This is a blog that is all about a good old friend of mine ‘Derek Sparrow’. In this blog Derek tells us all about his life-story from his birth in 1939 right up until 1973, when I first met Derek – and is titled –
“The real Del Boy’s London”
Hello there – let me introduce myself – My name is Derek Sparrow – I am 81 years old – and although I am formally named ‘Derek’ I have always been known as ‘Del’.
I was born and bred in east London and I’m very much a proud East-Ender.
This is the story of my early life in the east-end, that has been put together by young ‘Geoff Clements’, a lad I first met in 1973 when he started work as a junior member of staff at Barclays Bank 839 High Road Leytonstone-London E11, where I was the ‘First Cashier’ at that time.
My Birth:
I was born on the 4th October 1939 in the upstairs bedroom of my parents home at number 8 Colchester Ave-Manor Park-London E12. I was their youngest child, and I had 2 older brothers.
At birth I only weighed just over 2lbs, and for the following few months I was kept and slept in a drawer of a piece of furniture in my parents bedroom, until I gained sufficient weight to be able to be placed in a cot.
My dear old mum admitted to me, later in my life, that, when she found out she was pregnant with me, she did not want a 3rd child – and so did her best to abort me, by drinking Gin and having hot baths etc
My Parents:
My dad was ‘Walter John Sparrow’. He had 14 brothers and sisters, who all lived in a house in Walton Road–Manor Park, until such time he married my mum – at which time they moved into a rented flat at no.1 Colchester Ave, just across the road from no.8 Colchester Ave, the house that eventually became the family home-where I was born.
My dad Walter had to scrape a living, and would ‘caddy’ for wealthy gents, at the local Wanstead Golf Course. Dad knew where all their bad shots had landed, and so would go and find all the ‘lost’ golf balls and then sell them. Times were very hard back then, and sometimes dad had to go before a Committee to try and obtain handouts to enable his family to survive-no such thing as State Aid in those days.
During WW2 my dad was an ARP Warden, and his look-out post was at St. Michael’s Church on the corner of Toronto Ave E12, and the Romford Road – just 3 streets from our Colchester Ave home.
Although I was only a nipper, I can clearly remember my dad taking me to his look-out post at the Church, and one occasion when he had to start the air-raid siren to alert the local public of an in-coming attack from German bombers – so that they could prepare to take shelter.
Later in life dad worked full-time as a steward at Wanstead Golf Club for 12 years, looking after all the wealthy members, such as doctors and lawyers etc – keeping all their golfing gear clean and tidy.
Eventually dad left his job at the Golf Course and went to work for Ford Motor Company in Dagenham. The Golf Club were sad to see him go, as they thought a lot of him there – and they gave him a glowing letter of recommendation, which some years ago I gave back to the golf club for their museum archives.
My mum was ‘Amy Georgina Robinson’. She was born in Hackney-London E8, then at some stage, her family (which also included 14 brothers & sisters) moved to Walton Road–Manor Park, where she met my dad. Mum was and remained a housewife and had no other job, other than running the family home and looking after me & my brothers.
Memories of Colchester Avenue – When walking into Colchester Ave as a youngster, I clearly remember there was a corner shop on right hand side, that we used to call “Rumbles”. It was run by a Mrs. Rumble and she used to sell hay to the horse & cart drivers, travelling along the Romford Road, doing their deliveries etc. She was a remarkable lady as she did all the loading of big heavy bundles of hay herself, and continued this for quite a number of years, until no longer able to.
The eldest ‘Rumbles’ brother was a really lovely man, and when I was young, somewhere around 5,6,7, I used to go and join him at 5am every morning to help mark-up the daily newspapers for the delivery boys, who had quite a number of rounds all around the Manor Park area.
Years later when I was about 9 or 10 one of the brothers caught me stealing comics from them – and quite rightly, I remember getting into serious trouble about that.
The shop next to ‘Rumble’s was a newsagent called “Fileks”, which was handed down by the parents of 3 brothers to run. I can clearly remember that 2 of the brothers always ended up having fist fights with each other, that sometimes spilled out into the street. Us kids used to watch their fights through the gaps in the shops door – great entertainment for us.
About 50 yards from our house – there was a small mews building, where people took scrap iron and old clothes in exchange for a few pennies. That business too was run by 3 brothers who again always seemed to end up having physical fights among themselves in the middle of the street – so amusing to us youngsters.
Further on down Colchester Ave, not far from our house, on the bend on left hand side – there was a firm called “Knott’s Wood Yard” that made furniture etc. You can still see the gap where the yard used to be, but today there are now a few residential houses built on the site.
Another clear memory I have of my childhood is that every Sunday the Salvation Army used to come to our street to play their music and preach to us.
There were very few cars around in our poor deprived area when I was a youngster, and so home deliveries were made to households for essential groceries such as flour – milk – bread etc, all delivered by horse drawn carts.
At the very eastern end of Colchester Avenue, there stood a massive milk depot. All day long the delivery horses and carts used to come in and out of the Depot, and us kids used to shovel up the horse manure off the street, and then try and sell it to the nerighbours for a few half-pennies, so they could use it for their gardens.
Today the milk depot site houses a load of council flats.
My School Years:
My first school was my Primary School and was known locally as ‘Walton Road School’ – and conveniently, it was only a few minutes walk from my Colchester Ave family home.
I was only at the Walton Road Primary School for a short while, as the place got bombed out, and so all us kids were moved across to the Fourth Avenue School, which was still an infants school. By the time I had reached junior school age, my previous Walton Road School had been rebuilt, and so we all moved back over to there again for the rest of our schooling. By that time the ‘Walton Road School’ had been re-named ‘The Jack Cornwall School’ – named after a ‘local’ lad who had lied about his age to join the Royal Navy, and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for bravely manning his ship’s guns, when all was lost.
