Hi Lees, I hope you see this message as I don't have any contact details from you. My friend and I are planning to come down a week on Friday so if you are around I'd love to see you and possibly meet the others who remember my family. My email address is: Desktopgem@aol.com
Looking forward to hearing from you before we come. Pam.

I'm so pleased to find this site! I attended Orchard Street Girls School in the early 60's and would love to hear from Jackie Mudge, Linda Decker, Christine Sultana - all from Rainham. I'd also be interested to hear from any Cooper's or Farahar's still living in the area, my Gt Grandparents being one of each!

Hi Maria (m47) My Great Grandfather John William Mudge and his wife Lived at a Large house called Westfield House in Christmas Street which was demolished several years ago (at the end of the road on RHS looking East)They lived there after they left Johns Place, East Court, Lower Rainham until they bought East Court Farm in 1917. According to the Census for several years he live at 6 Christmas Street with his Mother. The present No 6 is a modern building on the opposite of the road but reading these letters makes me wonder if Christmas Street had different numbering at that time and that his No 6 was actually Westfield House. There was shop, possibly now demolished when the dual carriageway was built, on a corner somewhere near the Strand which had his name John Mudge on the tiles underneath the Shop window.This was his butchers shop. If anyone has any old photos of Westfield House or Johns Place would love to have copies please. I lived with my Great Grandmother Ann Mudge at East Court arm during the war years and have many memories of the area during that time.

Linda Peek.

Hi Linda...I certainly remember Hutchinsons nursery, having been sent there for tomatoes etc many times by my mum....I was born in 1941 at 133 High Street...My parents were the newsagents A.R Green and Son which I ended up running for a while in the early 60s. I now live in Florida.
Your post brings back many childhood memories as I also spent many happy hours at the Rainham Rec and up Church path as we called it...Great place for scrumping cherries I seem to remember !! What a shame all those beautiful orchards are now no more :(
The guy who worked at the horse stables was Frank Andrews I believe, and I can picture him even today walking and riding the horses in the high street there. The old bakery I believe was Mosely's and later Walklyns and I remember buying yesterdays stale cream buns for a penny !!
Do you remember Bardens Greengrocery shop that was at the top op the Co-op entrance there ? The same entrance that led down to the nursery.
I do not remember you personally, but then again you are 11 years younger than I.....Would love to hear from anyone else that lived in Rainham during the 40s and 50s.

Peter Hales.

Hi Peter, have only just seen your message....I do remember the Naylors at 1 Ivy street and also there neighbors the Wills family at number 3
Please write me at green7654@embarqmail.com

Hi Dorothy

Have only just seen your message that you posted last August as I had forgotten all about this site. I most certainly do remember your Mum and Dad (Ralph?) and Ann your sister....Didn't you have a sister Ruth as well ? Please write me at green7654@embarqmail.com
Would love to get to talk with you

Hi Pam

Yes I do remember Dennis with his red hair which was curly if I remember correctly and he was quite short - though I imagine he has grown!! What was your other brother called? I used to be a member of Friends Reunited but I think my membership has lapsed. I keep in touch with Margaret Leckie who now lives outside Paris. I often wonder what happened to people like Linda Lopez and Anita Shadrack. Do you keep in touch with anyone? My email address is linda@peek.ws

Edited by author 01-24-2008 02:58 PM
If you have come directly to this forum you may be interested to view the Rainham History website at http://www.rainham-history.co.uk

I meant Mr Leckie not Mr Kirk. Can't see how to edit the content. Please forgive me.

Hi Linda

If you were born in 1952 you will have just missed my brother Dennis. He was born in 1953 and another in 1950. You may have been in Dennis's class. He had red hair. I don't remember anyone called Diana but have you seen the photos on Friendsreunited.co.uk? If she was in my class she may well be on a photo with me. What was her surname? I had to miss a year as I was the youngest when I started with my birthday in September. I had to go away for some time and when I came back Mr Kirk put me in the next class up. Then I was the oldest. I would love to give you my email address. If you are a member of Friendsreunited I could contact your there.

Hi Pam
I was born in 1952 and went to St Mary's until I went to Chatham Grammar in 1963 or 1964 (can't remember!) I started St Mary's when I was four and a half, so I was too young to do the 11+ without repeating a year, so I did Mr Kirk's class twice. I got married in St Thomas's in May 1975. What were your brothers names? I don't remember you - you must have been a couple of years behind me, but my sister Diana was also born in 1954 so maybe you remember her?

Hi Linda

When did you go to St Mary's? When were you married at St Thomas? Do you remember any of us Bygraves? I used to go to St Mary's also from 1959 I think to 1963. Do you have any photographs of the school? We also used to attend St Thomas's church for Mass etc. My brothers were altar boys there.

Hi Mark James
Your cousins Georgre & Maurice lived William St both very good footballers and played for Charlton Atheltic
I do hope I have'nt confused you as their were a lot of Tadmans in Rainham when I was a boy
CSM

I do remember the Nursery and have bought plants etc from them.
Your Uncle Tom was a keen Fisherman & very good worker in his workshop with Wood I was born down Station Rd and still live in Rainham but have been around the world when I was a Marine Engineer on Tankers
My oldest Daughter is a teacher at St Marys a task she enjoy
So linda Peek can reach me via C-manley @ sky.com

I used to live at the nursery behind the Co-op in Rainham which was run by my Dad, Ken Hutchinson and by my grandfather before him. My Uncle Tom also had a carpenter's workshop at the top of the property. Does anyone remember it? It was in between Ivy Street, Station Road, Hothfield Road and the High Street. Everyone came to buy their tomatoes, cucumbers and cut flowers.

In about 1964 we moved to Meresborough which is where my parents still live, though my Dad has retired and someone rents the nursery from him. The nursery in Rainham was sold and turned into a housing estate. I have fond memories of growing up in Rainham - playing down at the rec, in the trees up the church lane and in the old bakery (now a nursing home) when it closed down and remained empty for several years. A lot of the places where we played would be considered too dangerous these days, but we had a lot of fun. The guy who worked at the horse stables opposite the church (now a gym) told me many years later that he almost had a heart attack every time he saw me hanging by my legs way up high in a big tree just up the church lane! After we moved to Meresborough my pastimes changed and I have fond memories of going to the Central and another place at the top of Pump lane for what today's kids call clubbing. My Dad used to pick me up afterwards at the laundrette in Station Road, because it was always open and warm inside and there were no buses to Meresborough. I went to St Mary's in Gillingham, then Chatham Grammar and got married at St Thomas's in Rainham. I now live in Canberra Australia.

My Great Grandfather William Sampson Charlesworth was the manager of the F. C. & Co. Falcone Cement Works at Rainham in 1891. Does anyone have any details of this works please?