*My London-1938 to date – “Eugenie’s Story”

This blog is somewhat different from the usual topics that my London Shoes publish – because it’s not about an historic site, nor a building, or a location, or a famous person.

This Shoes blog is simply about a normal East End girl who was born at the beginning of WW2 and who grew up and lived most of her adult life in the Manor Park–London E12 district of East London – very close to Ilford where I grew up.

This is the backstory as to how this blog came about.

I am a committee member of the RAFA Social Club in Romford. We run a weekly lunch event for the local Stroke Association – where I volunteer as a helper, along with other helpers from the Stroke Association. Throughout my involvement, I got chatting to, and struck up a friendship with one of the Associations helpers – and we regularly talked about her life growing up in post war East London. The more we chatted the more interesting her ‘story’ became, and what’s more, this lady shared several of her personal mementos with me, that really brought her story to life.

I found her story and its encapsulation of social history, so compelling – I asked her permission to create a blog for my London Shoes website, to which she happily agreed – and so, over the past few months, with this wonderful lady’s assistance, I am delighted to now be able to publish: –

“My London – 1938 to date – Eugenie’s Story”

My Birth:

I was born “Eugenie Swainsbury” at the ‘Howard Road Maternity Hospital’ in Plaistow-London E13, on the 1^st June 1938.

At the time of my birth, I was very ill – and a vicar was called in by the hospital staff, to establish whether my Mum wanted me christened there and then.

my Mum told the vicar to go ahead, and to give me her name…. which was Eugenie – and so that was how I came to be named – I was an only child.

My Parents:

My Dad was “Alf Swainsbury” – from First Avenue-Manor Park-London E12

Dad originally worked as a stonemason – but then lied about his age, to enable him to join the Royal Navy – sometime between WW1 & WW2. His family always used to say that he was the youngest man to cross the equator – don’t know how true that is though.

As a serving sailor in the Royal Navy, Dad saw conflict throughout the entire WW2 – some nasty battles apparently.

Not long after the end of WW2, Dad was eventually demobbed from the Navy – and returned home to become a postman up in the City of London.

My Mum was “Eugenie Eliza Walker” – from Bendish Road-East Ham-London E6

They met at a party and were married in November 1934 at Bartholomew’s Church-East Ham-London E6 – apparently in what is referred to as a ‘pea-souper’ London smog.

Mum used to work in a cigarette factory near Liverpool Street Station – until she had me, and then she remained a housewife.

They were wonderful loving parents – I was a very lucky girl

My Earliest Memories:

Having been born in 1938 – I was only 1 year old when WW2 broke out.

My Dad was in the Royal Navy – and Mum & I were evacuated away from East London, out to the safety of the countryside.

Initially, we were evacuated to Weston-Super-Mare and then a couple of other places within a short period of time – but we ended up more permanently in Cambridge – living in a big house called ‘Holmhurst’ along with other evacuated London families.

One day, the lady that owned the Holmhurst, came to the house and asked all the evacuated Mum’s living there, if they would come and work for her at “St Ann’s House” – the large property that she lived in.

All her live-in servants had been called up to the War, and she required replacement service staff that could cook and clean for her.

My Mum took the job and worked very well together with ‘Mrs Coulter’ the owners house-keeper – and they became very good friends.

Our new home at St. Ann’s House was surrounded by farmland, and as a very little girl, this was my ‘playground’ – a complete contrast to my east-end surroundings, which – having left at just one year old, I didn’t know anything about anyway.

I made friends with a little girl who lived in one of the farmhouses, and we became best mates – and used to play all day, climbing haystacks and sliding down them – riding on ponies – feeding the lambs plus loads of other countrified activities like that.

I clearly remember that one day in the ‘big’ house, I was with my Mum who was sweeping up – when the owners aged mother came up to me and asked me what I was doing – so I told her I was helping Mummy. At the end of that week, I was sitting around the big table with all the other ‘workers’ who were waiting for the distribution of their weekly pay-packets. When the envelopes were being passed round, there was one for ‘Empress Eugenie’ which contained 2 shillings, payment for the work I had done helping Mummy…….I will never forget that.