Today, there are a number of landmark references to Jack Cornwall, such as street names etc – in commemoration of his bravery.
I attended The Jack Cornwall School from the age of 11 until 15 years old – at which time I left for good and started full-time employment.
Growing Up – Memories:
Every Sunday I used to have to attend St. Michael’s Church in Toronto Rd at its junction with the Romford Road (the church that had been my dad’s look-out post, when he was an ARP Warden in WW2) and had to listen to the Reverend Webb’s sermons.
Near the bottom end of Colchester Avenue, there was an opening to a narrow alley-way, known locally as the ‘Butts’. This alley went under the railway bridge on which trains to and from Liverpool Street in the City of London would travel back and forth. The Butts pathway went right through to the far corner of the massive City of London Cemetery – and then further on to ‘Wanstead Flats’, an area of public grassland that was the ‘playground’ for all us east-end kids.
As kids we used to play on the sand hills of Wanstead Flats, and used to go across its pond to a little island in the middle of the lake. Many families used to have picnics on the ‘Flats’. Also situated on Wanstead Flats, there used to be a bandstand, with brass bands playing at weekends. Even after the end of WW2 for a few years, barrage balloons could still be seen floating in the skies above the ‘Flats’.
My mates and I would always be playing football on the ‘Flats’, sometimes up until 10pm at night, and would often get ‘a-clip-round-the earhole’ for staying out late, and worrying our parents.
Apart from Wanstead Flats, the other local ‘playgrounds’ where me and my young mates would ‘hang-out’ were Wanstead Park – Valentines Park in Ilford & Barking Park just down the road from Ilford. Also – us youngsters (including the girls) used to play on the old “bomb sites” scattered throughout the local streets close to my Colchester Avenue home.
As a youngster, all I only ever to wanted to do was play football, usually in our street (until we broke somebody’s window that is). Very few cars around in those days.
I became captain of the school football team- as I was lucky enough, although being quite small in height and size, to be born with a natural talent where most sports where concerned. Other than football and sport, I had no real hobbies as such, but I did like girls!!!.
I clearly remember the day when the old King died – my abiding memory of that day was me and my mates walking home from Jack Cornwell School at the end of the days lessons, and an older guy we knew, going the opposite way called us across the road to specifically tell us the news, his words were “Your King has died” – its funny the things you remember.
I also used to really enjoy going to ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’ with my friends. I loved all the cowboy films starring Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger, and also the cartoons of Tom and Jerry etc. One outstanding memory I have is of going with my parents to see Tarzan films, Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan and his chimp sidekick. The queues for the cinema used to be massive, and there used to be a uniformed doorman at the front of the cinema, to allow you in. Interestingly, my Saturday Morning Pictures cinema eventually became a Bingo Hall, with card tables. My eventual wife Ann worked as a croupier on one of the tables, and once even acted as bingo caller there.
Another childhood memory that has always stuck in my mind, is just after the war, when quite a few American Servicemen started visiting Manor Park & the East End – and because I was a skinny, ginger haired kid, they seemed to quite like me, and would give me chewing gum and sweet treats, plus the odd coin or two.
When I was about 7or 8 me and my mates would play marbles in the gutters of Colchester Avenue. Not being essentially health conscious in those days, we used to pick up cigarette dog-ends discarded in the gutters, and then smoke them (nearly everybody smoked in those days). At that time my dad was working night shifts at ‘Ford Motors Co’ in Dagenham, and would often have a smoke before he went to bed in the mornings – so I would often smoke his dog ends when there was nobody else around.
As a young teenager at The Jack Cornwall School, I would rush home – buy 10 cigarettes & then go to the cinema, known locally as the ‘Flea Pit’, that was situated between Grantham Rd and Walton Road. There was a pub next door, which at that time was the local drinking den for my mum, dad, aunts and uncles – so I had to keep my wits about me, to make sure I didn’t get caught out.
My Uncle was the landlord of the “Golden Fleece” pub in Capel Rd, right on the southern edge of the Wanstead Flats common ground.
After the WW2 when I was about 7 or 8, my parents and extended family members, used to often go to my Uncle’s pub for family gatherings and get-togethers – where there would be ‘after hours drinking’ in his large flat upstairs above the pub. During that time, all the players from West Ham United would be there, so it was great for me, meeting all my heroes.
Working Years: – I left school at 15 and went to work at ‘Selwyn Press Printers’ in Plashet Grove-E.6
My salary was £2 a week, from which my mum took £1.10 housekeeping, leaving me with only 10 shillings to last me the whole week, from which I had to pay my bus fare and my nights out ‘on the town’.
My job at the Printers was to emboss freshly printed flyers by putting them through a machine, which if you did not put it in straight, the material caught fire. I was so nervous and shy in those days, so there were many times when I did set these flyers on fire. I also had to take all the printed stuff to the Finishing Room before it was sent out to clients. This Finishing Room was staffed by all girls. I’d never really ever had anything to do with girls before, having gone to an all-boys school and having no sisters. So I hated going in there, as I used to blush like mad. I only lasted about 6 weeks at the Printing firm, when my brother who was 15 years older than me, said there was a vacancy for a post boy where he had worked – the CWS (Co-op Wholesale Society) in Leman Street–Aldgate-London E1.
When I handed in my resignation at the printers, the bosses offered me a rise of 5 shillings a week to stay – but I had decided to join my brother, as the wage at the CWS was about was £3 a week.
As a ‘post-boy’ at the CWS, I had to take internal post to the typing pool, where there were about 30 young girls worked. Again I hated it, as I was still shy and had no confidence in myself. I stayed at the Co-Op for about 18 months, before deciding to leave, as I was always being told I was not up to the standard of my elder brother.
