I found amongst my files on the history of Laindon and old scrap book that had been given to me many moons ago. The items in it were mainly headed bill heads, visitor cards etc and there are one or two I did not recognise or have no information on, therefore I was wondering if anybody had any memories of the following shops or clubs:
- Prince of Wales Football Club
- Geo. A Baker – Nurseryman
- E. Ringshaw – Fishmonger
- The Helping Hand Slate Club
- Laindon and District Nursing Association
- Percy M Barister – Hairdresser
- Robinson & Co – Fishmongers etc
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I can add a little information on George A Baker. I worked for Mr Baker for a couple of hours after school, twice a week, when I attended LHR and on Saturday morning. This was 1948-50 or thereabouts. He was a one man band with a nursery that ran behind Sid Clifford’s green grocery store immediately south of Hatherall’s and the block of houses that included the District Nurse’s house. The nursery was a narrow strip of land that ran west to Tattenham Road. It included a greenhouse and a totally unguarded and unsafe well (nothing more than a huge deep hole in the ground) which nearly caused the death of both of us on one occasion.
He had an extension of his nursery a few yards distant on Buller Road which ran back to Victoria Road. This had two greenhouses and an an orchard. Mr Baker lived in a small bungalow on Tattenham Road. Whether he lived at ‘Lyndon’ or No. 19 at the time I knew him, I have no idea What I do know is that it was just north of his nursery on Tattenham Road, probably directly west of Hatherall’s on the High Road.
Mr. Baker was a partner in Sid Clifford’s business. Sid was the front man to the public but the awning over the store read Baker and Clifford. Mr Baker was a kind and somewhat shy man with, unfortunately, an extremely bad stammer. He never married to my knowledge.
Nina’s reference to Mr Baker living in Bayswater in 1911 is intriguing. This is a ritzy address but if he was “lodging” he may have been employed caring for public parks and the like. This would seem to fit the description of “public gardener.” All very interesting.
I noticed the only date mentioned was on the second advertisement – 1924. I was able to trace Mr George Arnold Baker through the online records. He was born in Southampton in 1887. At the time of the 1911 Census, he was one of three ‘public gardeners’ lodging at 55 Moscow Road, Bayswater. The 1929 Electoral Register records him at ‘Lyndon’ Tattenham Road and ‘Nurseries’ Buller Road. He was still living at No. 19 Tattenham Road in 1962. There’s no mention of a wife and I couldn’t find a marriage record. George died in 1966 at which time his address was 21 Mellow Mead. Probate was granted to his Solicitor.
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