The ‘big’ house is still there today – it is now “Bell English College”-Cambridge.

At the end of WW2, mum & me returned home to Manor Park East London – I would have been about 6 or 7 years old.

Living in a prefab on Wanstead Flats

At first, we lived with my paternal grandparents at their house in First Avenue-Manor Park-E12.

Then, my Mum and Dad were offered a prefabricated house (known commonly as a “Prefab”) in ‘Gibson Drive’ situated on a newly constructed prefab estate that had been built on nearby ‘Wanstead Flats’*, just over the ‘Rabbits Road Bridge’ and opposite the ‘City of London Crematorium’.

• *Wanstead Flats is one of the largest expanses of common land in urban London – but nowhere near as glamorous or popular as other common land like Hampstead Heath or Wimbledon Common
• *Geographically, Wanstead Flats constitutes the southernmost part of Epping Forest but most of the trees were cleared several centuries ago.
  

  A photo of the back end of some of the prefabs on the estate on Wanstead Flats – where Eugenie lived as a young girl.

And – just like my very early years as an evacuee in the Cambridgeshire that I had just left – I once again had acres of the Wanstead Flats greenery surrounding me, to use as my playground.

Our prefab house on the ‘Flats’ had 2 bedrooms – a dining room – a kitchen with a cooker, fridge – a larder a bathroom – a house already full of appliances – and – an amazing rarity for the time, a separate toilet.

Our Gibson Drive prefab had a lovely big garden – and my Dad was in his glory as he loved his garden, and he won loads of awards and cups in local garden competitions held throughout the Manor Park and Forest Gate and East Ham districts.

Our prefab estate on Wanstead Flats was really friendly, and I have such wonderfully happy memories living there. Everyone got on so well with each other – and I was out playing on the ‘Flats’ all the time, with the many friends I had made, that lived on the estate.

The distances between each prefab were generous, and you didn’t have to worry about making too much noise and annoying the neighbours.

However – our Gibson Drive prefab could get very cold in wintertime – but we had a fire that had doors on it – and when we went to bed my Mum would close its door to keep the fire going throughout the night and into the morning – to ensure that I woke up to a warm house.

Mum & Dad used to keep chickens in the garden, and they also got me a cat. I really loved being a kid in that prefab.

Because I was an only child, my Mum used to let me have all my friends round to play – and quite often, my Mum would even join in with the games that we played.

I loved my Mum’s cooking. It was plain, but it was appetising – and quite simply, I had to eat what was put in front of me otherwise I would go without.

Bordering the part of Wanstead Flats where our prefab estate was situated was Aldersbrook Road – where there stood a large Children’s Home.

The nurses and helpers at the Home would regularly bring the little ones from the Home for a walk over the ‘Flats’ and would very often pass by our prefabs.

Anyway – I can remember clearly one morning, when all the little children from the Home, that were aged about 4 or 5, were walking by, the heavens opened, and torrential rain suddenly came down and all the little ones and their carers were getting drenched.  So – my Mum, being Mum, ran out to our back gate and ushered the entire group into our prefab – there were about 15 of them.  Mum then went and got all her tea-towels out which she used to dry their heads. I can remember the group leaders telling all the little kiddies not to touch anything!!

Moving to Forest View Road:

After a few years living in the prefab, mum & dad were offered a flat in a brand-new block of Council flats, in Forest View Road – no more than a couple of hundred yards from our prefab home.

The Council had knocked down an old piggery and foundry that had stood for years in Forest View Road, and in its place, had built a brand-new block of council flats – and so we moved into 118 Forest View Road, directly opposite our old prefab – and I remained living there until 1962, when I got married.

Having moved to Forest View Road and being a local award-winning gardener when we lived in the prefab – my Dad was offered an allotment plot alongside the Bridle Path of the nearby ‘City of London Cemetery’ – which you could get to from the streets via a pathway known locally as the ‘Butts’.

