1939, ahead of call up, and carried out his basic training at Woolwich. We hope to take my father back to Walthamstow in the near future because he has "fond memories" even though they were not easy years for the family. He does appreciate things will have changed since he was last there, which was during the war years. If anyone who reads this has any recollection of the area between 1919 and say 1942 or remember the families and e-mails I can pass this on to him and hopefully it will add to those "fond memories". Regards,
Geoff Brocklehurstemail

I'm looking for any information about a Mascall family in Walthamstow. One of my ancestors, John Mascall, was born there in 1783, and, as a sailor, was prisonner in Valenciennes, France, when he married Jeanne Murez in 1813.
His parents names were Edward Mascall and Elizabeth Eliss. If you know anything about this, please contact. Thanks,
Alex email

I wonder if you'll be able to help me. While looking into my family history , I've been told that in the late 1880's/1890's , my great grandad and his 2 sisters were placed in an orphanage, possibly in Walthamstow. I wonder if anyone is able to tell me if
a) there was an orphange in Walthamstow at about that time &
b) if there was , is there any info on it or where i'd be able to find out more about the records for it.
Thankyou for your time,
Hope you can help

Alan M'Grady email

When reading the messages on your site I found one from Mandy Harper nee Flexon. This is the correct name and age of a relative that I have lost contact with for many years.
Would it please be possible for you to contact Mandy and ask her to contact me on this address so we can establish whether we are related or not. She has not left her e-mail address on your site for me to contact her directly and I hope you still have the original message with the address attached.
Please reply soon.
Karen Squires nee Pratt. email

My name is Dennis Seager, I was born in Walthamstow in 1935 and attended the Joseph Barrett school. While I was there, myself and a boy named Tony Heart received the Royal Humane Society Certificate for rescuing a lady from drowning at Wipps Cross. In 1953 I joined the RAF until 1958, after which I obtained a coach driving licence with George Ewer of Stamford Hill. In 1964 I moved to Lowestoft in Suffolk and later bought a house in Oulton Broad. During the sixties I travelled abroad a great deal and then in the seventies I started my own travel business. I am now retired although I still travel a lot. I always like going back to London, I think that once a Londoner, always a Londoner. It would be nice if I could contact some old friends, Tony Hart, Clifford Bundy and some of my cousins who I lost contact with, from Frank and Dolly Seager. I lived in Daventry Ave, off of Hoe Street. Its nice to remember old and happy times.
Please Email me
Dennis email

Hi
I am wondering if anyone out there could help me. You see somebody has bought 128 Ainslie Wood Road, and wants to take away this beautiful house surrounded by wonderful land full of nature, and building a two storey complex, comprising of 9 flats.
We as residents of Ainslie Wood Road, feel that whilst the proposed building is pleasant on the eye, it is not in keeping we our lovely relatively unspoilt area.
We were hoping that we could find some history on this property, to add weight to our opposition. This house was the original farmhouse of the South Chingford Rural Farming Community.
Many thanks and look forward to hearing from anyone out there who can help.
Nina Yianni email

Hello I have been looking at your site and enjoyed it very much. However, I would like to post a query but couldn't see where to do so. I wonder if anyone knows what happened to Hilda and Lilian STREAK. They were bridemaids at my parents wedding in 1933. They lived in Walthamstow but the event was in Chingford.

During the war, my grandmother worked at a factory in Walthamstow packing ammunition and she had her photo taken shaking hands with Queen Mary. Would anyone have any idea, if possiable and if so where, we could obtain a copy.
Thanks for any help
Jean email

Dear Avenue are you having a good year, I was born in Walthamstow and now live in Woostock Ga, USA I miss back home the fish and chips and a good pint a beer, and is the Higham Hill pub still open, anyway I used work down the bottom of the market off St. James St. I am a dental tech and I did that there too, anyway just wanted to drop a line to the home boys, from
Shaun Moore email

My great grandmother and great great aunt use to work at bell manufacturing school wear suppliers,from the 1920s-1940s, the owner of the factory was called Barney, my great nan was called Doris Longhurst (nee Budd) and her sister was called May Budd, and my other great nan Ethel Hunt (nee Watts) also worked there.
Please could you give us any information,that would be great!!! Yours gratefully
Nancy Hunt and my dad Charles Hunt,our email address is email