A close friend of mine from school, worked at a stockbroking firm called ‘Osborne-Smith’ based up near the old London Stock Exchange building in the City. One day he was asked by his employers to try and recruit someone who had gone to the same school as him, as the stock broking firm needed a new junior. My friend asked me if I would be interested, and I jumped at the chance, to commute each day to the City, as the wage was a massive £16 a month plus 2 yearly bonuses. I could not believe that after only 6 weeks working there, it was bonus time, and they actually gave me £15 – I was over the moon. This practice of recruiting old school mates, carried on for the next 10 years – it was a fantastic job and I really loved it there.
However, this all changed when the then Labour won the General Election, and started stinging all the rich people, like pop stars etc, with 90p in the £1 income tax – which then resulted in a mass exodus of skilled people such as doctors, consultants and innovative entrepreneurs leaving the country – which had a massive negative impact of the stockbroking business as a whole.
By this time it was the mid 1960’s and I had 2 small children Carol & Gary, and needed to earn more money to enable me to provide for my growing family.
At that time, my brother-in-law worked at the Ford Motor Co. in Dagenham and he told me that Ford’s needed semi-skilled staff for their production lines. Although it was unsociable night-shift work, that was totally alien to me, it was too good a job to turn down as it was good money. Every other week I was paid time-and-a-half rate, plus 2 hours per day overtime. Saturday overtime and time and a half – Sunday mornings was double time. I was only at my new job with Fords for about 6 weeks, when much to the dismay of men who had been working there for 20 years or so, I was given a cushy, although boring job, that they had all wanted – so I wasn’t the most popular bloke on the production line – but it was good money, which I wasn’t in a position to turn down.
Doing night-shift work at Ford’s was a killer though. When I used to come home from a night-shift, I envied all the people I saw all dressed up going to work, while I was going off to bed – and so I asked my wife Ann to look in the Evening Standard job adverts, and to keep her eye out to see if any Banks were recruiting.
It was now 1967. and after about 16 months at Fords, I answered an advert by Barclays Bank who were looking for new clerks, and so I attended an interview and got accepted.
With my stockbroker experience, I fully expected to be selected for a City branch…….but instead I got 839 High Road-Leytonstone-London E11 – and the rest, as they say, is history, because that’s where I remained until I took voluntary redundancy in 1992.
When I worked at Barclays–Leytonstone, I often used to go to my uncles pub, the Golden Fleece at Wanstead Flats (as mentioned above) for lunch with my work colleagues. I was very much a law unto myself in those days, and it was not uncommon for me to ‘stretch’ my lunch break to 2 hours or more!!!
Social Haunts:
As a teenager – my main recreational venue was the ‘Ilford Palais’ located in Ilford High Road, where heavyweight golden-boy boxer Billy Walker was a bouncer – and Jimmy Saville was the manager.
Monday nights at the Ilford Palais was the main night for records to be played, and dancing to be had – but not by me I’m afraid, as I was far too shy. On Saturday nights at the Palais there was always a band playing and the place was always packed to the rafters.
Fights were always breaking out at the Ilford Palais, but I kept out of the way of them – although one of my older brothers always loved a good fight and was often involved in them in one way or another, especially when it came to sorting out the notorious ‘Canning Town Gang’.
Because the Ilford Palais didn’t sell alcohol to the likes of me & my mates, we often used to get a ‘pass’ out of the Palais, and go over the other side of Ilford High Road to the General Haverlock pub, as the bar staff there were far more lenient to us under-aged drinkers.
In Woodgrange Road, off the Romford Road and just down the road from my Colchester Avenue home – there was another nightclub/dance hall, that was only open for one year, but in that short time, the activities that took place there, the bands that played there and the characters who frequented the place, meant the venue has gone down in the archives of history. The ‘Upper Cut’ Club was owned by George Walker, the older brother of British Heavyweight contender ‘Billy Walker’ (who I knew when he was a ‘bouncer’ on the door of the Ilford Palais). George Walker went on to be the head of the massive Brent Walker business empire, prolific throughout London in the 1970’s & 80’s.
In its short life, the Upper Cut Club hosted all the big rock/pop stars of the day (e.g. The Who – Jimi Hendrix – Otis Reading etc) – making the venue a very popular place for not just punters, but also notorious London gangster types such as the Kray Twins and other similar characters, who all wanted to be ‘seen’ out and about at the venue with Billy Walker and other ‘faces’. As a young man I only ventured to the Upper Cut a few times, as it was a place notorious for a bit of trouble, and the atmosphere could at times, be quite intimidating.
Another dance hall/club I attended regularly was the Lotus Rooms in Woodgrange Road–Forest Gate – just down the road from my family home in Colchester Ave – but again, there were always too many fights at the ‘Lotus’ for my liking – so I used to try and keep my nose clean and out of the way. Today, the Lotus Club is a Poundland store
Pubs I used to drink in:
The William the Conqueror, on the Romford Road in Manor Park – right close to my Colchester Avenue home.
In the same area was the famous Three Rabbits pub, which I frequented regularly – there was no entertainment there in those days-but in later years it went on to become one of East London’s most popular pubs for ‘live’ musical entertainment. In fact at one stage local band ‘Brian Poole & the Tremeloes’ played a residency there. Today, the Three Rabbits pub is a chemists!!
The Two Puddings pub on Stratford Broadway, just a mile or so further west, down the Romford Road– was another well-known East End drinking den that I used to regularly frequent. It was such a rough pub that it used to be know locally as the ‘Butchers Shop’ because blood was often spilled there. When I used to drink at the ‘Puddings’, there were certainly times when it could get very intimidating in there, particularly when the Krays Twins were around.
I also used to drink in the famous Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel. In fact, me & my mates were drinking in there the week before Ronnie Kray shot and killed George Cornell in the main bar – again, it could be a very intimidating pub.