Mum and me often used to walk to the allotment to see Dad – but one day I had my bike with me, and so gave her the saddle-up whilst I peddled hard to get the bike moving. You should have seen me, peddling like mad whilst Mum was oohing & aahing on the saddle behind me, laughing her head off, as she had never been on a bike before – happy memories.

My School Years:

I can’t remember the school I went to in Cambridge, when I was an evacuee – but when I returned home to Manor Park, aged about 7 – I attended “Salisbury Road Junior-School” situated very close to home – and the school is still standing today.

My senior school was “Monega Modern School for Girls” – in Monega Road-Manor Park. The school was also situated close to my home – and just like my junior school, the building is still standing to this day.

I was always looked upon as being the ‘joker’ of the class – I guess that’s why they dressed me as a ‘jester’ when they dressed us all up for an Elizabethan Fair Day at Monega Modern School – an event that I remember all the parents were invited to.

I loved my school years, especially ‘games/sports’ activities.

I was in the school Netball team and enjoyed being involved in playing competitive games against all the other schools throughout East London.

I was also quite good at hurdling – long-jump – high jump & rounders – and used to love Sport’s Day events.

My favourite teacher at Monega Modern was Miss Forbes, who took us for PE (surprise surprise)

I never actually won anything specifically in terms of awards – but I really enjoyed being competitive.

Childhood Memories of growing up in Manor Park:

I was a right old ‘Tom Boy’ growing up – my favourite pastimes were games like football, boxing and especially wrestling – always with the ‘boys’.

We had a small grass area fenced off on our estate – that we used to play in – and we would all sit in a circle, then take turns to do a bit of wrestling or boxing in the middle.

One day I was wrestling with a boy, when the ‘blakey’* in the heel of my opponent’s shoe – caught me badly on my knee – but I told my Mum that I had injured myself climbing a fence.

(* a ‘blakey’ is a small metal plate, that used to be pinned into either a heel or toe of a shoe, to prevent them wearing away too fast – making them last longer)

We used to play ‘polo’ on our bikes, in the streets – and I remember once, the stick I was using to hit the ball, went through the spokes of the front my front wheel of my bike – causing my to fly right over the top of my handlebars – my front wheel was destroyed, but I was ok – just a few cuts and grazes.

I can remember that I used to buy my sweets from a shop called “Crispins” that was located near Manor Park Station. However – because of the War, there was food rationing – and I could only buy a very minimal number of sweets by using a Sweet Coupon.

As a child I used to often go shopping with my Mum – Sainsbury’s & Woolworths were the bigger local stores at that time.

Mum often used to get a tin of broken biscuits from Woolworths – and I remember that sometimes, not all of the biscuits were broken, which was always a bonus.

I also recall shopping regularly with Mum at the local ‘Bartons’ bakery, and another independent baker called ‘Philbys’.

When I was growing up, there seemed to be any excuse, for a ‘street party’ – which all the kids and parents would attend. I remember these street party’s as being such fun occasions.

Very often, us kids were expected to turn up in ‘fancy dress’ – and I fondly remember one street party where me and my friend Elaine, dressed up as the OXO Boy & Girl – from a popular billboard and tv advert at that time, many years ago.

I had 2 really close friends, when I was growing up ‘Margaret & Elaine’ – as kids we never REALLY went anywhere special – we just messed about together locally – but we had some great times together.

The streets used to be our playground back then. We used to do stuff like playing cricket up against a lamp post – ‘Gobs’ (ie 5 Stones) – Sticks – & Marbles.

We’d often tie a big rope across the street, which we used for skipping – both girls and the boys – and very often some of the Mum’s would join in…..such great fun and happy memories.

When I was about 10yrs old I joined the ‘Girls Life Brigade’ – my friend Margaret joined up with me – so that was good.

Our meetings were held at St. Michaels Church in the Romford Road (the church where I would later end up getting married) and I attended every Monday evening after school.

I enjoyed my time in the GLB especially doing all the badges and all the marching parades, where I often carried the flags.

Every year we marched from Little Ilford to Manor Park Cemetery to commemorate the life of ‘Jack Cornwall’  – who was a Manor Park boy and is remembered for his gallantry in WW1.

