LONDON TRAMS - LEYTONSTONE 1938

[@brianarthur3798]

My parents were married at St John's Church in the very same year that this film was shot. Mum was born in Leytonstone and I grew up in Forest Gate, on the edge of Wanstead Flats. I remember queuing with my parents to see Father Christmas at Bearmans when I was a small child.

[@jeannettehooker4406]

Lovely film. Thankyou for letting me join.. I was born and bred in Leytonstone and now live in Cambridgeshire. This film brings back lots of good memories. Lived in Pretoria Road and my Grandparents lived in Newport Road and Grosvenor Road in Leyton.

[@go4itagain100]

Fantastic footage. I was born in Leytonstone 1941 and remember the bombs dropping during WW2, missed us by 100yds. Used to go to the Rialto often and bought a book from Bearmans when I was 10yrs old. Also went to the ABC cinema on a Saturday morning. I was an "ABC minor" and still remember the song we used to sing before the show. Had great fun at the Hollow Ponds and on Wandstead Flats. Oh happy days - very nostalgic to see this film. Many thanks.

[@althejazz]

This is brilliant - LTs on the 10 road and shots of the ponds at Wanstead. My dad worked for Marshall Taplow's at Maryland for 47 years and I remember the area from 1950 onwards when I would go off to work on the lorry with father in the school holidays. I remember the trolleybuses too. My dad's mate George Palmer on the lorry used to sail model yachts at Wanstead for years and I wonder if anyone from the area would remember him. Thanks for posting this. TTFN - 007

[@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester]

I was there! I worked at Bearmans, as did my mother, enjoyed myself at Hollow ponds, sang in St John's church and was taken to the police station by my dad! Just twelve years later than this film. Wonderful film. And it certainly has changed.

[@ruskiryan2398]

I remember Bearmans! I loved how it was still respectful and old fashioned service. such a shame it was torn down to make room for Hamburgers. :(

[@romanyman]

One of the best things I have seen on you tube .Brilliant! thanks for posting!!

[@darrenburnfan]

A charming and very historic reel of film that has obviously been looked after and looks to be in excellent condition for 74 years old. What a different world it was then and how lucky we are that your father decided to go to the expense of filming it in colour. Thank you for uploading it.

[@leedsman54]

A lovely snapshot of people's lives one day so long ago. When I watch films like this I can't but wonder what happened to all of them.

[@MrDaiseymay]

I love ALL these old films of our past--especially in colour, which as someone has said, is so rare, due to lack of availability and high cost. The fact that the film had to be sent to California foe development though, is amazing ! History will be forever indebted to your father.

[@Misteraqa]

Not an area I'm too familiar with and shot 8 years before I was born but a fascinating look into everyday life before the second world war. Well done and thanks for posting.

[@CLARMCHL]

I spent most of my childhood visiting Leytonstone, as my mum came from there, fantastic video, I remember going to bearmans and sitting in the rocket. My nan and grandad Warner lived in Southwell grove road, where the salvation army would play every sunday!

[@RandomPersonette]

I've lived in leytonstone since 1989 and I can't get over the fact there used to be a cinema and department store.It was once quite middle class,now it's a mix of social classes.Thanks for this, it's so lovely and interesting to see.

[@OldFlapper]

Lovely too, to see the superb colur footage of the AEC six wheeler LT type buses so common of the era. This is a real treat. Thank you.

[@78bookem]

This is a wonderful video. My great grand parents lived in Leytonstone and my grand parents would tell me how nice it was and this video shows this. I am hoping this remains on KZbin forever so that our children can see it as well.

[@Crecybowman]

Great post! I am a Canning Town lad myself, but used to bike up to Whipps Cross and Wanstead for a day out in the 'Country'!

[@tolkny]

Great stuff and in colour and a lot more than a few trams - what a lot is going on at The Hollow Ponds - I do not think I ever saw it as busy as that in the 1950s and 60s. thanks for posting

[@Mangs786]

I was born in 88 at Whipps X and have lived, studied and worked in Leytonstone since. Amazing to see how the same area I am used was all those many years ago.

[@frostye11]

Hollow Ponds at the side of Whipps Cross Road. The trams in Whipps Cross Road ran on a reserved track on the forest side of the road. Unlike the the main built up streets in Leyton and Walthamstow, the wires were held up by a single post that carried the wires on either side.