Another of my regular drinking den’s was the Coach & Horses pub near Ilford Broadway, just down the road from Ilford Police Station – My dad used to tell me the tough guys drinking in the pub, would wait for the coppers to come past on their beat, and would rough them up, it was that type of area in those days (& still is now by all accounts). A couple of the Coach & Horses regulars were caught in a sting when trying to do a very large robbery at Heathrow Airport and were jailed for a large number of years.
The Red Lion on Ilford Broadway, was probably my favourite regular ‘drinking hole’. A friend of mine from school used to be the pianist there – and also, it has special memories for me as it was where I held my stag-night there in 1962.
Marriage:
When I first met Ann, she was 15 and still going to Brampton School-East Ham-E.6. I had just turned 18.
A friend of mine had invited me to go on a coach trip to Clacton-on-Sea on the Essex coast, and that’s where we met.
We got married in 1962 at a church in the Barking Road, (now demolished), and had to use a friends address, because Manor Park, where I lived and East Ham where Ann lived, were not in the church’s Parish.
In those days, prior to getting married, you had to attend the church you were getting married at, 3 Sundays on the trot to hear your ‘banns’ being read by the vicar.
Leading up to the marriage you used to have go and see the vicar for 1 evening per week for about 3 weeks, and the purpose of the meeting was so he could explain to you how you made love etc.
Anyway – we had been told by our ‘already married’ friends, that the vicar would always give his talk while sitting on the floor, giving him the opportunity to look up the skirt of the bride-to-be. It turned out to be very true, because that’s exactly what he did throughout our pre-wedding meetings with him – very amusing for us.
We held our wedding reception at the School of Building–Aragon Road–East Ham-E6 where Ann’s dad was the resident caretaker. It was just round the corner to West Ham Utd football ground, so for many years my mates and I would park our cars in the playground, while we went off to watch our beloved Hammers.
To give an example of how the value of things has changed re cost – Ann & I had joint savings of £850, and £500 of that, had been put aside for the deposit for our first house at 17 Sheridan Road-Manor Park.
For our wedding reception we had a sit down 3 course meal for quite a number of relatives, and then in the evening all our friends attended for the evening buffet and free drinks – all of that, plus paying out for a small band to provide musical entertainment – cost us about £150 in total, which was quite a lot of money in those days. On top of all that we also had to fork out the costs of the bridesmaids dresses and the presents for them – the flowers and the wedding cars etc.
The money that was left over was used as deposits for the furniture & beds etc. for our new home.
Ann’s Mum & Dad were very poor, that’s why we paid for everything. Because we had no money for a honeymoon, Ann’s parents hired a caravan for us at a site in Clacton-on-Sea-Essex, costing just £10-so small but was well meant. Again, as with a lot of occurrences in my life, we experienced a funny scenario on our honeymoon. A married couple a few years older than us, latched on to us in the caravan site clubhouse, and we became friendly with them – only to find when they invited us to their house sometime later, it turned out that they were wife swappers – so that was the end of that short friendship.
Homes:
As I mentioned above, I lived at 8 Colchester Ave from my birth in 1939 right up until 1962, when I got married to Ann.
In 1962, immediately after me and Ann got married, we moved into our very first home at no.17 Sheridan Road-E.12 – roughly a 10min walk from my family’s home in Colchester Ave. In 1963 our daughter Carol was born, followed by our son Gary in 1966 – both children started their life in our Sheridan Avenue home.
We lived at our 17 Sheridan Avenue home until 1973, when we finally left the east-end of London and took a big step by moving out to Basildon in Essex, where we have remained happily in the same house ever since.
Meeting Geoff: – In August 1973, this cocky, mouthy little 16 year old by the name of Geoff Clements, started as a junior at Barclays Bank 839 High Road-Leytonstone-London E11, where I was employed as ‘First Cashier’. He clearly thought he was a ‘jack-the-lad’ but I soon put him straight – and today, it is Geoff, via his ‘London Shoes’ who has taken my ‘story’ from my cradle up to that point in time. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it……………..Cheers – ‘Del’.
Footnote to “The real Del-Boy’s East London” – by Geoff Clements
As the above story says, I first met Del back in August 1973, when I started work as a junior at the Barclays Bank branch in Leytonstone-London E11.
I was just 16 years old, and like most young lads that age, I thought I knew it all. I believed that I had already been there, done that and worn the t-shirt, as they say – but I soon found out that I actually knew very little about life. Del was a generation older and had ‘been there & done it’ long before me.
Del grew up in Manor Park, just 10 mins down the road from Ilford where I grew up, and what specifically fascinated me about Del’s ‘story’ was that he had more or less experienced and frequented the same places that I went to in my youth (eg parks, football, pubs & nightclubs etc) but obviously a generation before, when quite frankly, those places appeared to be more interesting and exciting than they probably were when I frequented them.
I originally started this piece of work back at the end of January this year, and it has been put together following a string of many e-mails between Del & myself, and then a number of days with me being out ‘on-the-road’ (pre-lockdown of course) tracking down and photographing all the various ‘landmarks’ relating to Del’s past.
Del is now 81 and its fair to say that he isn’t as fit & healthy as he once was, and doesn’t get out and about as much as he would like to – and with the current situation as it is, he (as with everyone) obviously has to be particularly cautious – and so I hope that this piece of work, brings some joy, not only to Del but also the rest of his family.
Its the first time ‘London Shoes’ has ever created a blog of this kind, and it has been such great fun to do – I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience & its been my pleasure…………..Geoff Clements
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Below is the complete gallery of ‘all’ the photos taken, that relate to this “The Real Del Boy’s East London”