Jack Cornwell died in battle at the age of only 16, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross , the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy – that can be awarded to British forces. Jack Cornwell is the third-youngest recipient of the VC in Britain – and there is now a school and a street named after him in Manor Park. A very much respected local lad.

Having marched to Manor Park Cemetery, we would all gather around his gravestone where a commemorative service would be held.

 

I also remember that there was an abandoned and fenced off Bandstand on Wanstead Flats very near to the prefab estate where I lived.

It was taken over by the Ministry of Defence who then made tunnels below it – in the event of a nuclear war.

It was very common for cows to roam all over Wanstead Flats, including the bit of the ‘Flats’ where our prefab estate stood.

Anyway, I remember clearly, an incident where a dog chased a cow, that ended up getting impaled on the fence surrounding the bandstand – and as a result, the fencing was removed.

Later on, the bandstand was pulled down and the tunnels were filled in. Eventually my little prefab estate was also pulled down – but today there is still a ring of trees that once encircled where this bandstand once was.

Holidays on Canvey Island-with Mum & Dad:

When I was growing up, in the early 1950’s, most of our summer holidays were spent visiting my Great Aunt Polly and Uncle Harry, who lived in a bungalow on Canvey Island-Essex.

Mum & Dad & me used to travel by steam train from East London to Benfleet and then catch a bus from Benfleet onto Canvey Island.

I remember that when we first used to visit, my aunt & uncle, their bungalow never had any running water.

Their toilet was out in the garden – and when you ‘used’ it, we had to lay grass over the top of what you’d done (there was no direct water supply to ‘flush’). At the start of everyday Uncle Harry would tip the contents into a cesspit at the end of his garden…. what a job!!

I loved my holiday’s down in Canvey.

Me & Barbara were always on the beach, playing in the mud, and then going into the sea to wash it all off. In fact, I actually learnt to swim in the sea at Canvey.

One particular ‘Canvey’ experience I remember clearly, was at the time of the awful and tragic flood that occurred there in 1953 – that left 13,000 homeless and 59 residents dead.

Back then, the ‘news’ wasn’t anything like it is today, and on this occasion Mum & Dad and I had arranged to go and visit Aunt Polly & Uncle Harry. We managed to get the steam train to Benfleet ok, and then we boarded the bus to Canvey ok – but after a short while the driver couldn’t take the bus any further because of the knock-on effect of the flood – so we had to head back to Benfleet.

The bus was full of people having to ‘escape’ from Canvey – many were so cold and wet and hungry – but my Mum (being Mum) opened up her bag and took out all the cakes she had made for Auntie & Uncle, and gave them to the people on the bus – Dad had a bottle of whiskey that he was taking down for Uncle Harry – so he opened it up and passed it round the bus, to help warm up some of the people, who had spent the previous night on their roof tops, trying to escape the flood.

That sums up the sort of people my mum & dad were – kind and generous.

Teenage Years:

Like it was when I was a youngster, I also went everywhere on my bike as a young teenager– I really loved being out on the road on my bike.

I would think nothing of cycling out of East London, miles away further east, out to places like Southend-on-Sea or north, up to the Wake Arms roundabout in Epping Forest.

Apart from cycling, I also used to really enjoy roller skating with my mates. We were fortunate because there was a big Roller Skating Rink venue, just down the road in Forest Gate.

Starting Work:

In 1953 I left Monega Road Girls School at the age of 15 and went to work for a local firm called “Wilson & Whitworths” a stationary shop connected to the local Stratford Express newspaper – Wilson & Whitworths were located in High Street North, directly opposite East Ham tube station.

I worked there for a few months and really enjoyed the transition from schoolgirl to grown up girl – and of course, I now had a little bit of money in my pocket.

Anyway, one day, our neighbour Mr. Hill – told me that the massive ‘Lamson Paragon’ factory at Fords Park Road in nearby Canning Town – were looking for new staff for their typing pool.

Lamson Paragon, were a prestigious printing company, formed in the 1880’s. They had this huge factory in Canning Town, plus other factories scattered across Britain.