[@ikinmoore]

I was born in Leytonstone in 1957. My father's family lived in the time where this filmed. This is the hollow ponds where I used to play in the 1960s ! And trams down whipps cross road....Brilliant !! Have you any more like this ???

[@richbutler718]

Born in 1957 , selby road opposite the Plough and Harrow pub

[@Richardsrailway]

My grandparents lived in Leytonstone and were married in 1939, this is wonderful to see in color what it was actually like in those days, I lived in Harrow green opersite that war memorial on the cathall road estate project, i wish sadly Leytonstone had kept its charm and cleanness about it today, its a mess and dump and has gone to pot, i remember Bearman's department store as a kid with its orange flooring and old wooden grand staircase,use to a nice place to live,

[@lilmizsunshine1]

Thank you for sharing this amazing video, it gives a great insight into life in 1938.

[@yvonnewilkinson6904]

I am certain most of it was Leytonstone. My great-grandparents, grandparents and my dad lived here as I did too in the late 1960's - 1972. We lived in Granleigh Road. My family name was Spooner. I recognise the police station, the high street and the railway bridge. Great to see the 'Life-boys' march past. Thanks so much for uploading. I think it used to be a lovely place to live.

[@empirewindrushtragdy]

Thank YOU

[@mljucmj2]

Nice, I lived in L/Stone from 1949 to 1960, then we moved to Woodford Green. Spent many wonderful hours with friends at the (then) Sixth South Essex company of the (then) Life Boys and then with the Boys Brigade.

[@domwright500]

Nice video. I lived in Leytonstone from 1964 to 1970, Lancaster Road, then Harrington Road. I keep telling my wife that there was a TARDIS but finally I've been able to prove it to her. I remember visiting Santa at Bearmans and going to the cinema, also the Hollow Ponds, and also walking through from Wanstead flats towards Ilford.

[@MrSRedburn]

I have just seen This Happy Breed on TV. There is a few seconds in the outdoors which looks like the Ponds at Leytonstone. One can see a tram in the distance. I wonder if it is the same area?

[@funkybird4]

OMG this is completely amazing

[@35felton]

How this area has gone down. It used to be such a nice part of London, but has gone the way the rest of it has.

[@owen_matthews]

2.42 my Grandad in the 6th South Essex Boys Brigade Band. He later went on to become the Captain. It is now called the 6th Waltham Forest Boys Brigade.

[@Copenhagen327]

The tram before the shots of the pond is clearly on route 61 on the reserved tram track in Whipps Cross Road, the rails of which were still in place the last time I looked in the late 1990's. The location of the pond is?

[@user-nq7yx7dg1w]

Just lovely and so vey interesting!!!!!

[@rizla7861]

Amazing can't wait to show my kids one day

[@spiritoveradversity1]

This is a lovely little film, A real "time capsule" of social history, I still walk this area quit often, but sad to say it now looks nothing like the charming scenes portrayed in this film, although having said that a surprising number of the buildings shown hear have somehow managed to survive to this day, REALLY good posting, Thanks for sharing.

[@w11120]

Facinating - thanks.

[@MrSRedburn]

I often went to Bearmans and sat in the rocket too!!! I loved the Rialto which was part of the same building. They only had one record to play in the intervals which was Ravel's Bolero.

[@aidans6274]

I also remember the Christmas rocket to the North Pole at Christmas. That was almost 50 years ago.

[@edwardvickers5506]

My old stomping ground,many things in the film are still there,the memorial at harrow green,the hollow ponds boating lake,the police and fire station. It looked quite a middle class area compared to now.Very sad!

[@modelearth]

your father would'nt of realised the significance of this footage at the time but its incredible. what he would of seen as mundane i now see as the last window into the past. what a shame thanks for sharing this!

[@daveconyard8946]

Thank you

[@northstar1950]

This is fascinating footage, not that I am familiar with this area but thats not important. What is important is that it was shot on colour stock, expensive stuff in 1938. I hope you make sure this will be archived somewhere for future historians to look at. These films not only accurately document that areas looked like but are also a rich source of general information, shops, fashions, transport ect.

[@Majamacoco]

Big up the Bearmans crew. 1972 born in a bedroom in Richmond Road E11.

[@FHIPrincePeter]

Interesting to see the Hollow Ponds used to have toy boats and swimming in there. Nowadays it's the rowing boats and the ducks that use the pond.