The turning into Colchester Avenue-Manor Park-London E6 – off the Romford Road, just down the road from Ilford Hill in the east.

Colchester Avenue-Manor Park-London E6 – where I was born on 4th October 1939

No.8 Colchester Avenue – my family home where I where born on 4th October 1939

Another view of my birth place & family home – No.8 Colchester Avenue-Manor Park-London-E6

Another view of my birth place & family home – No.8 Colchester Avenue-Manor Park-London-E6

Me – (the author of this article)– across the road from no.8 Colchester Avenue, where Del-Boy was born & grew up.

No. 1 Colchester Avenue, almost directly opposite my family home at no.8. My parents Amy & Walter lived rented a flat within this property when they were first married.

Views of Colchester Avenue

Me – the author, in Colchester Avenue

Down Colchester Ave, on the bend on left hand side there was a gap in the terraced houses, which used to lead to a place called “Knott’s Wood Yard”, where a firm that made furniture operated from. The ‘gap’ is still visible in this photo, and today residential flats are built on the site.

When I was growing up, at the very eastern end of Colchester Avenue, there used to be a massive Milk Depot. All day long there used to be horse & cart deliveries in and out of there (long before electric milk floats were introduced). To earn a few half-pennies, us kids used to shovel up the horse manure off of the road, and try and flog it off to the residents of Colchester Avenue, who used to use it for their gardens (no front drives in those days). The Milk Depot is long gone, and in its place there stand blocks of council flats. This photo shows the area at the end of Colchester Avenue, where the Milk Depot once stood.

Halfway down Colchester Avenue, there was a break in the terraced housing, where there was an alley, which was known locally as ‘The-Butts’. This narrow alley & its pathway led you under the main railway line where trains would travel to and from Liverpool Street in the City – this narrow alley pathway would eventually lead you out to the far corner of the massive City of London Cemetery, and then on to Wanstead Flats, a large area of public open land that was a fantastic playground for us east-end kids. This photo is the entrance to the ‘Butts’ alley from Colchester Avenue, as looks today.

Walking along ‘The Butts’ alley it heads-off under the main railway line that travels to and from Liverpool Street Station in the City to towns in Essex like Romford – Southend – Colchester & beyond, in the east. In this photo you can just about see a train passing over the railway bridge.

Another view of the narrow alley, known as ‘The Butts’ – that leads from Colchester Avenue right through to the far south-eastern corner of the massive City of London Cemetery & beyond onto Wanstead Flats

The end of ‘The Butts’ alley, leads to the far end of the City of London Cemetery, to the left – and the pathway continues on to Wanstead Flats, with Wanstead Golf Course to the right.

On the corner of Toronto Road at its junction of the Romford Road, just a couple of streets down from my Colchester Avenue home – there stands St. Michaels Church – which I used to have to attend for Sunday School as a kid, and listen to the sermons of the Reverend Webb. During WW2 my dad Walter Sparrow was an ARP Warden and St. Michaels Church was his look out station. He used to take me with him on many evenings , and I can clearly remember to this very day, one specific time when he had to start the air-raid siren to warn of an imminent air-raid by German aircraft. St. Michaels Church is still there today – but it is a completely new building to the original one that I used to attend.

My first school was known as the ‘Walton Road Primary School’ located in Walton Road-Manor Park – just a few minutes walk from my family home in Colchester Avenue. I had only been attending there a short while when we got bombed out and had to move to another school in Fourth Avenue just up the road.

Following the bombing of my ‘Walton Road Primary School’ all us kids were moved across to ‘Fourth Avenue School’ just up the road. I stayed at Fourth Avenue School until moving up to Junior level – at which time I was transferred back to Walton Road School, which had then become the “Jack Cornwall Secondary School” named after a ‘local’ lad who was the youngest person to be posthumously awarded the ‘Victoria Cross’ for bravery in WW2. I attended ‘Jack Cornwall School’ in Walton Rd from the age of 11 until I left school at 15.

Local Manor Park lad ‘Jack Cornwall’ lied about his age to join the Royal Navy in WW2, and was the youngest person to be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross medal for manning his ships guns when all was lost. Today there are streets and buildings in Manor Park that are named after him in commemoration.

The A118 ‘Romford Road’ one of east London’s major roads that runs from Stratford right through to Ilford – Manor Park being just one of the districts it passes through.

Manor Park Library – on the Romford Road – just a few streets from my Colchester Avenue home and a place I frequented a lot when I was a young lad. This magnificent Victorian building, was built in the mid 1800’s and pleasingly is still around today – a bit like me, its a ‘survivor’!!

The ‘Romford Road’ Manor Park – looking westwards towards Stratford

Another view of the ‘Romford Road’ Manor Park – looking eastward towards Ilford Hill – with the old Barclays Bank building to the right of the picture

When I was growing up, my Uncle was the landlord of the ‘Golden Fleece’ pub in Capel Road, on the outskirts of the ‘Wanstead Flats’ greenery – a massive playground for us east-end kids.

An old photo of my Uncle’s pub the ‘Golden Fleece’ in Capel Road, on the outskirts of ‘Wanstead Flats’ – as it was back in the day.

At the edge of ‘Wanstead Flats’ there is still the frame which displayed the old ‘Golden Fleece’ pub sign

When I was growing up, my Uncle’s ‘Golden Fleece’ pub was a regular meeting place for our family gatherings and drink-ups. I have clear memories from just after WW2 when I was about 7 or 8 – my parents and other family members used to attend regular ‘after hours’ gatherings in the large flat upstairs. During that time, all the players from West Ham United would be there, so for me, it was fantastic meeting all my heroes. The pub is still there today, but currently going through some major renovation work.

The old ‘Coronation Cinema’ in Manor Park – located just off of the Romford Road – a place that I used to love going to as a kid to watch the like of cowboys Roy Rogers & his horse Trigger and Tarzan films at ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’

Another of Manor Park’s ‘lost’ Cinemas – where as a kid in the 1940’s I use to love going with my mates to watch all the latest films of the day

I left school aged 15 – and my first job was at the ‘Selwyn Press’ printing works in Plashet Grove-East Ham-London E6, not that far from my family home in Colchester Avenue

The site of what was once the Selwyn Press printing works in Plashet Grove, as it looks today. I started work there aged 15. My salary was £2 a week, from which my mum took £1.10 housekeeping, leaving me with a whole 10 shillings to last the whole week, from which I had to pay my bus fare & nights out on the town.

Another view of what was the old Selwyn Press printing works building in Plashet Grove where I start work aged just 15. My job at the printers was to emboss freshly printed flyers by putting them through a machine, which if you did not put it in straight it caught fire. I was so nervous and shy in those days. Many times I did set them on fire.

Manor Park Station – where I commuted from on my way to & from the City, when working at ‘Osborn-Smith-Stockbrokers’ in Warnford Court-London EC2, right next to the old London Stock Exchange building

A view of the train line at Manor Park Station – heading west towards the City of London

As a young man in the 1960’s, I sometimes frequented the ‘Upper Cut’ Club in Woodgrange Road-just off the Romford Road. The Club was only open for a year (1966 to 1967) but its existence has become legendary – as a result of all the music legends that played ‘live’ there throughout its short existence.