Just wondered if any pictures still exist of the pool. Went over there last week for the first time for 50 years. As far as one can tell it must have been bulldozed and left for the forest to take it back over.
Tony Philpott email

Hi, I have just stumbled on to your website and its brought back a lot of memories..
We used to live in Parkstone Rd and went to Woodside school from 1954 and then on to Warwick girls school. We were the first intake of the new girls school.
I would love to know about the Simmonds family and peope I went to school with.
I'm in contact with Sheila Stansfield, she lives in Australia and I now live in New Zealand,
If anyone remebers the Davis', 4 girls and mum and dad I would love to hear from you.
Lin Saunders nee Davis email

Like your site – I was surfing for Walthamstow Avenue FC and came to your homepage. I was a fan of WAFC when I was at school when they won the amateur cup. I just remember the church that was at the top of the High Street, it was nearly opposite the library, also the Walthamstow palace that was opposite or nearly opposite Selborne Park, when it was a park and not a bus station.
I used to live at 45 Pembroke Road, this was a time when there were no cars (about 1952 ish) and you could play out in the street, there was at the end of Pembroke Road by Grosvenor Park Road a shop of some sort and they had a horse and cart in the back yard. Coal was delivered by horse and card from the coal yard that used to be in Queens road and carried through the garden in sacks. Where the outside loo was – no bathroom then!
I could probably go for hours about those times, If you want me to put something together along the lines above, please let me know
Pete email

Are there any people who are interested in Walthamstow, ex employees of Asea Electric or Fullers Electric or as it is known now Hawker Siddley Power Transformers. If there is or there are people who know this factory, it has been reported in the Local paper the Guardian that the factory will close for ever at the end of March. The company that owns Hawker Siddley say they
have no orders past the end of March and 175 people will loose their jobs.
The factory has been on that site since 1905 producing power transformers. At one time it had its own railway sidings, for all its raw materials and for the transportation of the finished transformers. Later on they used Pickfords to transport the really large transformers by road, what a sight that was. In 1968 I started my engineering apprenteship there, I can not remember how much I was paid. I lived in Fulbourne Road then and the factory was about five minutes walk from my front door, (I still struggled to get to work on time). I can still remember the big shop where all the large transfomers were built, it had a large deep oven in it for drying out the transformer coils before they were put in to the tanks. The factory as it is now is much smaller than when I was there. There is a spring making factory across the road from the factory that used to be called the West Works, there is a Homebase next door to the factory that is where the South Works was. I suppose they will build houses on the site, and another piece of Walthamstow history will be lost for ever.
Regards
Brian Lodge email

I went to the South West Essex Technical School (SWETS) Winns Avenue from 1948 till 1950 and Hoe Street from 1950 till 1953. My 1953 5SA class is holding its 50 year reunion on the July 4, 2003 weekend. Nineteen of us survive out of the 25 classmates. I believe the Hoe Street branch is now an Educational Department office involved with adult education. Out of the 19, two are in the USA, one in France and one in Australia. Most of the remainder live in Essex with the rest in English Counties. My paternal grandparents James Elton Watts and
Madeleine nee Spice, lived on Pembroke Road and my father and his brother went to Cann Hall Road school. On May 9, 1945 I was living in Ilford and my mother took me on a bus to the Green Man, then on a tramcar to Whipps Cross then another bus to the Bakers Arms, where we saw Winston Churchill pass by in an open touring car as part of the WWII victory celebrations. My dad's brother, Cyril Nicholas Watts and his wife Edie, nee Ross, lived at 31 Copeland Road from the 30s till the 70s. Jeff Watts, Gualala, California.
Jeff Watts email

Hello again. I am emailing again regarding the Chingford Newsreel videos. These are locally produced videos by a man named Tim Emblem-English and produced by David Piggott. They are made in a Pathe-stye format. I have found out details of where they sell them, so if anybody wishes to order them they can be sent.
The Bargain Bookshop 135, Station Rd Chingford London E4 6AG Tel: 020 8524 9002
They have videos on: Chingford Newsreel 50s, 60s, 70s, Chingford Newsreel 80s, 90s and Chingford Newsreel 2000, 2001. Ok hope this can help some of your website users wishing to view the areas they remember!
L. E Webb

Hi there, I came across your website trying to find information on the Whipps Cross lido. Anyway I thought it might be worth mentioning to you The Chingford Newsreel. You may already have heard of this. It's run by a chap who lives locally to Chingford. Over the years, since the 60s I think, he has taken footage of the changing face of Waltham Forest. It mainly concentrates on Chingford, but it may be of interest to some of your site visitors. Also he very occassionally holds viewings of his footage, past and present at Chingford Assembly Hall. Here you can buy videos dating back to certain decades. His enthusiam for the area and filming it was once featured on BBC2 a few years back. I think the prog. was called 'The Chingford Newsreel'.

