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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2023
- The Cranbrook Road entrance to the Exchange is unrecognisable today compared to its former, original life. Ley Street once commenced at the junction with Cranbrook Road, but that all changed in the late-80s as part of the Town Centre's major facelift.
Grew up in Ilford during the 80s with good memories. Went back recently and it was very sad to see.
If we can't love what we have today, we can still love what we once had. We hope the good memories keep being evoked here and there
What school did you go to?
@@pandora8478 Why? I never went to school in Ilford.
Lived in Ilford all my life up to 2000 I worked in Mr Micheals in Ley St lived in Bathurst Road my boys all born in Ilford my nan, uncles, aunts and cousins all lived in and around the area. I rember as a child the old coffee shop along by Fairheads in the Cranbrook Road so many memories. I moved out to down south I go back every now and then as I still have a 93 year old auntie that lives off of Longwood Gardens I honestly don't recognise the place, the old pioneer market with percy ingles opposite have all gone so sad its now dirty and unloved so sad 😢. Thank you so much really love the old videos reminds me of how good my childhood and youth really was thank you 😊
Thanks for sharing your memories @Meg108 It's nice when there's lots of family all close by and makes the area that much more personal. There have been a lot of changes in the last 20 years and those tea and coffee houses you speak of have all disappeared. Can you tell us more about Mr Michaels? Where was it exactly and what did they sell?
@IlfordRetro Hi thank you for your reply yes Mr Micheals was on that little parade of shops there I'm not sure if it was befor or after the Sombrero it was along that parade of shops there they was such happy days thank you I really enjoy seeing and showing my sons what my life was like and there's too in the beginning but they was young when I moved out . Thank you 👍
Forgot to say it was a new hairdressing salon it was very posh it had back basins 😂 mens upstairs and ladies downstairs and thr manager was a great fella called Alan hope that helps it was called Mr Micheals of W1.
@@Megs108 Thank you very much for the information, very helpful. You will notice there is a sign on the right hand side of the 1982 picture above which says "Unisex Hair Salon 100 yards down" this must have been for Mr Michaels hairdressers you've described. We weren't sure whether the salon was on the parade or further down, and now you've answered the question!
@IlfordRetro You are right that was the Hairdresser as I was mentioning Mr Micheals of W1 so happy to contribute 😊
Excellent content!
Thank you!
Wow just love watching old memories
Glad you're back with us Raj
Thanks for posting. Great looking back
A pleasure and nice it stirs some memories
Amazing to see. I used to work in the Exchange mall in Debenhams from 2009 up until we closed down in 2021
It was so sad to see (another) big chain go to the wall. Thank you for your service; that was a big draw for a lot of people visiting Ilford and any town centre really. There's certainly hardly any variety when it comes to buying everything from branded clothes to homewares in Ilford now.
Lived In Ilford from 1957 through to 1985 and later in the early 1990s. Used to be a really nice place to grow up - now I would never go back!!
Hopefully some fond memories were sparked with the vid; memories of a golden age growing up in the area.
@@IlfordRetro Absolutely -it was a lovely place when I was young but the last time I was there it had degenerated beyond belief. I understand that the area that I grew up - off Ilford Lane is now frequented by prostitutes and drug pushers.
@@phillipclaridge3112 Ilford Lane has developed a bit of a reputation over recent years. It's best to remember the old days!
@@phillipclaridge3112 While the area has become dirtier in the time I have lived in Ilford, 1999 onwards, the decisions by the council are very questionable in regards to licences given to betting shops, A3 restaurant licence given out like sweets and house/shop conversions/new builds have made the area less attractive.
@@IlfordRetromy dad had a wholesale clothing business there from about 1975, till 85 when he died. He had a shop on 225, and a warehouse in 203, previously a co op and a photographers. I had a business after a left university in 1995-2007. I sold sports wear, Nike, Adidas, and stuff like that. I’m an ilford boy, though and through. Born in Barking in 69, left in 2013. Things change, and you look on the past with rose tinted eyes, but I must say it’s a total dive now. The only saving grace is valentines park.
great channel
Thanks for tuning in and supporting us
Lovely, I just wish I had taken more and better photos in those days...
Originally the ground floor had shops on both sides of a walkway. just like the floor above. But eventually TKMax had the whole area converted to be one large shop. Now I think they are planning to relocate to take over part (all?) of the former Debenhams.
I hope the NHS include a walk-in medical centre.
Its probably too expensive but to add a distinctive selling point the Exchange should put in some curved escalators.
I think we all wish we'd taken better photos back in the day, no matter what! Thanks for your comment and you are right about that, there used to be a central walkway between the two sides of TK Maxx, with mens on one side and womens on the other. Then they decided to make everyone browse the shop by having to walk through it - a clever ploy! It's unclear which services will be offered at the NHS clinic but walk-ins would be a good idea. Interesting idea about the curved escalators, they've removed the central lifts and seem to be advocating more escalator use, so you never know.