The ‘Upper Cut’ club was on the site of an old skating rink, and was owned by George Walker, the older brother of the very popular east-end British Heavyweight boxer ‘Billy Walker’ who was nicknamed ‘The Blonde Bomber’. Billy would often be present at the Club to meet, greet and mingle with all the tv & pop stars of the day, and also the local gangster characters, such as the Kray Twins – everyone wanted to be seen at the Upper Cut

The site of the old ‘Upper Cut’ Club as it looks today. In its short 1 year existence, the ‘Upper Cut’ attracted all the top music acts and bands of the day – and I read somewhere that Jimi Hendrix actually wrote his big hit ‘Purple Haze’ in the club’s dressing room. Personally, I found the atmosphere at the Upper Cut quite intimating whenever I was there, as the place always seemed to be frequented by some dodgy characters and there was often ‘trouble’ in there or outside in the streets when punters were making their way home.

Another popular night-club on my ‘manor’ throughout the 1960’s was the ‘Lotus Club’ in Woodgrange Road, just off the Romford Road. The ‘Lotus Club’ was ironically located directly opposite the ‘Uppercut Club’. All the big bands of the time used to play there too, but again, for me, I always found the place a little bit intimidating, and there were often fights and trouble down at the venue, during my time there.

The old ‘Lotus Club’ building in Woodgrange Road as it is today – on top of a Poundlamd store. In my day it used to be above a Burtons Gents Outfitters shop – I visited this place a few times in the 60’s, but I found it to always be a bit ‘edgy’ – not the sort of place you want to go to for a ‘quiet’ night out.

An old photo of the notorious ‘Two Puddings’ pub in Stratford – known locally as the ‘Butchers Shop’ because blood was regularly spilt in there.

The old ‘Two Puddings’ pub building in Stratford-as it is today.

The famous ‘Blind Beggar’ pub in Whitechapel-E1 – one of my regular drinking haunts with my mates, in my late teens.

Me – the author of this piece – outside the ‘Bling Beggar’ pub in Whitechapel. In the late 1980’s I worked at the Barclays Bank branch directly opposite the ‘Beggar’ – so it was one of my regular drinking den’s in those times.

Green Street-London E7 – the long street that used to lead down to the old Boleyn Ground-Upton Park, the long time iconic former home ground of my beloved “West Ham United FC”

Green Street-London E7 – that used to lead down to the old Boleyn Ground-Upton Park, the long time former home ground of my beloved “West Ham United FC”

A view of West Ham United’s ‘Boleyn Ground-Upton Park – in the 1960’s – with the infamous & notorious ‘Chicken Run’ stand on the left hand side

Another view of West Ham‘s Boleyn Ground-Upton Park – from the 1970’s – with the legendary captain, the late great ‘Bobby Moore’ in the foreground

The commemorative statue of Bobby Moore-Geoff Hurst-Martin Peters – that stands in the middle of the Barking Road, just opposite the now closed ‘Boleyn’ pub next to West Ham‘s old Upton Park stadium. These 3 legendary ‘Hammers’ who were so influential on England winning the World Cup in 1966

The site today of what was, up until recently, the Boleyn Ground – the home ground of my beloved West Ham Utd – a place I spent many happy memorable times with my mates during my childhood and as an adult.

The former West Ham Utd-Supporters Club right next door to what was the Club’s Upton Park ground – the place is now sadly boarded up and apparently occupied by squatters – but a place that I have very fond and happy memories of.

The famous “Three Rabbits” pub in the Romford Road, just down the road from my Colchester Avenue home – a very popular and legendary east-end pub, and one that I used to regularly frequent in my teenage drinking days. It also became a popular ‘live’ music venue in the 70’s & 80’s.

The iconic “Three Rabbits” pub as it is today……a bloody chemists 🙁

Me – (the author) – across the road from the “Three Rabbits” pub – a boozer that I also used to frequent in my youth – a decade or so after Del)

The “William the Conqueror” pub in the Romford Road, just down the road from my family’s home in Colchester Avenue – another of my family’s popular drinking dens.

The ‘Earl of Essex’ pub in the Romford Road-Manor Park – just a stones throw from my family home in Colchester Avenue, where I grew up. Another one of me & my mates ‘haunts’ when we were in our mid to late teens.

Another view of the ‘Earl of Essex’ pub on the Romford Road at Manor Park – one of my regular ‘haunts’ in my youth.

Another view of the main Romford Road – taken from the junction of its turn-off into my family home in Colchester Road – & looking east towards Ilford Hill.

A photo of the old “Rose & Crown” pub on Ilford Hill – right next door to the old Ilford Police Station – & surprisingly one of the areas most troublesome pubs, and another pub that I used to visit in the early drinking days of my youth.

The old “Rose & Crown” pub building on Ilford Hill as it is today

Ilford Broadway – just up the road from my family home in Colchester Avenue-Manor Park. Ilford was a place where the local ‘action’ was – especially the Ilford Palais, a popular place to meet and chat up girls.

The legendary “Ilford Palais” in Ilford High Road – a place I frequented regularly in my teens. Throughout the 1950’s it was a dance hall where the top dance-bands of the day would play every weekend. The ‘Palais’ was THE place to be and be seen, for an east-end boy – it seemed like the whole of Essex & East-End youth would congregate there to dance and chat-up girls – magical memories of this place. (*Me (the author) also used to be a ‘Palais’ regular – but in the early 1970’s when it was one of London’s most popular disco’s)

A photo of a typical Saturday night inside the ‘Ilford Palais’ in the 1950’s – when I was a regular.

Even throughout the early 1960’s the ‘Ilford Palais’ was THE place to be seen for a young east-ender like me.

Sadly the ‘Ilford Palais’ was eventually demolished in the early 2000’s to make way for luxury apartments – very sad, but I have so many fantastic memories of the old venue.