[@harrypotty39]

im a postman delivering letters on this high rd,it looks much better then ,than it does now ,fantastic video

[@daldiggler]

This 100 percent leytonstone! - I grew up there also and its very clear to me. Great film, thank you very much! :)

[@MrGarner76]

great stuff mate, leytonstone born and bred! wouldnt recognize it now..bareley! thanks for posting

[@crossleydd42]

Not just the trams deserve a mention, but also the LT class 6-wheeler double-deck buses (and a quick glimpse of an STL rear, too. Notice the number of boys wearing shorts then, much better at pulling up than trousers to go into the boating lake!

[@peteredwards6039]

I cannot find these photos on your blog,would you please inform me as to which sub-heading they are filed under. Incidentally do you live in the Leyton area? Thank You Peter Edwards

[@Richardsrailway]

My grandparents lived in Leytonstone at the time of this film in 1938, they lived in Claremont road leyton, then moved to Leytonstone in 1962, my mum used to push me around Bearman's in the 70's, and often talks about the old Rialto cinema , I grew up in Harrow green as a child, but remember Bearman's before it became Leo's the something else I think.

[@leytonstongue]

Many thanks for posting this - brilliant stuff. Great to see The Academy Cinema, like all of Leytonstone's cinemas, now gone. The police station where Hitchcock was locked in the cells as a young child is still there although no longer a cinema. I recently found some photographs taken in Leyton in the same year which I've posted on my blog islingtongue.blogspot.com/2012/01/found-memories.html

[@NickinFilm]

The Calm before the storm... Any videos from wartime?

[@UKJingles]

what a wonderful film...Great seeing a pre-war Police Box in Colour!! :-)

[@anthonyturton8091]

wonderful

[@jonallen-friend2405]

Superb

[@effyleven]

I used to go to the Academy Cinema in 1953-56. By then it had been remodelled and renamed the NEW Academy. I used to go to the children's screenings on Saturday mornings... one of the Saturday clubs that most cinemas held then. For three hours we sat in the dark and watched the "goodies" chase the "baddies" in B'W... all for 6d piece... (two and a half 'p' in new money.) Later the Academy became the Century... and in the 1980's it was demolished and replaced by flats.

[@theoldman777]

I loved this! No Speed Cameras, No Bus / Cycle lanes, no Health and Safety. Everything works. Great. LBWF take note!!

[@Thecanadianable]

Very cool!

[@thedook9543]

I worked briefly at Bearman's in the display department… I didn't like it there very much, though...

[@jeffreyhodge5564]

The war memorials were and still are an emotive sight ,one year later after this shot ,Britain was at war “The war to end all wars was sadly an illusion but for the dead ,the wounded and people suffering mental anguish ,it was a reminder of mans stupidity . On a lighter note the liveries of the trams and buses and the streets and shops almost seem unreal today,we are encouraged to shop locally ,in 1938 nobody new any difference ,can anybody tell me what clas of bus had 4rear wheels and was there a single decker equivalent ,thank you.

[@millwall33]

Iam so sorry for you.

[@earth123ism]

i recognised the high rd did any one notice the black man at 1.26 and this is 1938 wow

[@MadAndyBeckman]

At 1.27 there is a black man walking past. Note his relaxed body language like they were so few and far between he was probably regarded more as a celebrity than a threat.

[@Arsenal-81]

it's totally un reconignsablw, noticed a few things which are still there like the police station still there, the wae memorial is still there opposite cathall road,

[@Grifiki]

"And they still use them in Toronto. "

[@ikbalkhilji4753]

lay...1938

[@RandomPersonette]

I've lived in ley tins

[@MrSRedburn]

Well, so it wasn't Leytonstone, but thank you for the information anyway.

[@machiavelli6996]

It is leytonstone defo

[@frostye11]

Oh dear, well its obviously not your home town. It is mine.

[@millwall33]

Wow thats unbeliveble Leytonstone use to be nice.

[@tph2558]

No Muggings or riots in thoes days Hey and life was tougher then no welfare system then

[@frostye11]

Why a dumb remark?????. Have you been there recently?.

[@pamfoster8781]

Very poignant seeing this film,all those people the next year will be plunged into the second world war,their lives will change forever.

[@darrencornell1]

and not a muslim in sight