Our neighbour Mr Hill knew that I had been having typing lessons at my local youth club, and he encouraged me to go for an interview for this job at Lamson Paragon.

So, I went along to the interview….and got offered the job!!!

I used to cycle every day to and from my mum & dad’s home in Manor Park, to the factory in Canning Town.

At Lamson Paragon I was taught how to use an ‘Elliott Fisher’ machine – a newish piece of equipment that sort of revolutionised office printing at that time, as it could produce 6 copies of a document.

Loading the paper and carbon was a right old palaver – but I soon got the hang of it – and after a while I was promoted to their typing team.

I made loads of friends at Lamson Paragon, and groups of us used to mix socially outside of work – frequenting East London pubs like The Burnell Arms / The Ruskin Arms / The Three Rabbits – all local to my Manor Park home.

I continued working at Lamson Paragon until 1964 when I became pregnant with my Jackie.

My ‘Courting’ Years:

Me and my mates used to regularly go to the local cinemas and also to the Roller-Skating Rink in Forest Gate – and it was there that I met a young man called Jim, who was to become my husband.

Jim Port was the same age as me, and he came from a well-known family in the Manor Park/Forest Gate area and throughout that part of East London.

The ‘Port’ family ran a florist in Manor Park and also a scrap/rag & bone business, plus other little businesses in and around the area – they were a large family.

Anyway – me and Jim started dating – and we would cycle everywhere together on our push-bikes.

When I was 16 I bought a new bike from a shop called “Kimberley’s” in the Romford Road. I couldn’t afford to buy it straight off, so I paid for it in weekly instalments.

My boyfriend Jim made his bike, and we would often cycle together to far afield places like Southend-on-Sea, using the old cycle path on the A13 road which was then known as the Southend Road.

After a while we got rid of our push bikes, and Jim bought a motor-bike – and we travelled around everywhere on that.

I remember clearly one adventure, when we rode all the way from East London, up to Cambridge to specifically to see the American Cemetery. There were no motorways then, and I distinctly remember going round all the big bends in the roads up there – with Jim continually asking me if I was ‘leaning with him’ – as we often ended up on the wrong side of the roads – I’m surprised we never had any accidents. The good thing about the motor bike was that I got to cuddle up to Jim as we took the corners, on the motor bike.

I fondly remember our days travelling around on that motor-bike – but after a while Jim bought a car – which was a proper old banger – I spent half my time pushing it just to get it started.

During our courting years, Jim & I used to go to all the usual places that young couples went to in those times – cinemas/pubs etc.

There is one place that we used to go to quite regularly, that was a little bit more unusual.

“Chans” was a Chinese Restaurant located in High Street North-East Ham. This was in the mid to late 1950’s – when high street Chinese restaurants/take-away’s, were unheard of.

When we first started frequenting Chan’s it was a bit basic and rough – there were no cloths on the dining tables.

I remember clearly that an older Chinese man, that everyone used to call ‘grandad’ , used to stand by the front door, watching everything and everyone, in the restaurant. You had no chance of leaving the restaurant without paying – and it was said that he had a meat cleaver concealed in his clothing and wasn’t afraid to brandish it if anyone played up or took liberties.

The food at Chan’s was very plain, but it was good.

After a couple years Chan’s went a bit ‘up market’ and it made a pleasant change to have table service and have a meal with a tablecloth and a vase of flowers on the table.

During our courting years we used to have a night in, with my mum – and Jim would go and get chicken chow mien from Chan’s……happy memories – remarkably, “Chan’s” is still there in High Street North to this very day.

Marriage – & Married Life:

On 24^th March 1962 Jim and I got married at St. Michaels Church-Romford Road-Manor Park-E12 – the church is now known as ‘The Froud Community Centre’.

We started our married life living with Jim’s mum & dad in Lawrence Avenue-Manor Park-E12.

Our daughter Jacqueline was born in 1964.

In 1965, the houses at the beginning of Lawrence Avenue (where we were living with Jim’s parents) were to be pulled down to make way for a new housing estate.

