Nostalgic memories of Dagenham's local history
Share your own memories of Dagenham and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 101 - 110 of 141 in total
January 1977.
The rain was almost horizontal that day, ice cold too, as I walked towards the hut at the delivery wharf of the Ford River Plant in Dagenham, Essex, I thought to myself that it really could not be any worse than this.
It is odd, the human brain, well, mine is anyway. That moment is an indelible memory locked in my particular timeline, the nineteen year old apprentice, almost ...see more
I was born in late August 1949 in Joan Gardens..a banjo off of Joan Road. Yes we lived on the big council estate but we didn't know. All I remember is the wonderful tmes we had playing in the banjo and the streets around..knock down ginger being the favourite. I remember having to try and go to the loo after my older sister and I were caught knocking by a very quick neighbour and my quick witted ...see more
I moved to Lymington Road, Dagenham, in 1939, across the road from the school. At first I attended Green Lane School - same as Dudley Moor. I even had the same piano teacher. Miss Hoggard. But she gave up on me. In the early years of the War, bedtime was the Anderson shelter, and whopping great spiders! Searchlights swept the skies, and there was often the sound of anti aircraft guns. Shrapenl was ...see more
I was born in Upney hospital in July 1947 and lived in a prefab at 703 Ripple Road. Opposite was a bone/scrap yard and along the road the Ship & Shovel pub. I went to Campbell and Dawson schools and remember the shops in Gale Street. Went to Saturday morning pictures in Beacontree for 6d - there was a good fish and chip shop there too also remember going camping in Halinut ...see more
Valence Park swimming pool I remember always being cold. It cost a couple pennies in old money, cup of oxo and a thick biscuit, and the old changing sheds by the pool, 2 foot gap top and bottom of door, freezing, haha. The noise in there - I can still hear it now. What fun we all had, I also remember the bandstand, and Sunday am people reading their Sunday papers, just relaxing, good times.
My name is Bryan Cole, I ...see more
So many years ago but I can remember everything like it was yesterday. Mrs Truman's cafe near the church, just a shed really, the sweet shops, hairdressers, bike shop, cafe, pie and mash shop, my mum ran that pawn shop, I lived above that in 1967, just 2 rooms. Park school we went to. Sparshots think it was called sweet shop so many and now it just breaks your heart to see how bad it is now. The ...see more
Just an up-date to my previous memory. I wonder if anybody remembers St Mary's Church just down the road from Valence Wood Road. I was a choirboy there for a numbers of years in the late forties - early fifties. I was married there on Oct 1st. 1955.
Alan Gammans
I lived in Henshawe Road so I could see the pool from my bedroom window. I cannot remember the exact year, but my friend Maureen and I learnt to swim there - no official lessons so Im not sure how, but we did. From then on we spent every weekend and every day there in the summer holidays - home for lunch and back again in the afternoon - buying a monthly pass for 2/6p, however if you reached a certain ...see more
During the 1940's my Mother worked as a part time Park Keeper at Valence Park, I and my older sister spent many hours in the park, it was the safest place to be during an air raid, I remember the doodle bug hitting the houses in Valence Ave, as we were in the park at the time, we saw the doodle bug spinning round like a flaming cross as it headed towards Valence Ave, bits of debris were later found in the park, at ...see more
The year is approximate, but friends and I used to swim at the pool in Valence Park in the hopes of being competitive. I lived on Valence Wood Road and attended Triptons Secondary School. My best friend at the time was Jimmy Stovell who lived across the street. I have now lived in Canada for over forty years. After swimming we used to purchase an Oxo cube for drinking. I would love to hear from anybody who remembers the pool or Triptons.