#070

[@phillipclaridge3112]

I am always impressed at the background information you provide - must take you hours of research - keep them coming!

[@IlfordRetro]

Thanks Phillip, appreciated, and you're right - especially as my eyes went square reading old newspaper print for some of the historic details on this one!

[@phillipclaridge3112]

@@IlfordRetro 😂

[@davidpope4138]

My mum was the Manageress of Mothercare across the road. She use to go the Angel every Friday evening after work with her shop girls.

[@IlfordRetro]

A very handy pub for Friday night drinks, all the workers up and down the High Road meant there was a captive audience. Very strange that it closed down when it did. I'm sure your mum had some great memories of those Friday work drinks.

[@ccahill2322]

@@IlfordRetro , I worked in the Angel in 1959. It was run then by a man named Mike O'Reilly. His son,Patrick was a British Army officer. During the afternoon break, another barman and I would go to the snooker hall across the Broadway and one Thursday afternoon the paper sellers were showing the Manchester United air crash as we walked by. "Kisses Sweeter than Wine" and " Peggy Sue" were played on the radio then. I remember one old Cockney gentleman used to come in from the cold soon as we reopened at five thirty and his hands, blue with cold would shake until he got the pint of "scrumpy" to his mouth. And Tom, a "Hammers" fan from Dublin who told his share of Benny Hill type jokes. I remember as if it were yesterday.

[@IlfordRetro]

@@ccahill2322 fantastic - and vivid -memories. Thanks for sharing. Bar staff get to meet all sorts in their work including those characters who leave an indelible mark. You paint a good picture of the era back then. I cannot place where the snooker hall was though - was it near Roden Street opposite Ilford Film?

[@ccahill2322]

@@IlfordRetro , I meant to type 1958 but I hit "59" instead. Sorry about that. The Billiard/snooker hall was just across the Broadway on the same side of the road as the Angel and a five minute walk or less. I remember some years ago the snooker player Ken Doherty saying he used to practice there. If you know how to contact him I'm sure he could tell you exactly. It may have been called the "Locarno" I know the one in Dagenham was called by that name. I am a long, long way from Ilford now. All my four older brothers lived there or in Manor Park, Dagenham, Forest Gate but all gone now. I did not stay a barman only for a year or so. Went building the National Grid for the CEGB all over England , Wales and parts of Scotland. They were good days then many changes came which I would never have believed would happen. But I wish you well and hope England better times to come.

[@IlfordRetro]

@@ccahill2322 that's OK, 1958 still shows how good your memory is, and even more so that you suggest "Locarno" as the name of the snooker hall. I've looked it up on an old OS map from the time, and the "Lucania" billiards hall was as you say - just a bit further down Ilford Hill, past the Red Lion pub. I'm sure you've seen many changes in your professional experience through the decades and it's nice if you can look back on them fondly. Sorry to hear about your brothers, I'm sure they all had their stories of local legends. Very nice of you to stop by the channel and share your memories. May you continue to enjoy life wherever you now are.

[@Roamingree]

Another awesome video. Keep.up the great work ❤

[@IlfordRetro]

Thank you for watching!

[@divinity176]

Noticed that the tunnel going through to Bodgers has been gated up... is this not a throughway anymore? Was a handy shortcut.

[@IlfordRetro]

It was a very handy shortcut indeed. That's right, it's gated off and no longer available to walk through and looks rather grimy these days.

[@shakeenjatt4824]

yes i belive there was a lot of anti social behavior going on so they closed it

[@larryross5665]

Great but very sad video, lots of information, ( it made difficult reading so sad) used to go in there in the earl 70s thanks, you do a good job👍

[@IlfordRetro]

Yes, for sure it is a shame when these places no longer exist but at least we can relive those fond memories. Thanks for stopping by the channel and sharing yours too. May The Angel live on!

[@johnny-p]

Had a lunchtime pint in there just before it closed. It really was looking old.

[@IlfordRetro]

You got to sample its (ageing) delights before it disappeared. To be honest I long for that old school atmosphere amongst today's pub offering.

[@martine8174]

Nice to see this. Went to a few classmates birthday parties in the upstairs of the Wimpey in the 80s.

[@IlfordRetro]

They were great, those birthday parties. I remember having a collection of Beefeater mascot masks with that thin elastic fixed on, from all the parties I went to. It also seemed as if the upstairs was empty of other diners during those as well, giving us the real VIP feeling!