Cranbrook rd was posh as I remember it, in the 70’s a little boy going to prep school on Mansfield rd. Wests (I think department store), and a millers. There were 3 private schools, Park, Ursuline and Cranbrook college (mine which has closed). It closed as a business bought it, and obviously it wasn’t making enough money. (Really sad. I attended from 4-15 yrs). Opened in 1896. The most famous boy was a Tory MP who got caught in the expenses scandal! My neighbour who was much older than me said his school, Clark’s college used to get into fights with my school! That school was way before my time.
Great memories, thanks for sharing @pandora8478 I've heard about Clark's College and think its former building at 83 Cranbrook Road is now where the even numbers are (but don't quote me on that). Interesting to hear about the school punch-ups; like they were a prerequisite for being located so close to each other! You're right about Wests, it was quite upmarket compared to the likes of Bodgers, as was Cranbrook itself as you say. Very sad to hear about Cranbrook College closing a couple of years ago. Who was the Tory MP?!!
So interesting. I can see the Exchange being knocked down or converted into flats in the near future. I'd like to understand the reasoning to knock down so many houses to build/close roads, build car parks and The Exchange. In hindsight I think (with my limited knowledge in planning) it would have been better not to knock down so many houses. Thanks to this channel I have been able to see what the area I live in was like less than 50 years ago.
Good question. Redbridge council has historically been all about 'new' over traditional architecture. In the late 1950s and early 60s the Victorian buildings leading from Ilford Hill up to Ilford station were all demolished for the ones we have today. There's a strange mix of styles across the town centre with not much coherence between them. When comparing the Exchange to something like Westfield it is tiny but yet it's never had full tenant occupancy. We're glad you can fill in some of the information about what the town was like in the not-too-distant past.
Wow i would of never known this as I was only a new born then but am familiar with the area having family there and being born about 15mins away. Why did they destroy so many houses and communities.
Again i am really waiting for this format to be done with Leyton, I can find very old pictures on Leyton but definitely would love something like this from 70s, 80s 90s.
It's a good question and seems to be that for many years from the 1950s onwards, plans to build a relief road for traffic through Ilford were being talked about. In the end a lot of period housing was demolished to make way for it. Really pleased that you enjoy the videos and thanks for sharing your thoughts and memories too. Branching out beyond Ilford is an idea, but at the moment we can be sure there are no copyright claims since all the photos on the channel are from our own collection. I know old photos turn up on Facebook all the time, but these are generally used without permission of the copyright holder, or are very old Victorian black and white postcards for whom the copyright has passed. However, there could be the possibility of using Subscribers' own photos of the local area if they're happy to donate them (and they're not of people etc) in the future......
@@IlfordRetro thanks for the reply. Do you think the planning was part of the failed London ringways project that left unfinished pieces of ring roads everywhere? I actually have a few old areas maps that I look up after watching your videos. London atlas from 58 and another one from the 80s. I wish I took more pics when I was younger. But definitely new areas would be great
@@MJ-bb8op there's definitely something in what you're saying and good to hear that you have found old maps which in themselves tell their own story. I don't know whether it was part of the Ringways project, but the A406 extension between South Woodford and Barking was probably thought about during its development. The A406 was one such ring road that did see the light of day as we know, but the others may have been dizzying. The project in itself showed how much effort was given to trying to ease congestion. The upshot in Ilford which I guess was a microcosm of the wider Ringways idea, was that a lot more concrete circled the town centre and the council itself now calls Winston Way "a concrete collar".
@@IlfordRetro yes you are correct, but the flyover by Redbridge, that was constructed in the 80s right? It's a bit disorienting looking at old maps as really hard to get bearing right. I'm actually struggling as looking at one now and there is no Winston way just a straight from Romford road to Ilford hill to high road Ilford. And no 406 either but I'm looking at a map from 58 now
@@MJ-bb8op yes you're right, I believe it opened in 1989. I understand how disorientating it can be reading old maps -in 58 they were just thinking about all the changes we now see in Ilford's road layout!
Shame that they are changing the exchange. Lots of people spreading gems at health centre aren't going to help the shopping experience
It is a bit of an odd mix, and perhaps it's an answer to relatively low footfall in parts of the Exchange where retail businesses have found it tough
The real problem the Ilford Exchange (& Ilford Town Centre has in general) has is the fact that Westfield Stratford City is just down the Elizabeth Line.
Unless somebody decides to rebuild the entire town centre to a standard that outdoes Westfield, there isn't much that Ilford can do to compete with that.
@@MrSmith1984 You're right that there is a sudden change in ambience if you're coming from Westfield back to Ilford and walk through the Exchange. Millions were ploughed into Stratford before and during the Olympics and Ilford can't compete with that. A separate, distinct identity from Stratford (and Romford) could be a way for it to develop.
Online shopping will finish off The Exchange. Vicarage Field down the road in Barking is on life support
@@awsanteina5152
Yep, Westfield & Online Shopping have pretty much killed off (or will do so soon enough) both Shopping Malls.
That represents a good opportunity to redevelop both Ilford & Barking Town Centres in a way that secures their long term futures.