Laindon Media
Today’s local papers are the Basildon Echo, Yellow Pages and Basildon Recorder both freebees but I am sure many of us can remember the previous Laindon Recorder and later the Basildon Recorder. However, I wonder how many of you can remember the monthly Laindon Advertiser from the 1920’s and early 1930’s.
I have just received a copy of the January 1928 addition. I was surprised how many of the shops and businesses along the High Road I did not recognise from the adverts. Had they all gone by the 1950s and replaced?
J.G.Cottis – The Welcome Bakery at High Street, Laindon
W.H.Gibbons – Coal and Coke Merchant, “Whitethorn”, High Road, Laindon
J.W.Lagden – Family Butcher, High Road, Laindon
Cole’s – Fishmonger, Greengrocers etc, High Road, Laindon
B.A.Dobson – General Store, High Road, Laindon
S.Smith – Builders Merchant, High Road, Laindon
La’Plain & Sons – Builders Merchant, High Road, Laindon
The Little Wonder – Confectionery, High Street, Laindon
M. Everard – Confectioner, High Road, Laindon
Baigents’ – Stationers, High Road, Laindon
A. Marvey – Café, High Road, Laindon
O.F. Polden – Grocer, North Parade, High Road, Laindon
W.J. Peet – Upholsterer, High Street, Laindon
Albert M Wheldon – Photographer and Framer, High Road, Laindon
W.J. Finch – Fruiterer and Florist, High Road, Laindon
Markham’s Dairies – High Road, Laindon
Lane’s – Mens’Wear, High Road, Laindon
Elseva – Dressmakers etc, High Road, Langdon Hills
A. Norman – Laundry, 3 Nightingale Parade, High Road, Laindon Hills
W.M. Smith – Grocer, High Road, Langdon Hills
F. Peperell – Newsagents, High Road, Langdon Hills
H. Simmonds – Corn Merchant. High Road, Laindon
A.J. Kelynack – Chemist, High Road, Laindon
Hatherall’s – Lino Shop, 2 North Parade, High Road, Laindon
Schofield & Martin Stores – Grocer, High Road, Laindon Hills
E. Grottick – Tea Rooms, High Road, Laindon Hills
T.E. Collins – Ironmongery, High Road, Laindon
G.A. Brockwell – Coal Merchant, High Road, Laindon Hills
Geo. A. Baker – Nursery, High Road, Laindon
A & C Clarke – Cycles, High Road, Laindon
A.G. Butler - Undertaker, High Road, Laindon
My biggest surprise was the advert for Phoenix Hall. I have never ever heard of it. Can anybody throw any light on it and where it was in the High Road?
What else is confusing is how in one publication one advert can refer to being in Langdon Hills and another in Laindon Hills. There has never officially been a Laindon Hills but you can easy understand how people believe there has been and as we know the confusion is still there today. How often do you hear people refer to Laindon Hills including the media – is it a weakness of the English tongue?
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The misspelling is a human error. Several individuals would have been involved in collecting the information for the Electoral Registers and completing the paperwork. Some of them made the common mistake of calling Langdon Hills, ‘Laindon Hills’. It used to happen a lot, and still does today, even though there has never been a place named Laindon Hills.
Even the Electoral Register believed there was a place called “Laindon Hills” in 1929.
Looking through the Newspaper Archives, I have found four references to Phoenix Hall, Laindon, two in 1927 and two in 1928. This leads me to suspect that the Phoenix Hall was the original name of the ‘The British Legion Hall’. It’s interesting that there was originally a lending library attached to the hall. I copy the newspaper articles below:-
Chelmsford Chronicle March 18th 1927.
British Legion – The women’s section met on Monday at Phoenix Hall, Mrs Younger presiding. Tea was served by the Committee. The profits on the refreshments sold at the Memorial Hall concert on Saturday realised £1 17s and this has been handled over for the war memorial garden which is being laid out by the British Legion women.
Chelmsford Chronicle, May 6th 1927.
British Legion – A benefit dance was held in the Phoenix Hall on Saturday. The Duco Band gave their services, and £7 will be given to Mrs Wakeling, the widow of a late worker who died suddenly.
Chelmsford Chronicle, February 3rd 1928.
Entertained – Over 100 children of ex-servicemen were entertained to tea at the Phoenix Hall on Tuesday by the women’s section of the British Legion – Miss Harsett asked the children to remain silent for half a minute in memory of Earl Haig and the fallen. After a capital tea, competitions and conjuring performances were enjoyed. Each child received a gift from the Christmas tree.
Chelmsford Chronicle, March 23rd 1928.
Buffaloes – The Adelaide Lodge held a successful Carnival Dance on Saturday at Phoenix Hall. Prizes for a ‘spot dance’ were won by Miss Teddington and Mr Gregory. A collarette raffled in aid of the Benefit Fund realised 12s/3d, and was won by Mrs Hewetson. Everyone was provided with a sprig of shamrock.
To add to the confusion over the Laindon Hills or Langdon Hills question, check out some of the addresses given in the advertisements. Most give their address as High Road, whereas others use the High Street address. Surely these business proprietors knew where they were situated? Confusing or what?
This interesting subject has come up before (See article “Map – High Road v High Street”). It would seem that during the first half of last century, the road running through Laindon was sometimes confusingly referred to as ‘Main Road’, High Road, Station Road and High Street – hence the variations appearing on advertisements. At some point the definite title ‘High Road’ was decided upon covering the stretch from Crown Hill, Langdon Hills, to the crossroads at the The Old Fortune, Laindon.
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