My Jackie was only 1 yr old and the Council offered us a 2-bedroom flat at 209 Hathaway Crescent – a brand new complex of council flats located on East Ham and Manor Park border.

Our son Andrew was born in 1968, and at that time I’d heard that a family living in the next block to us, were moving out of their 3-bedroom flat at 213 Hathaway Crescent – so I applied for it, and I got it.

There was a wonderful social club situated on our estate – ‘The Hatherwayway Club’ – where we could go with the children. We had some great parties in that Club house and also on the green at the centre of the estate – such happy memories. Although the Hathaway Estate is still standing, sadly, the old Hathaway Club, where we spent so many happy times, is now closed down.

All in all, apart from the prefab when I was young – I’ve only ever lived in flats – and I spent 47 years living on the Hathaway Crescent estate.

Family Holidays:

When our children were young, because we lived in a flat, they were restricted by not having a back garden to run around in to let off steam – so, Jim & I made the decision to take them on a camping holiday, to see if they enjoyed it.

Our first family venture under canvas was at a designated camp site, not far away, called Debden House near Loughton in Essex. If you showed them your rent book, showing that you lived in Manor Park (which was in the London Borough of Newham) – then you only paid half-price for your camping pitch.

The first time we stayed there, it was during the Easter holidays, and we woke up on our first morning there to find that there was snow everywhere -but the kids really loved camping.

As we got more into the camping experience our tent and equipment got more sophisticated and advanced. This led to many more family camping holidays to reasonably nearby places like Epping Forest, Roydon Mill – plus much further afield to places like Cambridge, Bergenholt, Jaywick Sands and the New Forest.

Jim loved his fishing, so most of the places we camped up at were near to fishing lakes.

Some years later we bought a little old static caravan at Roydon Mill–Essex.

We also had a boat on the Norfolk Broads – great times, and such wonderfully happy memories.

Returning to Work:

When my 2 children Jackie & Andrew were older, I decided to go back to work, and so started looking around locally for jobs – it would have been around 1978.

A friend of mine told me that ‘East Ham Memorial Hospital’ were looking for a Filing Clerk, and so I went ‘temping’ for ‘Burnel Bureau’ where I was called upon every now and then, to do this filing clerk role at the Hospital.

I was also sent to temp at St. Clements Hospital in Mile End, and St. Andrews Hospital in Bromley-by-Bow – but mostly I ended up temping at the East Ham Memorial Hospital.

Anyway, one day the superintendent there, a Miss Godfrey, asked me if I would like to work for them part-time 9 till 12 every day. I had really enjoyed my temping stints at East Ham Memorial, and so I jumped at the chance to be one of their employees – I loved it there.

When the East Ham Memorial Hospital closed in 1983, I was transferred to the massive ‘Newham General Hospital’ in Glen Road-Plaistow – I was told that they had closed down 6 local East London hospitals – transferring all business to the Newham General.

I worked in the X-Ray Dept of Newham General, as a receptionist, and one of my tasks was to ‘file’ the x-rays – a really busy role – but I was part of a great team.

One of my work colleagues was ‘Betty’ and we became very good friends.

Betty & I worked together and were known as ‘Strippers’ – because one of our jobs was to ‘strip’ down GP Reports before sending them out to all the respective GP Surgery addresses.

Our ‘Stripping’ role required us to start work very early in the morning, as the GP Reports for distribution, had to be ‘on-the-road’ by 9am each day.

So – early every morning – on our own in our department – we would have music playing, which we would sing and whistle along to at the top of our voices.

I remember one incident quite clearly, when one day, one of the top doctors happened to come in early and heard the racket we were making. He asked us very politely if we could keep the noise down, as he was holding a meeting nearby, and nobody could hear themselves think.

When this particular doc left the hospital, we recorded him a tape of our singing and whistling – he loved it. We used to have such a laugh – such happy memories.

We had a good old social life at Newham General – and would have many parties after work, that were held in the grounds.

My friend Leslie lived in Barking and sometimes she would invite us all back to her house after work – as she had her own ‘Gin Palace’ in a shed at the bottom of her garden – we had some really great times in there.

