Memory Lane Roots Hall during WW2

[Cricko]

I saw this on Facebook. What a great picture which I haven't seen before.

WW2 Reconnaissance photo of Roots Hall, before it was Roots Hall.

 

[Leeboy]

did you wave at them when they were flying over?

 

[pottster]

Did you take that during national service?

 

[Cricko]

Very bad and nasty people.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Did you take that during national service?

Wikipedia says conscription during WW2 was only up to age 51.

 

[annie1954]

great picture looks like a few buses in the roots hall car park

 

[Cricko]

great picture looks like a few buses in the roots hall car park

That was the old Corporation or Eastern National bus station, i cant remember which.

 

[Userorange]

That was the old Corporation or Eastern National bus station, i cant remember which.

Eastern National. Southend Corporation was in London Road, roughly between Odeon and Sainsbury's. You must remember.

 

[BALDY]

Did you take that during national service?

I bet that N S would sort out the street-fighting fools of today!

 

[* ORM *]

Eastern National. Southend Corporation was in London Road, roughly between Odeon and Sainsbury's. You must remember.

Sorry to be a pedant but it was Eastern National in London Road

Actually did they share it ??? I found a site suggesting SC also London Road

SCT'61 - History of Southend Corporation Transport

The History of Southend Corporation Transport, the bus fleet and routes

www.sct61.org.uk

 

[JD]

That’s a really interesting photo.
I assume some groundworks has taken place by the point it was taken As you can clearly see a football pitch sized piece of flat land.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Sorry to be a pedant but it was Eastern National in London Road

I’ve got you now Butler!!

 

[* ORM *]

Check my update. We could both be right

 

[Cricko]

Sorry to be a pedant but it was Eastern National in London Road

Actually did they share it ??? I found a site suggesting SC also London Road

SCT'61 - History of Southend Corporation Transport

The History of Southend Corporation Transport, the bus fleet and routes

www.sct61.org.uk

There were depots for both along that stretch. The Corporation one was where Currys and that pet store is now. You are correct about the EN one.

 

[Cricko]

That’s a really interesting photo.
I assume some groundworks has taken place by the point it was taken As you can clearly see a football pitch sized piece of flat land.

It was originally a football pitch but during WW1 it was turned into an allotment for the war effort and was deemed unusable as a football pitch after. It wasn't until 1955 that SUFC returned there.

Very good read on the history of the club here.

Southend Timeline Southend Football Club History of Southend-on-Sea.

@DoDTS and Dave Goody's books are also excellent reading on us.

 

[* ORM *]

There were depots for both along that stretch. The Corporation one was where Currys and that pet store is now. You are correct about the EN one.

Cheers. I remember my dear old Nan taking me to the Eastern National one for outings in the late 60s, early 70s. We would sometimes go to Clacton as she had a caravan in St Osyth. I suspect we changed somewhere along the way, Chelmsford or Colchester or maybe even both. Either way it took ages. We’d stay for 2-3 days then my parents would pick us up. I seem to remember there was a cafe in the garage too for a treat before the bus but my mind could be playing tricks.

 

[Cricko]

Cheers. I remember my dear old Nan taking me to the Eastern National one for outings in the late 60s, early 70s. We would sometimes go to Clacton as she had a caravan in St Osyth. I suspect we changed somewhere along the way, Chelmsford or Colchester or maybe even both. Either way it took ages. We’d stay for 2-3 days then my parents would pick us up. I seem to remember there was a cafe in the garage too for a treat before the bus but my mind could be playing tricks.

The cafe did not come until the 70's when they also introduced a walk through to the high street. It was a busy road back then with Perrings the furniture shop and Lipscome/EN travel which was next door to the EN bus station. There was also a market there where Kenbro carpets started before the council bought the site and gave them their building in Sutton road in exchange to get them to move site

 

[Richard Hearn]

Cheers. I remember my dear old Nan taking me to the Eastern National one for outings in the late 60s, early 70s. We would sometimes go to Clacton as she had a caravan in St Osyth. I suspect we changed somewhere along the way, Chelmsford or Colchester or maybe even both. Either way it took ages. We’d stay for 2-3 days then my parents would pick us up. I seem to remember there was a cafe in the garage too for a treat before the bus but my mind could be playing tricks.

Cripes! It took three or more hours to get to Frinton by car in the 1960s, going through every town and village on the way, so going by bus to Clacton must have taken about 24 hours!

 

[Swiss Tony]

Cripes! It took three or more hours to get to Frinton by car in the 1960s, going through every town and village on the way, so going by bus to Clacton must have taken about 24 hours!

In them days well worth a trip to Clackers,Jaywick etc Christ what happened?

 

[annie1954]

Cripes! It took three or more hours to get to Frinton by car in the 1960s, going through every town and village on the way, so going by bus to Clacton must have taken about 24 hours!

There was a regular service to clacton back in the day was kept busy in the summer weekends people going to butlins & jaywick not many had transport back then so a long bus ride was part of the holiday ,