Also have you heard about The Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow. This holds a wealth of documents on the local history around the borough of Waltham Forest. This too may be of interest to people. To view documents you do have to book a time slot. But it is a very interesting local museum. I think it used to be the local police station as it has an authentic cell in the basement. The lovely Alms Houses and 'Ancient House' are nearby. The Ancient House has just had its restoration completed - and is back to it's original appearance.
Hope this is of some help,
thanks,
L. E Webb email

These are the things I remember about the High Street during the '40's: Shaking with fear, passing by a high walled building. It was a very foreboding place and my Mother always threatened that I would be put in there, along with all the other naughty boys, if I didn't behave myself. Going to see Sweeny Todd the Barber at what I think was, the Walthamstow Palace. Coming out of Manzes eel and pie shop and having a glass of piping hot Sasaparilla on a cold winters day. A few fights as an amateur boxer at the Buxton Club. Reaching puberty and trawling the High Street, after dark, looking for "talent". Christmas shopping and a van suddenly stops. Out get a couple of dodgy looking characters and fling open the back doors. Cases of booze entice a crowd in next to no time. "Ere lady, give us a 'alf a nicker and stick it in yer bag quick in case the coppers see". A flurry of arms reach out for the ilicit contraband, with everyone obeying the command to stash it away quick. In five minutes the van was empty and disappearing down the back streets. Only when they reach home do the hapless purchasers realise they'd been had. There, on the bottle, in fine print, were the words, "Non Alcoholic". I'll try to think of some more. Cheers, Alf.

I am 45 years old and now live in Cumbria with my 3 kids,what a surpise I got when I typed in Walthamstow E17,my home town it made my day.I was born at Thorpe Combe hospital in Shernhall St in 1957 and lived there all my life up until I reached 21 when sadly due to commitments I left.Walthamstow will always be dear to me,holding all my memoires and dreams.Thanks for rekindling them.
Mandy Harper nee Flexon

Message from Brian Lodge "I have not looked at the web site for some time due to work and personnel reasons. I have contacted a couple of the people who wanted to talk to me but Carolyn Oakley has not answered my message, I do not know if she has changed her e-mail address. Could you put this message on the web site letting her know my e-mail address which is brian.lodge219@ntlworld.com

The site looks really good now. I can not believe how it has changed since I have been away.

I have been trying to learn about the Catholic convent(St. George's?) My mother said she was a resident there from 1907-1916.Do you have any records on a convent/orphanage in Walthamstow in those years? Thank you
Audrey von Lindern Idaho .USA. email

We are fairly new arrivals in Walthamstow (3 years) and are living in one of the flat fronted 1890s houses in Maynard Road which apparently used to be one of a little group of shops. We've had a look through the archive photos at Vestry House to see if we could find an old photo, but no luck, and staff were unable to find any info on what kind of shop it might have been. This is not a particularly urgent or important query - we were just interested in
finding out more, and thought maybe you or one of your contributors might remember the shops or have an idea about where we might find a photo, if one exists.
Many thanks
Sally Mann email

Greetings & Salutations.
Before I start I would like to commend you on your site. It was
interesting seeing pictures of my friends' Parents & Grandparents and possibly pictures of my own grandparents as some of them grew up in London. Your site is also very informative on the past of Walthamstow. I understand that your site is a work in progress so if I visit it later on I can expect it to be even better! I have lived in Australia since half way through 1998 and was just
looking up some internet sites to try and find information about how to get in touch with some of my old acquaintances.
I went to school in Walthamstow roughly four years ago. I attended both Henry Maynard infantry & Henry Maynard Junior Schools. I was wondering how I might get a hold of some of the old class lists from 1997 & 1998 in Henry Maynard Junior. I thought that you would be the man to ask since you
have a site devoted to Walthamstow. If you do not know yourself then I am sure you will be able to direct me towards internet sites, people or other resources that may help in my quest. I was hoping to get in touch with some of the people that you might find, so contact addresses would suit me grandly.
I have already tried going to some 'Old schoolfriends' websites but all the entries are for people that left before the time I was enrolled.Anything such as a class photograph (I was in red group, year five, first half of 1998) would be useful. I am quite cut off down under so I cannot seek these things myself. I would be very grateful for any help at all.
Contact me here: email
T'raaa
Jack.