[@martine8174]

@@IlfordRetro yes true . I’m pretty sure you got the whole space…. And I remember the masks now you mention them!

[@ghtqwrrt871]

The Angel gets a mention in Samuel Pepys diary

[@IlfordRetro]

Thanks for sharing that, I had no idea.

[@jacqueline3297]

Wow great information! I never knew a pub stood on this site! My very first Sat job was in the Wimpy here. It wasn't great, but I'd be straight over the road to Our price to buy my records

[@jeffreykenny988]

Surely you can tell from the building that it used to be a pub? It screams pub! 😂

[@IlfordRetro]

Thanks Jacqueline - I can imagine that working in Wimpy wasn't the most fun job, in what was a very busy place at the time. I don't blame you for spending your hard-earned cash on some records to ease the pain!

[@IlfordRetro]

And thank you @@jeffreykenny988 for the initial closure date on this one 👍

[@jacqueline3297]

​@IlfordRetro It was bad, they tried to get me to stand outside in the Wimpy suit but that suit smelled so bad, so I said no, I left soon after, I was 15 😂

[@IlfordRetro]

I wondered who on earth would wear that outfit @@jacqueline3297 You did the right thing!

[@simonharford2262]

i remember going to that wimpy

[@IlfordRetro]

They sometimes used to bring out their mascot, the Beefeater with huge head. It was meant for children but I saw many of them cry in fear when he walked in!

[@rajnirvan3336]

Unbelievable this was a pub. I remember it being Wimpy then BK. Those shoe shops are a blast from the past

[@IlfordRetro]

It's nice that they were able to repurpose the pub and keep the architecture for all to see. Strange how many big shoe shop names have disappeared.

[@rajnirvan3336]

@@IlfordRetro so many shoe shops I can remember. Dolcis, Ravel, Focus/Tandem, Saxone, FHW, Curtess etc

[@IlfordRetro]

@@rajnirvan3336 what a great list of shops from back in the day

[@rajnirvan3336]

@@IlfordRetro Tell me about it. So many great shops we remember as a part of our childhood and youth days that are sadly not around. If possible could you try do a video of the shops before The Exchange opened by the main entrance

[@IlfordRetro]

@@rajnirvan3336 we will put it on the list for sure!

[@Myth_10]

I remember it as a pub as I had a few drinks in there and as a burger king.

[@IlfordRetro]

Nice that you got to experience it as both places; not many people will have.

[@christopherdean1326]

I remember it up until the BK, I left in 2019 so I never saw the Wendy's.....

[@IlfordRetro]

I think Burger King was probably the biggest and most memorable name of the last 20 years or so, it was such a draw, and a bit more centrally located than either McDonalds at the time.

[@jamieop]

It's so fascinating to learn the background of this building, the angel heads on the building had always piqued my interest and the fact it originated from a pub of the same name is fascinating. Fast food is returning as Popeyes are opening in this unit next!

[@IlfordRetro]

It's great when history lingers on isn't it..... You're right, it's as if the place is destined to sell fast food come what may! Hopefully it has a better time than Wendy's did.

[@amankataria1997]

Have you got before and after for 146-148 Cranbrook Road There’s a hotel there now

[@IlfordRetro]

We have a photo of that block yes, however the one we have to hand is not quite good enough to feature unfortunately. We will keep digging though (and thanks for the suggestion).

[@jeffreykenny988]

So the Angel wasn't rebuilt at the same time as the White Horse? I'd always thought that the whole block, including and from the White Horse to the Angel, was demolished and rebuilt at the same time?

[@IlfordRetro]

The White Horse was rebuilt in 1888 so is a shade older than The Angel. Although the whole row between them is roughly the same age, the individual buildings were built at different times, giving rise to their differing architecture

[@simplesimon2802]

a visually pleasing building ... survived WW2 bombing too

[@IlfordRetro]

You're right about that. One of the town centre's few bits of decent architecture

[@YasinBusEnthuiast2024]

That a good memories but we don’t born in 1982 😂 I wished you can try memories about London Bus Route in East London from the past

[@IlfordRetro]

Glad to be showing you how things were before you were born! We will certainly be posting some more buses before this series ends

[@cianog]

Remember it as a wimpy and Burger King. The whole area is pretty ugly now.