OldandRambling
Member
- Joined
- 15 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 133
(Written in June 2021...)
Never go back?
Something a little different this time for my weekly outing. I had been wanting to re-visit the area where I grew up, and decided to book my tickets for two nights away, leaving onTuesday, 29 June.
I grew up in a town about 20 miles to the east of London, called Romford. At one time it was in Essex, but after boundary changes in the early 1960’s it became part of “The London Borough of Havering”.
I do remember seeing farm animals being sold in the Romford market as a child, quite hard to believe nowadays, as it has become a place of sprawling shopping malls and car parks.
I left the area about 40 years ago, so I was not expecting much to be the same, but nevertheless, I was surprised by how much Romford had changed. Not just the shops, buildings, roads, but also the way that the population had altered, a much more mixed local population.
I had a look at my old junior school, and the house we lived in, and strolled around the local shopping area.
After a night in the hotel, I set out by bus to see if anything remained of a favourite wooded play area, back in the day. Gosh! It was pretty much as I remembered, very unspoiled!
I had a tear or two in my nostalgic eye as I walked around, remembering my younger self, and my playmates of the time.
Being on the edge of London, I had forgotten quite how much open countryside we had to play in as youngsters.
My train ride from Nottingham terminated at St Pancras in London, and I transferred to the Underground (aka tube) for the journey to the Liverpool Street terminus for the train to Romford. I had worked for British Rail back in the 1970’s but again the station was much changed. Hamilton House, the main offices of BR at the station have been turned into a pub! I liked the alterations, all brighter and cleaner, with all electric train units, different to the noisy diesel locos chugging away, in my day.
Two pics above are of Liverpool Street station, this serves East Anglia.
St. Pancras station exterior photo above.
I love the huge old metalwork supporting the roof.
This old chap seems to have an identical travel case to mine! (Poet and rail fan John Betjeman ).
A Eurostar train for Paris waiting to depart in the International area. A nice view of the canopy.
Hmm, wonder when it will be safe to venture abroad on the Eurostar??
Trains were all fairly sparsely occupied, even the tube. Covid still inhibiting many folk from using public transport.
Never go back?
Something a little different this time for my weekly outing. I had been wanting to re-visit the area where I grew up, and decided to book my tickets for two nights away, leaving onTuesday, 29 June.
I grew up in a town about 20 miles to the east of London, called Romford. At one time it was in Essex, but after boundary changes in the early 1960’s it became part of “The London Borough of Havering”.
I do remember seeing farm animals being sold in the Romford market as a child, quite hard to believe nowadays, as it has become a place of sprawling shopping malls and car parks.
I left the area about 40 years ago, so I was not expecting much to be the same, but nevertheless, I was surprised by how much Romford had changed. Not just the shops, buildings, roads, but also the way that the population had altered, a much more mixed local population.
I had a look at my old junior school, and the house we lived in, and strolled around the local shopping area.
After a night in the hotel, I set out by bus to see if anything remained of a favourite wooded play area, back in the day. Gosh! It was pretty much as I remembered, very unspoiled!
I had a tear or two in my nostalgic eye as I walked around, remembering my younger self, and my playmates of the time.
Being on the edge of London, I had forgotten quite how much open countryside we had to play in as youngsters.
My train ride from Nottingham terminated at St Pancras in London, and I transferred to the Underground (aka tube) for the journey to the Liverpool Street terminus for the train to Romford. I had worked for British Rail back in the 1970’s but again the station was much changed. Hamilton House, the main offices of BR at the station have been turned into a pub! I liked the alterations, all brighter and cleaner, with all electric train units, different to the noisy diesel locos chugging away, in my day.
Two pics above are of Liverpool Street station, this serves East Anglia.
St. Pancras station exterior photo above.
I love the huge old metalwork supporting the roof.
This old chap seems to have an identical travel case to mine! (Poet and rail fan John Betjeman ).
A Eurostar train for Paris waiting to depart in the International area. A nice view of the canopy.
Hmm, wonder when it will be safe to venture abroad on the Eurostar??
Trains were all fairly sparsely occupied, even the tube. Covid still inhibiting many folk from using public transport.