When me & my mates couldn’t get served a beer in the Ilford Palais, because we looked under-age (which we were of course) we used to leg-it over to the other side of Ilford High Road, to the ‘General Haverlock’ pub, whose bar staff were much more lenient in pulling a pint for us lads. (* the General Haverlock was also a regular drinking den for me, the author – in the early 70’s)

An old photo of “The Red Lion” pub on Ilford Hill, just up the road from my family Colchester Avenue home. It was the ‘Red Lion’ where I held my stag-do, the night before my wedding in June 1962.

The old ‘Red Lion’ pub building on Ilford Hill, as it looks today – the place where I held my stag-night on the eve of my wedding to Ann in June 1962.

I lived at 8 Colchester Ave from my birth in 1939 right up until 1962, when I married Ann. We then immediately moved into our very first home together at no.17,Sheridan Road-London-E.12, just a few minutes walk from my family’s Colchester Ave home. We lived in Sheridan Road for the first 11 years of our marriage, and had our 2 children there – then, in 1973 we moved to a house in Basildon-Essex, in which we still live to this very day, some 47 years later!!

Our first home at 17 Sheridan Road – as it looks today

Another view of our first home at 17 Sheridan Road – as it looks today

Del and Ann – with their children Garry & Carol (1970’s)

Leytonstone Tube Station-London E11 – where I (the author of this piece) had to commute to from my home in Ilford – when starting work at Barclays Bank 839 High Road Leytonstone-E11, on the 13th August 1973, aged just 16.

Barclays Bank-839 High Road-Leytonstone-London E11 – where, on the 13th August 1973, the 16yr old me first met Derek Sparrow (Del), who was then the 1st Cashier at the branch

Me – the author – outside Barclays Bank-Leytonstone branch – where I first encountered Del back in 1973