Colbrook Road. I was amazed to read an email about this road on the Walthamstow site, my mother was born in Clarks (Clarkes) Cottages which I believe were in Colbrook Road. This may not be correct for I was always told that they were `back of the High Street`.
If anyone can help with any information as to the whereabouts of these cottages or where I could obtain a photograph I would be pleased to hear from them.
Susan Henman email

Hi there,
I stumbled over your site, whilst looking for a map of Walthamstow. Just thought I would let you know that some of the descendants of the Toney family ( the founders) are still living : My dad has researched the family thoroughly. Im thinking of moving back to Walthamstow, after a few centuries
being away.
Raquel Toney email

I'm a new arrival in Walthamstow, wanting to know more before I have to dismantle a piece of history in my garden - an amazing giant, home-made wooden freezer. Our neighbours say it was used by the Italian family who owned the place from 1934 onwards to make ice-cream, and think that Rossi's next to The Chequers was the business (possibly a franchise?) they set up to sell it. Mrs Manzo's children used to step inside the freezer on hot summer afternoons to cool off. I've put photos in the Walthamstow Historical Society's August newsletter, but would be very grateful if anyone reading this remembers Antonetta Costantino, who moved in from Arkley Crescent in 1934, or Josephine Manzo (her daughter?), who lived in the house in Carisbrooke Road from 1934 until 2001. We met Mrs Manzo once, who was moving to stay with her own daughter in St Albans. I'm sorry to report that she passed away in August, 2002.Any recollections at all related to Rossi's gratefully received.

Adam Hibbert email

I am looking for information on the Lighthouse, Markhouse Road. My greatgrandparents were married there in 1904. Could you refer me to anyone who might have historic info on the Lighthouse? Thank you for your help, Brian email

My family (Stephen and Dorothy Brett and sons Maurice and Donald) lived at 43 Penrhyn Avenue from 1934/5. My brother Maurice & I attended Roger Ascham Schools until 1939 when we were transferred to Chapel End School - the
Auxiliary Fire Service took over the Roger Ascham junior school. I left for the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in 1942. The first two terms were spent with the Girls High School girls at the Chingford County High School before the army finally moved out of the Monoux school and the evacuees returned. The lower deck of the 38 bus often had to be emptied as we neared the top of Chingford Mount to allow the poor old bus to go the final few yards. Maurice remained at Chapel End where he was introduced to the magic of the violin by Miss Mary Gill and he later attended the Royal College of Music and became a professional violinist leading the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra as deputy leader before becoming free-lance. I learned the 'cello so we often performed with other local amateur musicians during the late 1940s. I left the Monoux for University College London in 1950 and became a university lecturer in botany. After a couple of years with the Royal Signals in Cyprus and Aden I joined the Botany Dept of Glasgow University where I met my wife Mary Campbell. I came back south to Bedford College (London University) and eventually retired from the combined Royal Holloway/Bedford College. We have one son Alan (www.image-metrics.com) and daughter Jennifer who is with the Environment Agency.
Is there anyone of our era out there? email

I have just found (through my daughter) your website.

I have in possession handwritten books which were my grandfather's memories of old Walthamstow. He was born in 1885 at 1 New Park, Wood Street. He was unable to find this address on any map as the cottages were pulled down while he was a child. However, he went first to Shernhall Street school and then to Maynard Road school, later moving on to Chapel School in Walberton(?) Road (difficult to read). His son, my Uncle Ted (Edward Williams) became a teacher at Maynard Road School before the war and was evacuated with the school to Oakham in Rutland. The best man at my Uncle Ted's wedding was Mr Garrett, at headmaster at the school. My grandad also went to the new school in Wood Street which opened in 1898. Some of the staff were Messrs Butcher, Broadhurst, Thorne, Lane, Sims and Foster at that time.

Grandad then goes on to describe Wood Street with all the shops, their shop keepers etc at that time.

I intend to type these books up sometime as they are very fragile and will not stand a lot of handling.

I hope this may be of use to you - giving a little of the earlier history of these schools.

Best regards

Rose email