My good friend Betty eventually moved down to Basingstoke – but we all used to go down and spend weekends with her now and again – and we’d always end up holding a party or going to someone else’s party. Whenever we were going down to Basingstoke, Betty would warn her neighbours that the ‘London Crowd’ were coming down – and very often her neighbours would come and join us in our ‘partying’.

I worked at Newham General Hospital, doing an 18hr week – right up until I retired at the age of 70.

Sadly, Betty is no longer with us, but to this very day, we still talk about her and the fun times we had with her.

Life After Jim:

Life was jogging along happily & nicely – our 2 children were happy – we lived on an estate with plenty of friends and good people around us – we had a good social life – and we had great family holidays.

However – my lovely little world was to suddenly come crashing down around me – when, in 1990, totally unexpectedly, my lovely husband Jim suffered a stroke and sadly passed away in St. Andrews Hospital-Bromley-by-Bow, at the young age of 51.

My Jim’s sudden death at such a young age, was a great shock to everyone, especially me and our children – and I will admit that initially, I used to take an instant dislike to elderly people, as I used to think to myself, ‘why has this happened to me, when really it should be you’ – not a very nice way to feel, I know, but I’m just being honest about how I felt at that time, and from what I know now, I understand that it is a common way to feel.

After Jim had ‘gone’, simple tasks like shopping became a nightmare – as we would always do the weekly shop together, as he drove, and I didn’t.

I also found myself doing silly things like going out and buying clothes I didn’t need and never even wore.

My children Jackie & Andrew were adults when their dad died, and no longer lived at home – but they were very good to me and were always there for me.

Jim & I had always enjoyed a busy social life, shared with loads of good friends – and following Jim’s death, I was determined to get myself out there, and not spend my days sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

My friend Eileen belonged to the “Hammers Club” – a social club situated in Castle Steet, right next door to the old West Ham United-Boleyn Stadium-Upton Park-Green Street. So I palled-up with Eileen and went to the ‘Hammers Club’ regularly with her. It was a great social club, that used to organise trips away a couple of times each year – which I used to go on – and we had such great times.

Although I was still a member of the ‘Hatherway Club’ on my estate – I also joined the ‘Railway Club’ in Southend Road-East Ham and went there regularly with my friends Sue & Joyce. When these 2 clubs eventually closed down, I went and joined the ‘Conservative Club’ in Vicarage Lane-East Ham.

The Conservative Club was a right laugh – as they too used to organise weekend away, and quite often we all ended up having regular ‘fancy dress’ days/nights while we were away – which I really enjoyed – in my time there I was a Saloon Girl – a Scarecrow – a Fairy – a Witch – a Punk and a Charleston Girl…..such great fun and wonderful happy memories.

I used to visit my Mum every day, on the way home from my shifts at Newham General hospital.

I had a bad back and I found that I really struggled to clean Mum’s flat and mine as well – and so I made the decision to move Mum in with me – that way I could look after her more closely.

However – one day Mum had a fall in the kitchen and broke her leg – ironically, she was taken by ambulance to Newham General where I worked.

Anyway – following an assessment at the hospital, the doctors told me that Mum was now at the stage in her life where she had to have 24hr care.

Being the only wage earner, I still had to continue working – and as a result Mum was moved to the Rosewood Lodge Home in Ilford.

I used to go and visit Mum in the Home every day, but Mum was always reluctant to join in and socialise with all the other residents, especially when I was around.

I introduced her to the Art Room at the home – and she started to get more ‘involved’ – and I ended up helping there too.

My lovely Mum sadly passed away in King George’s Hospital-Goodmayes – at the grand old age of 98.

Following Mum’s passing the Rosewood Lodge Home, contacted me and asked if I could continue to go there to help out their new art teacher – a invitation I was only too happy to fulfil.

I introduced the residents to ‘knitting’ – I even got the men involved – our specialty was making fluffy balls in West Ham colours (what else).

It wasn’t just Mum’s old Care Home that I got asked to help out – I also got asked to work voluntarily for the ‘Handicapped Pupils – Office Training Scheme’ that was run by a Sister Ivy at the West Ham College. They had heard about my admin skills at Newham General Hospital and wanted me to help teach their pupils the basics of managing and coping with administrative responsibilities.

