you can take the boy out of Romford , but you can't take Romford out of the boy! With Thanks to the photographers who posted their images on Flickr.com for us all to enjoy
I grew up not far from Romford. We always used to go to Romford for a beer. Hollywoods, Pulse, McKluskys, Brannigans, Time and Envy…. You couldn’t go wrong. 2 o’clock in the morning south street would be mobbed with people leaving nightclubs all heading to either McDonald’s or the cab rank. Had some great nights. I drive through it now and then. It’s a ghost town now. Nightclubs have gone, South street is a shithole full of beggars and charity shops. Such a shame. Thanks for the memories.
What a fantastic video and memories. Born in Ilford but spent most of my youth in Romford at college and nightlife. Remember the brewery fondly and the distinct smell, the dolphin swimming pool, romford market on Saturdays, the fountain in town centre, getting the footy results at Dixons on a Saturday watching the TV through the window .... Hollywoods and McCluskeys nightclubs, cellar bar. Happy days in the 80s and 90s
Yes I do!. I used to go there with my mum to get my sports clobber for school. I went to Harold Hill Grammar school and used to get beat up by the Broxhill mob.
How i long for those days. I was Born in the sixties, and lived in romford. Everything is changing so fast, being able to revisit these visual memories, brings a smile and a nostalgic feeling♥️
Change to population and destroy its culture,what have those globalists done to a lovely country,evil monsters,wot their multiculturalism has done to a happy amazing culture,
Was born in Portsmouth 1940, Moved to Romford same year and live there till 1964 when I emigrated to Oz and I don't think I have lost one memory of good old Romford, loved every minute of the hustle and bustle of everyday living. Originally lived in Jubilee Ave, the we moved to Collier Row, Boxmoor Road. Used to catch the 165 to Romford station then train to Liverpool Street, underground to Holborn and worked in Soho at a photography studio (after working for Arthur Hambleton photographers at the top of the Market place.) Wish I had never left the place but then I would not have found my lovely wife.
nah mate i can assure you im off to oz in july ! romford a shit hole now ! my familys lived in romford for ever ! its not the same im affraid to say ! im off to sunny brisbane ! be glad to see the back of this hole
This brought back memories, I lived in Aveley but my first job was in Romford, near the brewery a builders merchants office (Hall & co) we were above the Golden Egg restaurant and tax office not far from the station. My friend was a window dresser for Stones. We socialised in and around the area, The Coopers Arms, The Greyhound and the Bird's Nest! Loved the 70's.
Great collection and great memories. Lived in Gidea Park up until i was 19, worked in Romford many times, Mr Byrites, Winston's, Virgin in Debenhams. Bought many records in Downtown Records and dated the great looking girl with the crimped hair! Saw many films at the Odeon and the ABC Cinema with my family and friends. Remember the Dolphin swimming pool and the wave machine., was there at the opening of Hollywood's night club. many thanks again!
@obhayve . Priceless mems. , on leave from a 1 year tour in Bahrein , l worked as a temp. for Gleesons on the Debenham Site . And when it was opened , did a spell as Santa on the top floor . Postal Sorting & delivering at Lyon Rd Office , and night shift at Chelmsford . It was Mawney Rd. Baths for swimming in the good old days ! My daughter went to my old school in Clockhouse Lane my wife was in a L. T. Staff rest home ,so Ma & Pa helped out . I was bus driving down at Merton , always good having a family , when probs. arise. Best wishes .
I'm a Norwegian currently living in Morocco who lived in Romford from age five to seven in the early 70's,then we moved to Australia. I'm really fond of the Romford, even though l don't remember much. Maybe because I've never settled down anywhere for too long even as an adult, and I suppose formative years are just that, and provide some sense of belonging as well as identity. Cheers for the upload.
Romfordian born (in Oldchurch hospital) and bred. I played in a band at Ilford Palais. If I had a time machine I would like to go back and have tea and cakes in Lyons with my Mum.
Peter Sparks . Happy memories too , lived in Collier Row . My Ma worked for Maypole grocers next door to Lyons , and the C.R. shop . She too was a lyons teashop fan . This was in the 50's , that Market was a magnet . Mum later became manageress at Bartons Bakers , Hornchurch . Her fav. customer was Joanna Lumley , from the Avengers .l drove a bus from NS Garage , 247 A , 174 & 175 .This vid. brings so memories back. Take care , Best wishes .
I was also born in Oldchurch Hospital in 1954 and lived in Western Rd Romford, attending St Edwards junior school till we left at the end of 1964. PS, I also grew up to be a drummer in bands throughout my life..... 🙂
Peter I loved the Palais - remember "dreamtime" ?? Was your band Phil Tate?? I'm now 80 and live very happily in the Philippines Best wishes to you and cheers for your input into music at the Palais
They say the past is a place you should never visit. I have often felt very home sick - but that place that I miss and long for doesn't exist any more.
great video. grew up in romford.born 64. great days..i remember me mate pouring a bottle of washing up liquid in the fountain. now all a distant memory though..now living in sweden and haven't been back for 20 years.
Mum used to walk us from Rainham to Romford market back in the early 80's every week, summers were so so hot, I remember the dust in my eyes from the Lorrys on the A13.
A 13 was a day & night-mare . Living in Romford and cycling to Purfleet , drive a London Sightseeing Bus to start the tour from Piccadilly , was quite a experience .
Haven't lived there for more than 12 years (I live in SE Asia) but still have a lot of friends in Romford, from what they tell me it's now a sad place to live but growing up there in the 70's and 80's was great.
