BARKING ROAD - 1937

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

  Keeping my fingers crossed that my latest lesson from my Grandaughter will enable me to post this picture:-

  MY GRANDMOTHER - LOUISE ELIZABETH EPSOM/SILVER

  MY STEP GRANDFATHER - JAMES ? EPSOM

  BOTH BORN IN CUSTOM HOUSE AND LIVED PRIOR TO HERMIT ROAD IN SOUTH MOLTON ROAD E.16
  WHERE I PRESUME MY FATHER AND HIS BROTHERS WERE BORN.

  I KNOW YOU WISH FOR MORE INFORMATION BUT IN THIS CASE I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE FORGIVEN AS IT IS SUCH A GOOD PHOTO
  AND GIVES A GREAT VIEW OF  - BARKING ROAD  - AS IT WAS IN 1937.
  lOUISE WITH FINGERS CROSSED STILL. 

[MickG]

Louise, Congratulations on posting your first picture. There is a nice blend of both the horse and the motor in the background. The horse drawn cart looks like it may have belonged to a baker or a milkman. I remember those being still in use just after the war.

[MBrennan]

Great photo Louise 

Just trying to place where the photographer would have been standing. I am guessing they would have been a bit up from the Co-op, so further left on the photo would have been the piano shop?

[Tony_H]

Hello Louise

What a brilliant picture.

One of the shops in the background is a branch of Granditers, (menswear).  That might help place the
photo.

"Sunny Snaps" usually worked at the seaside. Loads of East Enders had their pics taken at Southend where a Sunny Snaps photographer would take your picture, often without asking then give you a receipt with instructions how to pay and get the print.

Best wishes

Tony

[MBrennan]

That's funny - I did wonder if it said Granditers. I know the name and that they used to sell menswear but couldn't place it. I remember buying a pair of trousers around 1979 and the brand was G.B. I think. The man in the shop said they were of the finest quality and made by the same company that made trousers for Marks & Spencer! - how times have changed. These days that would have meant they were made in China  

[nelliesgirl]

Hi Louise,

Well Done! on your first photograph, took me a little while to post a photo. It is very interesting to see the old horse and cart. as Mick has said. I can just remember the baker, and milkman, using a horse and cart, must have been in the very early 50's.

I have just come back from visiting my brother William, he is now in his 80's. He was tell me a few tales of his life in West Ham as a young lad.

I was telling William about the West Ham Forum, and all the very interesting members, and their posts. He listened with great interest. Unfortunately, he is not to well. He did tell me that as a young lad in the early 50's he was a member at the Rotherham boxing club,down by the docks, he boxed in the Bantam Weight class. For any poster that may have been a member their, his name is William Pink.

Nice photo of your Gran Louise, hope to see many more.

Nell.
 

[MBrennan]

I just googled and apparently Granditers is opposite Rathbone market.

PS - This is off-topic, but thought you might be interested Louise. I notice on Amazon that 'The Sugar Girls' is 'speech enabled'. I think this is quite a recent thing in the UK, although they have had it in America for a while. Books that are speech enabled can be listened to, as well as read with certain models of the Amazon Kindle (not on my basic model). I have a feeling that the voice might sound like Stephen Hawking reading you a story  - maybe someone else has experience of it. I just though it might be something to bear in mind.

Mark

I didn't know where else to put this and didn't want to start a new thread, but I knew you would read this one 

[Will.B]

Looking at the photo I seem to remember Granditers being opposite Woolworth's if I am right that means the photo is looking towards Hermit Road, which hadTrinity Church on one corner and the Electric Showroom on the other corner these would have been hidden by trees in the photo.

My father use to get his light bulbs replaced free of charge at the Electric Showroom which always amazed me because he worked at Beckton Gasworks.

[Alf still]

Looking at the photo I seem to remember Granditers being opposite Woolworth's if I am right that means the photo is looking towards Hermit Road, which hadTrinity Church on one corner and the Electric Showroom on the other corner these would have been hidden by trees in the photo.

My father use to get his light bulbs replaced free of charge at the Electric Showroom which always amazed me because he worked at Beckton Gasworks.

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

   THANK YOU ALL!
   FOR THE CONGRATULATIONS, MUST ADMIT WHEN I FINALY GOT THE PHOTO ON SCREEN I HAD A TEAR.
   FIRSTLY MY GRANDAUGHTER SPENT AN HOUR OF HER VISITING TIME ON MOTHERING SUNDAY TEACHING ME AND THEN WRITING EVERY STEP
   DOWN BEFORE SHE LEFT, AND TO MY DEAR UNFAMOUS NAN & GRANDAD, THEN FINALY ME MY-SELF FOR GETTING THERE IN THE END.

   SHOULD HAVE SAID NAN WAS ON HER WAY TO RATHBONE STREET, FROM HERMIT ROAD.

   NOTE THE WOMAN OF THE DAY'S WAY OF CARRYING PURSE IN HAND, NO HAND BAGS IN THOSE DAYS.
   IT IS A WONDER SHE DID NOT HAVE HER LARGE (AMERICAN CLOTH?) SHOPPING BAG WITH HER FOR RATHBONE STREET.
   ANYONE ELSE REMEMBER THOSE LARGE BAGS? ALL SHINY, BUT WATERPROOF. THE CLOTH WAS ALSO USED ON TABLES AND CUPBOARDS ETC.

   REGARDS LOUISE.

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

HI ALF,
YOU ARE SO RIGHT WHEN GOING HOME FROM RATHBONE STREET, UP BARKING ROAD, WE TURNED INTO HERMIT ROAD WITH AS YOU SAY
THE ELECTRIC SHOW ROOM ON ONE CORNER AND ON THE OPPOSITE TRINITY CHURCH, THERE WAS IN MY DAY A SMALL (1939)
WOOLWORTHS STRAIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD, BUT DID NOT REALISE IT WOULD STILL BE THERE IN LATER YEARS.

WE CHILDREN WERE FASCINATED BY THE ELECTRIC FIRES ON SHOW IN THAT SHOW-ROOM, WITH THERE DANCING
FLAMES AND GLOWING IMITATION COALS.
WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE A FEW KNOBS OF COAL FROM THE OIL SHOP.

WAS NOT SO FAMILIAR WITH GRANDITERS AS A LOT OF OUR FELLOW POSTERS, WAS IT MAINLY A MAN'S SHOP., ?
REGARDS LOUISE

[MBrennan]

You can see that it is the same place as the building on the far-right, on the corner of Hermit Road has a bay on the first floor.

It looks as if "The Titanic" is where Granditers was previously.

[linda c]

Hi Louise
Well done with your first photograph-aren't grandchildren wonderful, so at ease with modern technology. Such a lovely photo and full of history showing two methods of transport and fashions of the day. Your grandmother looks very smart and your stepgrandad looks very dapper in his cloth cap and muffler round his neck.

Hope we get to see more of your photo's.

Was it oilcloth that was used for shopping bags and tablecloths? I seem to remember nan having this covering on her table.

Linda

[Albert]

Hi Mark,
The building with the bay window on the first floor was the old L.E.B. showrooms and office,

Regards

Albert

[MBrennan]

Thanks Albert  

So many times when you see old photos, even if the original buildings have survived, it is still hard to make out where places are so it is good to be able to ID this one