IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hickman Road, ROMFORD, RM6 4PA

A former cinema now used as a bingo hall, on Chadwell Heath High Road.

The Stadium Car Centre was the place to go if you lived near Chadwell Heath and wanted basic car care such as new tyres or a simple MOT test. Unfortunately, however, it closed down last year (probably due to poor competition against the Halfords store right behind it, which isn't surprising due to the ongoing recession). The remains of the centre are still standing as of August 2009 (albeit in a derelict state). The red object above the roof of the car centre is the top edge of Staples' branding. View taken from Chadwell Heath High Road looking north-northeast.

Taken from the end of Hall Road, where I was born and grew up in the 1940's and 50's. The shop on the corner of Reynolds Avenue was then a greengrocers called Wally's (he who ran it). The shop on the right was Beeston's (after the very old - as it seemed to me then - couple who ran it) It was a tobacconist, newsagent and sweetshop where I sourced my sweets, Beano, Dandy and Film Fun each week - and the occasional packet of 5 Player's Weights for my mum if she had her rollers in and couldn't go out!

Postbox No. RM6 27.

The line through here was opened on 20th June 1839 by the Eastern Counties Railway, as the Mile End (temporary terminus) to Romford section of what was to become the Great Eastern Main Line. The London terminus was moved in July 1840 to Shoreditch (later renamed Bishopsgate), and at the eastern end the line was extended out to Brentwood in the same year. Colchester was reached by 1843. Liverpool Street opened in stages from February 1874. The line was quadrupled to Ilford in 1895 and in 1899 out to Seven Kings. In 1902 the quadruple track was extended from Seven Kings through Chadwell Heath to Romford. Chadwell Heath station was opened on 11th January 1864, and is built on the site of Wangey House, one of Dagenham's oldest buildings dating back to 1250. Wangey House was partly demolished when the Eastern Counties Railway built the line in the 1830s. In this photograph the original lines, now the slow lines are to the right while the fast lines dating from 1902 are to the left beyond the railings. The next station in this direction is Goodmayes.