Great memories. From 11 I grew up in Harold Hill, then lived, worked and partied in Romford. Ushered at the odeon, danced at the palais and at the Kings Head pub. I'm 82candcstill have jewellery I bought at the market.
I live in Scotland but used to visit and stay with my late Aunt who lived in Romford often during the 70's, 80's and early 90's...a special treat was going for Lunch in the Kings Head! She always called it the Kings Napper *lol* Was looking for it recently on Google Maps but read that its long gone, a shopping arcade now. Happy Days!
Makes me sad and full of grief seeing this, Romford has now rapidly followed in the footsteps of Dagenham that in turn followed Barking. Hornchurch and Rainham same way too. Huge demographic change, fragmented working class communities and induviduals.
Interesting to see these parts of east London back-in-the-day. Some buildings are long gone but many are still standing...Romford and Ilford, like London as a whole, is a mish-mash of the old and new. Enjoyable vid including the music.
Wow Green Line buses, Blue Toni Bell ice cream vans, Panda cars and few Vespa's and Lambrettas those were the days. I was a roadie for the Small Faces and remember doing a gig at Romford on a Sunday afternoon in a cinema, Kiki Dee was top of the bill and the SF closed the 1st half. We did a different cinema each Sunday for about 3 months. We called it the Sunday tour.
As I remembered some of it, the town centre’s far worst in 2024, work was planned to build the ring road in 1962 due to traffic congestion, and close the market to traffic that happened in late in 1969, since then became a ghost town, I was living at Brentwood at the time, remember St Edward’s Way being built, think that Romford town centre should be demolished and rebuilt, as an eye saw.
lived on harold hill estate for 40 years ,,,changed so much ,,nearly all the open spaces have gone ,along with the shops ,home and colonial ,froggat and burtons toy shop ,kerrs ,brownings ,jeffrey cycles ,everades ,,wallys van ,anyone else ,think of long gone shops
The queues to see 'Ben Hur' and 'Jason and the Argonauts' went right around the Ritz and right down the road! There was a market trader whose call was 'Ten-a bob!' - what was he selling? Are the budgie cages still in Raphel's Park? Is St Ursula's football pitch still on the piss? Is there still a tramp up near the Town Hall selling his steam-ship paintings-on-cardboard? Is Billy Bunter's still there, in North St?
Thank you for this - makes me feel all nostalgic :) I was born in Harold Hill in a prefab in 1962! Moved to Collier Row in about 1968. Went to Clockhouse Lane School and then onto what was originally North Romford Comprehensive - later to be changed to Forest Lodge - later to be knocked down all together!!! - lol! What I would like to see is when the carnival used to go down the middle of the road through the market place - before the roads were closed off - I remember this - very fond memories :)
1954774 Thanks for getting back - What ever he is doing - where ever he is I wish him and his very good friend well - he would have known me as Karen Beels. :) x
Around Kings Hill , in the 50s it was all pre-fabs . Carter Drive houses ( Nash built ) were fine homes . That area was ESSEX , memories of a lost age .
The first frame of this film “Romford - South of the A12 Trunk Road” is my old school…… what was, St Edwards C of E Comprehensive school - circa 1200 soft brains to be filled….. Now an academy……. cos, why not run it for a profit….. 🙁
Used to live and work there. Moved away just recently. I'm sure it was a lovely place before my time, but since i can remember, it's been horrible, specially ever since the high street was littered with bars and clubs.
Everyone always says it's gone down the pan, it probably has in their opinion, the kids of today will say the same when their older....most generations think they had it better than the next...still worse places to live..Good memories preserved...
Harold Hill born and raised. I miss the market, the meat man shouting, the moody tracksuits. Going to Rayfields on a Saturday and hanging around the pub I grew up in.
@Read This It was Raphaels Park .. I suppose named after the artist Raphael? Used to go there occasionally in the 50's and 60's. Lived at Harold Hill ... Romford was great until they put that one way system in.
It does , it’s in the Ford heritage collection , I had the pleasure of driving it as an apprentice at the Dagenham plant in the late 80’s early 90’s , we had to move the collection into the old YTS workshop
Miss this place lived there from when I was born there in oldchurch hospital in 71 till 83 two of the best cinemas that was there odeon and the abc and used to like going to the dolphin swimming pool i used to live in olive Street n my back garden used to back onto mawney Road school and I went there for a bit but my main school was havering Grange oh the good old days wish to have them back
Enjoyed watching this, how I miss the place. I was born in Collier Row in 1963 and later moved to Noak Hill. I went to Crownfields school in Whitehart lane, and then to Forest Lodge, and now have moved to Norfolk, would love to move back to the area, or somewhere near.
I too was born in Romford and as a kid it was great to live there. I went to Petitts Secondary Modern and left at 16 in 1968. Bought my first house there in 1974. From then on I had to endure the town going downhill. I moved to Norfolk in 2007 and there is absolutely no way I would go back there now, it really is a shithole. Can't park, can't move for traffic, hate the place. I should have moved out long before I did.
A load of us to hangout in Romford town center in our cars in the early 80s had a m reg Vauxhall vx4/90 and a 1966 sunbeam rapier both rare cars today we did used to be a bit silly driving around Romford good times though.
Janet Ware - Was Dobson Went to Quarles sec mod school 1956 - 60 terrible school.Except for music I loved it my teacher was great & I loved being in the choir.
Romford is a terrible place now, all the big sources of money have gone, Fords, May & Baker, etc. Apart from a few decent shops, the rest are tacky and tatty.
