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Victoria Avenue of old (Read 1317 times)
Rainy
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Victoria Avenue of old
Oct 31st, 2010 at 12:47pm
 
Hi All, members and visitors alike

Being in a nostalgic mood, and looking at the links to photos on here of late, I'm baffled about something, I sincerely hope someone can help me out please.....

Here goes

I know that Victoria Avenue was a single road way back when, and I have seen a recently uploaded photograph (many thanks to Ossie I believe) showing Victoria Avenue, it was facing south and showed a row of shops (I think "Garons" was the corner shop, opposite St Mary's church (In other words, the future Civic Centre would have been behind.....

Am I right in assuming (and please, by all means correct me) that Churchill Gardens didn't exist in those days, and would have been "dug out" ? I realise that houses would have existed all the way down to Victoria Circus, or rather, up to the station, but I'm confused as to the geographical layout.

I'm asking purely because I just can't work out the layout of the land which existed back then. Can anyone shed any light, or, indeed, any more photos.

Thanks everyone

Lorraine

ps: please keep adding photos, as well as southendtimeline.com please, as I just love seeing my "home" as it once was.....

pps: many thanks to Agentproctor (Ian Hurd) for allowing me to join your group "creating" the High Street memories that I and others in the group (including residents who no longer live in Southend, or the UK) have.It has been a wonderful experience.

Thankyou
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Suffolk punch
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #1 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 2:29pm
 
On my thread The School Journey I said that Churchill Gdns was an overgrown gravel pit by 1960.  Fredw in reply #14 gave some details prior to  it becoming overgrown. 

Houses lined both sides of the Avenue, but there were also some bungalows backing onto the gravel pit and further down on that side was ??bowling greens or the like onto the Avenue (I have seen an aerial photo somewhere). 

On the west side was Clarkes College which had a formal pond and statue/fountain in the front grounds.  Right down probably about where Portcullis House is stood a house used as a doctors surgery (doctors Hunt and Mailey).  Some of these houses that still stand have extremely large gardens.
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Rainy
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #2 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 4:20pm
 
Many thanks to Suffolk punch for that information, and an apology to you as well, I hadn't realised that the information contained in your "school journey" thread would have included it, I have to say that I hadn't read it.......sorry again !!

It would appear that Prittlewell was quite a densely populated area then, with all those houses, and the long-gone shopping parade.....quite an irony really, as Prittlewell was the dominant area, and Southend being secondary.....

Does anyone know what is happening to the empty office blocks ?
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southendroger
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #3 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 6:09pm
 
There were some lovely houses bulldozed along there
but in all fairness they were filled up with office workers and bought life to the town.The latest idea from cliff town road is pull the buildings turn them in to car parks.  It  will replace the car parks they want bulldoze to build on. It`s all common sense really?????.
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Rainy
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #4 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 6:22pm
 
Thanks southendroger ! Grief, what, not more hair-brained ideas from the powers-that-be......where will it all (South)end ? !!
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southendroger
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #5 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 7:02pm
 
There experts at it rainy. They are proposing to bulldoze warrior square and landscape the ground.But its surrounded by  a car park tarmac and parking bays would be easier.
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LeftSouthendBehind
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #6 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 7:06pm
 
where's theswimming pool then?
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southendroger
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #7 - Oct 31st, 2010 at 8:26pm
 
LeftSouthendBehind wrote on Oct 31st, 2010 at 7:06pm:
where's theswimming pool then?

It has closed this week, as a new(smaller) pool has been built ,but most of the building is being taken up with a diving facility.
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NigelT
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #8 - Nov 2nd, 2010 at 9:40am
 
I can see all the OAP's and families with very young children queuing up now for a go off the 10 Mtr high board.  Embarrassed
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Southend based all my life, running two businesses for the last 30+ years. Kitchen design, build and restoration at www.KitchenSOS.co.uk & a video production business www.ArenaVideo.co.uk
 
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LeftSouthendBehind
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #9 - Nov 2nd, 2010 at 10:13am
 
is the old paddling pool still there on the seafront?

it was actaully very dangerous as yobs would put glass and sharp rocks in it and I remember therebeing enormous crabs living in it.

(or maybe they were'nt enormous that's just how I remember them)  Grin
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southendroger
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #10 - Nov 2nd, 2010 at 6:53pm
 
NigelT wrote on Nov 2nd, 2010 at 9:40am:
I can see all the OAP's and families with very young children queuing up now for a go off the 10 Mtr high board.  Embarrassed

You could always use the bungee cords so u dont het wet.
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seamoss
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #11 - Nov 3rd, 2010 at 9:29am
 
I watched a chap..........(Tom something) did a good dive off a 10 mtr board recently, so I'm looking forward to having a go at it, I haven't dived for a while, 1951 it was at Westcliff Swimming Pool, but it's like riding a bike isn't it?
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southendroger
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #12 - Nov 3rd, 2010 at 10:09am
 
Dont forget your parchute, and cycle clips.
the new swimming pool has no step to get in the water, so they will be puttong people in and out with a hoist.
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kiwibloke
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #13 - Nov 3rd, 2010 at 10:28am
 
seamoss wrote on Nov 3rd, 2010 at 9:29am:
but it's like riding a bike isn't it?

That's what they say about sex (sex???) - If you haven't done it for a long while you fall off!
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JW
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Re: Victoria Avenue of old
Reply #14 - Nov 3rd, 2010 at 9:53pm
 
seamoss wrote on Nov 3rd, 2010 at 9:29am:
I watched a chap..........(Tom something) did a good dive off a 10 mtr board recently, so I'm looking forward to having a go at it, I haven't dived for a while, 1951 it was at Westcliff Swimming Pool, but it's like riding a bike isn't it?

Can't help but think of this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZujYUcY5xc&NR=1

The first comment on there mentions Hayes pool being bulldozed earlier this year. Maybe it's the trend now?

I was ok diving from the lower board. But I tried it from the middle one, and belly flopped. Thought my stomach had been ripped open. Only ever jumped from the very top one - and then only if we could get away with it.
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