https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/08/21/from-shoeburyness-to-chalkwell/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Wed, 26 Aug 2026 02:57:53 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/08/21/from-shoeburyness-to-chalkwell/#comment-2173751 Wed, 26 Aug 2026 02:57:53 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207851#comment-2173751 You certainly brought back many memories of my childhood when we used to visit Westcliff and Chalkwell by steam train from Upminster. A real treat was seeing the Peter Pan garden lit up at night with lots of magical scenes.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/08/21/from-shoeburyness-to-chalkwell/#comment-2173475 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:52:15 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207851#comment-2173475 I’ve never visited Westcliffe, but my mum, b.1912, was one of the original Girl Guides, a movement started by Lady Baden-Powell who she’d proudly met. Years ago, there was a Home in Westcliffe for ‘ageing Guides’, so once a year my mum travelled to Westcliffe as she was a volunteer at the Guide home. Mum only did 2 weeks per year, but no doubt other former Guiders fit enough covered the rest of the year. It doesn’t appear to exist anymore, as a I did a Google search, but not sure how strong the Guide and Scouting movement is these days anyway?

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/08/21/from-shoeburyness-to-chalkwell/#comment-2173151 Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:54:27 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207851#comment-2173151 Lovely to see photos of Shoeburyness. Bought back some great memories. Used to go there quite often as a child in the early 70s. Sometimes we would walk from our house in Vallance Rd to Fenchurch St station and get the train, sometimes we would take the tube from Whitechapel to Barking and change and get the overground from there. Used to love the ‘front’ at Shoebury. The beach and especially Cafe Caroline which had a pinball and a jukebox. A Whiter Shade of Pale always seemed to be on. Sausage,egg and chips with brown sauce went down a treat. Remember the M.O.D. having occasional open days too.
But I think most of the time we would go to Southend itself but occasionally get on the open top bus and for a change of scenery, yes, go to Shoeburyness. I haven’t been back for many years now. Actually, I wonder if Pollard’s is there in the High St. Probably not.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/08/21/from-shoeburyness-to-chalkwell/#comment-2172837 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:19:55 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207851#comment-2172837 Enjoyed this tremendously, especially the feeling of travelling into other worlds. Thank you

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