Stratford Empire

[e15boy]

Could anyone enlighten me to the whereabouts of the stratford empire?

I have just found and poster from there in 1939, but it does not say the address was it at Maryland near the church in the grove?

It seems to resemble a theatre but is now a healh centre I think..

[DougT]

e15boy

The attached photo of Stratford Empire is on the main Newham Story site. It appears the theatre was in The Broadway but suffered severe bomb damage in the war and was subsequently demolished in 1958.

Doug

[e15boy]

Cheers doug,

not the one I thought!

Do you know what the one in the grove was?

looks like some sort of theatre....

one more thing do you know where abouts in the broadway it was?  (The Empire that is...)

Thanks again for the reply.

E15

[Kathy Taylor]

The Stratford Empire was just a few doors away from The 'Prussia'. It was bombed and then demolished after the war. Empire House now stands on the spot, a 1950s office block which is or was the tax office.

Kathy

[e15boy]

Thanks Kathy

Mental picture complete.........

Strange though it had a maryland phone number.

"Harry roy and his band" were topping the bill........  E15

[Phil S]

e15

Prior to All Figure Numbering (AFN), introduced during the 60s, telephone exchanges were named and the first 3 letters of that name was used for the dialling code.  All Stratford numbers were prefixed with the first three letters of MARyland exchange group. MARyland was used for all of Stratford mainly because MAR fitted in with the dialling codes for London and it was a location of Stratford.  (Similarily GRAngewood was used for Upton Park). Later when more numbers were needed and after AFN came in, MAR was translated to 534 and a second unit 555 was introduced.  At the same time the MARyland exchange in Jupp Road was renamed Stratford.

The only theatre in the Grove was the Grove Picture House which is exant today and used as a doctors surgery.

[MBrennan]

We didn't have a phone when I was a kid, but I remember our Dentist in East Ham High Street had a Grangewood number. Not sure where the name came from?

In fact when I was in junior school, I only remember one friend in East Ham having a phone and we thought they were posh

I still remember it, although will just post part it. - 552 **22

I remember there being a phone box just outside Gooseley Park (Gooseley Lane entrance) we used to mess about with it (not vandalise it!) I remember if you dialled a certain number and put the phone down it would ring - it was probably a test number.

I remember being told that you had better be careful messing around in phone boxes as the operator could lock the door and send the police round (one of us would hold the door open just in case it was true! )

[Phil S]

552 was the AFN for CLOcktower which was the second unit on Upton Park.  GRAngewood (472) being the first unit.

The ringback number in those days was 174 - it no longer works.

As for the door lock?  I think anybody today would have starved before the Police turned up.

[MBrennan]

Thanks for the info Phil  


Found a list here of all the London dialling codes in 1968 http://www.rhaworth.myby.co.uk/phreak/tenp_01.htm

[Michael H]

We got a phone in about 1970. The neighbours used to come in to use it and there was a little slotted money box by the phone, for them to drop a copper or two into.

[MBrennan]

I remember those little tables with a seat that people used to have. They usually had a money box like you mentioned with one of those address books here you pressed the letter of the alphabet ant it would (sometimes) open on the correct letter - I remember people usually had a lock on the dial as well 

(I mentioned on another thread but I remember an episode of 'Til death do us part' where he said it was £1 a minute to phone Australia - probably when people earned £20 a week!

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

Phil S - Not sure about the time you are referring to:-
In 1947/8 I worked in East Ham for an Engineering Firm,Edward Farr Ltd., and our telephone
Number was GRANGEWOOD 3431.  I worked the "Dolls Eye" Switchboard/6 lines.
Through this I came into contact with 2 very young Engineers from the Grangewood Exchange (Ken & Bernard).

On the quiet I was given a tour of the whole exchange, what a din with all those flaps falling down? I have no idea how it was done ,but at the time No.1 on hit parade was the Music from the THIRD MAN, (film of fame.)

They went out at Lunch Time and bought the single (I think) and the boys rigged up a way to send it over to my switchboard. We three were great friends for years, and all lived in EH/Manor Park.
After Pianos I went to Telephones and loved every minute of these jobs.

Louise

I have got a post out to try and locate KEN - after all this time chances are slim.