I loved helping out there, and I taught the pupils stuff like copy typing – setting up filling systems – plus many simple, but effective skills.

When the main tutor, Sister Ivy became sick – they still asked me to continue taking the classes – a responsibility I thoroughly enjoyed.

So – throughout my life, especially since my Jim passed away so young and unexpectedly – I have always kept myself busy – and of course, I have been blessed with wonderful friends who have always been there for me and who I have shared so many happy and memorable times with.

Later/Current Years:

Having lived in Rainham-Essex for a number of years, my daughter Jackie and her husband Paul – were keen for me to live nearer to them, in my (very) old age – so that they could be close by to look after me should I ever need any support or help.

My son-in-law Paul found a retirement home in Rainham-Essex – the town where they live – and asked me to come over and at least take a look at it to see what I thought of it. I wasn’t too keen, but I went along anyway.

‘Chapel Lodge’ is located just off Upminster Road South-Rainham. It comprises of 21 flats and is close by to local shops, a Tesco’s and loads of other amenities. There are bus stops opposite the Home, so its easy to get to busier places such as Romford and Barking……..and I LOVE IT there.

All of us ‘residents’ are like a little family – we all live independently inside the Lodge, and we all get on – it is just like being on the Hathaway Estate, where I used to live.

Very sadly, and again very unexpectedly – my son-in-law Paul passed away suddenly when my daughter was 51, the same age as her dad was when she lost him – and I often think it seems so strange that its was Paul that found Chapel Lodge for me, so that I could be near my daughter Jackie – and with both of us being widows – it was as though I was destined to live here.

I am now a member of the ‘Rainham Working Men’s Club’ and all my crowd from Chapel Lodge, have some great times down there.

A group of us at Chapel Lodge knit “Hat’s for the Homeless” – a charity which distributes these hats to the homeless and to folk like the seamen at Tilbury Docks.

I also work voluntarily for the ‘Havering Stroke Association’ who meet up every Monday at the RAFA Club in Romford– and that’s where I met ‘Geoff’ the author of my little ‘Life Story’.

Anyway – on Stroke Association Monday’s down at the RAFA Club-Romford, I am in charge of ‘tea & coffee’ – making sure that all the stroke sufferers have liquid refreshments throughout the day.

Geoff is a member of the RAFA Club Committee and used to help out at the Club on Stroke Association Monday’s, and that is how I got to know him and find out all about his ‘London Shoes’ website about London history.

Whilst taking about my childhood growing up in East London, Geoff was particularly interested in my recollections and memories of living in a prefab, as he had always wanted to produce an article about prefabs, for his London Shoes website, but had never been fortunate enough to meet anyone who had actually lived in one – so I was happy to share my memories, and also provide Geoff with a few old photos and other physical memories I had of the prefab I lived in on Wanstead Flats with mum & dad.

Having provided Geoff with all my prefab memories – he then asked me if I would mind him producing an entire article about my growing up in post war East London – and then carrying the story right through to where I am today – as he felt that it would be the sort of ‘story’ that his website followers would find really interesting.

I was more than happy to help Geoff with this – and so this has been ‘My Story’ – I hope you’ve enjoyed it, and that for anyone who grew up and lived through the same times as me, especially those who lived in the same areas as me – I hope it has brought back some memories.

Below is the full Gallery of photographs, illustrations and documents from Eugenie’s private collection plus other images extracted from the internet, that all help tell “Eugenie’s Story” 

My arrival

 

Mum & Dad

My very first home

 

My evacuation to Cambridge

 

Telegrams & Letters from Dad – while serving in WW2

 

 

 

 

Living in a ‘Prefab’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Years

 

 

 

 

Moving to Forest View Road-Manor Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up in Manor Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Holidays on Canvey Island

 

 

 

 

Starting Work

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pubs frequented in my youth 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marrying Jim

 

 

Our first home(S)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Holidays

 

 

 

Returning to work

 

 

 

Social Life