Helen Hall is my grandmother, Leonard Hall her son is my father and my mothers name was Elise. I was born in 1946 and lived at Lowlands next to Gertrude and Arthur Avis. Gertrude Avis was my fathers sister and I remember Peter, June and young Arthur who were my cousins. They emigrated to Australia. The Hall family were rehoused in Vange where I now reside. My brother John lives in Wales, my sister Elise in Wiltshire and sister Margaret in Kent. As far as I remember there were only three properties in Raglan Road.
George Davis was my uncle and he emigrated to Savannah Georgia, my only memories of them were son Michael and they lived in King Edward Terrace along the High Road. There was a mention of Will who was my fathers brother, he attended my sisters wedding and was living in London at that time. Peter and I both started school having to walk up Berry Lane and Crown Hill to the primary school on the main road. All three families left Laindon about the same time but contact was lost when the mothers died, airmail letters between UK, Australia and USA was the method used.
One final point the general store at the top of Vowler Road was known by us as
Charlie’s but by others as Alice’s (husband and wife). I came across this site by accident hence the delay in response. The generation who lived there have all passed away and having left Laindon in 1953 after which time visits to grannie and Auntie May continued for a few more years via the old Eastern National No.15 were the only contact I or my siblings had.
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Helen Hall was also my grandmother. She is buried in the old churchyard over the crown hill. We must be second or third cousins. Our family lived in Lowlands, Raglan Road before moving to 2, King Edward Terrace. My uncle Len (your father)and his family moved into Lowlands as we moved out.
Helen Hall was married twice. Her first marriage produced Albert, Jack, and George Davies. Her second produced Will, Tom, Len, and Gertrude Hall. I don’t know what happened to the two husbands. At the time I knew her she lived next door in Randley with Bill Long who my mother referred to as the “live in love”. There were only the two houses in Raglan Road at that time. The third, Sunnyside I think, was built by Bill Long in the late 1940’s. Quite where he got the building materials, which were in very short supply in post WW2 austerity ridden England, I have no idea. Suffice to say he spent his lifetime in the building trades and there was always an active black market.
You mention Will. My (our) uncle Will had one child. Tony, with whom I am in contact and spent time with when I was back in England a few years ago. Tony and his wife Jeanne live in Chelmsford. Another cousin, Ron (son of our uncle Albert) lives with his wife Sheila, in Rayleigh.
Rather than go further, if you are interested, I have written a couple of articles which are somewhere in the site’s archives. A little digging should take you to them.
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