Del (1980’s)
This blog brought back so many great memories for me, as my mum was born in Walton Road in 1928 and my dad was born in Lawrence Avenue in 1921 & both went to Walton Road School – and after meeting in the ‘Three Rabbits’ pub they were married at St. Michael’s church ,& l was christened at this church in 1957.
My dad was a milkman with a horse drawn milk cart when they married.
I have fond memories of regularly visiting both sets of grandparents who remained in their properties in Manor Park until such time the houses were demolished and unfortunately they both ended up in tower blocks.
One of my best memories is that of the Italian ice cream seller who I think operated in Grantham Road – he didn’t have a shop, but a yard behind huge blue metal doors, and I clearly remember the sweet shop that sold broken biscuits by the bag.
Thank you
You mean ‘Rosie’ the ice cream lady. Used to get lovely lemon ice in summer
Hi John
I just remember l thought an Italian family and they sold peach flavour ice cream on a blue plastic stick that revealed a Disney character in the middle when you finished
Hi. Your blog just popped up on my feed so I decided to read the story of Del. My mother was born in 1940 and grew up at 792 Romford Road, opposite the church mentioned in the blog. It was great to read his account of growing up in the area and the photos brought back memories of going to visit my grandparents.My grandfather was a policeman during the war so would have most likely been at the bomb shelters. A great story, well written and informative. Many thanks . James
Nice one Del and Geoff, that is one interesting life journey and great to have recorded it- very different times between start and today.
Thanks both and best wishes Del
Hi Geoff Thoroughly enjoyed following the life of your friend Del – (having succumbed to the dreaded Virus I have plenty of time on my hands to read more of your blogs)- I had plenty of smiles, as so many places you mentioned have a Police story which I know would interest you. I take it you have read the book ‘Tales of the Two Puddings’. The one place that surprisingly never got a mention was the Night Club ‘Room At The Top’ in Ilford where on my last weekend in the Force, two villains robbed and shot the owner and as they made their escaped kidnapped at gunpoint a young PC and forced him to drive away in his police car. I got the phone call at home and before driving to Ilford Police Station I rang my deputy and told him to get the ‘Control Room’ open but to bear in mind that as this was my last weekend it may be a ‘wind up’. When I got to the Nick I knew from the faces that it was not a ‘wind up’ Good read Geoff Take care Bob Robinson
Hi Bob – Do you remember the names of the two guys involved? were they caught? Is there a book published about this?.
I did use the Room at the Top from time to time. A lift used to take you up to dance floor. A friend of mine told me that he was a bouncer there at one point,not the time of the robbery though.
Really loved reading this, thank you so much for educating me about the area I was born in. I’m 40 years old but moved back to Forest Gate 3 years ago after living in Dagenham since I was 3 years old. I’m back in Dagenham again now but every place you spoke of, I knew exactly where it was, thanks again
Thank you Sarah,so glad you enjoyed my blog, receiving comments and feedback makes it all worth while doing. I’m always willing to have a chat if you desire, should their be anything else you would like to know. I have to say this was done with the help of my friend Geoff Clements who did all the leg work from my input.
I was born Feb 1952 in Fourth Avenue Manor Park, so it was of great interest to read this blog. Thanks Geoff for bringing back old memories.
My name is John New, I went to Avenue Infant and Junior Schools in the road I lived, Fourth Avenue. A good road to live in, as apart from the school, there was a pub at each end. The Three Rabbits on Romford Road J/O Rabbits Road, which leads to the Wanstead flats, and the Avenue Hotel in Church Road J/O Browning Road. The Avenue is now a magnificent Hindu Temple [londonsrimurugan.org], you’d think you were in India! A little way down Church Road was the Advance Laundry; bagwash! Young boy school leavers rode shotgun on the vans, with the sliding door open, [no seatbelts], ready to leap out with the next bag.
Going the other way down Church Road you came to Little Ilford Park, a.k.a. Bottom Park or Itchycoo Park [of Small faces fame] so called for all the ‘Itchy Ball’ plants [dried burdock I think] in the park that lined the River Roding adjacent to the Metal Box factory. The park also had an cinder bike track; we had fixed wheel bikes with bullhorn handlebars, a smaller front wheel, no brakes and raced speedway style like riders from The Wick.
Going up Grantham Road from The Metal Box factory you’d come to Cornwell Secondary School [formerly Walton Road as mentioned elsewhere, and now a boys only school] Nearby was the Whitbread beer depot which backed onto Colchester Road. I think you, Geoff, are a little mixed up. Lorries and bottles rattling yes, but with beer not milk! The United Dairies depot was off Capel Road near Manor Park Station. Anyway I definitely remember the Butts, with its dam on the Alders Brook under the Liverpool Street rail line, and ‘The Whippets’, a bombed out industrial area alongside the river Roding. Playing on bomb-sites was normal in the fifties; kids today have no idea!?
Cornwell School held its annual cross-country run, for the whole school, passing the Butts, along the perimeter of The huge City of London Cemetery [for the finest conkers in East London], into Wanstead Park, around all the lakes and back. But, crafty ones would climb over the dam at the Butts, run across Ilford Golf course and into Wanstead Park, picking up the return route thus avoiding going around the lakes!
During my youth, being tall for my age, I’d be the one trying [and usually getting] to buy the pints in either The Golden Fleece on the flats [mentioned elsewhere], or the Earl of Essex, Manor Park Broadway. It was there at The Earl that I first encountered Morris dancing, that I’ve been involved with to this day.
My first ever ‘legal’ job was aged 15 in the VKM Plating Jig factory across from my house in Fourth Avenue. I say ‘legal’ as I’d worked there after school and at weekends since I was 11; the pay beat a paper round!
I later started a career in The London Fire Brigade serving long spells at East Ham and Barking Fire Stations.
Upon marrying a girl, Bev, from Custom House we bought a house in Landseer Avenue Manor Park, but later moved to Canvey Island along with so many from East and West Ham.
Hello John,
I believe you are a friend of my friend Anne Gorham, who I think passed my blog to you.
The dairy I mentioned was at the bottom of Colchester Ave where I lived. I belive you may have been able to access it by foot from Romford Road, by doing it that way there was an alley leading to the bottom of Colchester Ave and also to the ‘Butts’.
It was a Co-Op dairy, serviced by horse and cart. My brothers and also my close friends, worked as milk boys (I have confirmed all this with them).
I am the actual “Del Boy” referred to in the blog – Geoff did this great blog for me,from all the details I gave him.
Just read the comments to Del Boys tale.
Gill Hillman’s comments about the Italian ice cream lady in Grantham Road reminded me of my summer dinner breaks at Jack Cornwall School, going to ‘Rosies’ for lemon and orange sorbet. I’ve never had better!
My uncle Jack had a china/hardware shop on the Romford Rd, between 4th and 5th Avenues, I believe it was called ‘Housewife’s Choice’. It was next door but one to ‘Pooles the Butcher’ who’s son was Brian Poole, of the Tremelos fame.
There was an Army Surplus store the other side of my uncle’s shop with a ‘Home & Colonial’ store opposite.
I lived in 4th Avenue where there was, about half way down, a house with its front room turned into a shop selling cooked meats and basic foods run by a widow, Lizzie. Such shops were all over the East End run mainly by war widows seeking an income.
Near the top of 4th Avenue [Romford Rd] was an old stable yard that connected with 5th Ave. A tipper lorry firm operated from there,’Eagle & Smith’ I believe, and some private garages too.
It always amazed me how they got the huge ex-army lorries through the low, narrow arch.
At the 5th Ave end of this yard was a knacker, who’d sell cooked horse meat for pets, or that’s what my granny told me to ask for when really it was for her dinner! This knacker would also supply raw material to the ‘Gloy Glue’ factory in 5th Avenue.
On 6th Ave in the 1970’s was an ice cream merchant who controlled ice cream vendors up West. This led to open warfare with other West End gangs and some ugly happenings in 6th Avenue.
1st & 2nd Avenues had slightly larger houses, many divided into flats due to the depleted housing stock following the war.
Third Avenue had coal yard and 4th Avenue a clothing factory [later to become an engineers]and ‘Avenue Infant & Junior Schools’ as well as aforementioned yard.
5th Ave was a dead end as was 7th and 8th Avenue – both were residential homes as far as I can recall.
Hello again John,
Just butting in on your last reply.
The name of the family contolled the West End Ice cream businees in 6th Ave were the Blundells.
A close friend of mine was visiting a friend if his in 6th Ave,and had his car blocked in by them, as he had stupidly parked outside their yard. So, he not knowing of their reputation, started arguing with them – luckily for him a guy who new him came out from the yard and told him to do himself a favour and leave. My cousins daughter married one of the Blundells(small world).
I and my friend used to walk down 6th Ave to Fourth Avenue school from my family home in Colchester Ave sometimes.
Also you are correct about the shooting,although I am led to believe it happended somewhere in Ilford, where they owned another property,correct me if I am wrong. Years later they were producing ecstasy Pills out in Essex for which some were jailed.
My Uncle and Aunt lived in 8th Ave,as did some of my school friends,one of which was dating a beautiful 14yr old girl named Tina – who went on to marry the legendary ‘Bobby Moore’ of West Ham and England fame.
Cheers…..Del
Hello John,
I remember my mum buying the horse meat for our dog and then she would boil it in a special pan that was only used for that purpose – I can still remember the smell it was awful!!!
I also remember the hardware shop you mention – and funnily enough, my son-in-law’s mum is Brian Pooles cousin!!
Hey Geoff,
Wow! That other article is great! Some brilliant photos and fascinating history.
I imagine it must have been fun putting that one together – And even better to see it being read and shared by so many.
I’ve also shared it with my father in law who also grew up in E12 – He fondly remembers fights in William the Conqueror, wearing a red velvet jacket, a blind date with a woman called Bertha (…) and never fails to remind us how different the area was back then!
I’ll definitely direct people to your blogs from our website (www.mymanorpark) when our next set of pages go live. I’ll keep you posted.
all the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Is it possible you could tell me the name of your father-in-law – his age & the schools etc that he attended in Manor Park?
It’s a small world, and I might just know him or his family.
Regards – Del