Loughton and District Historical Society has re-published a book filled with memories of Loughton between 1926 and 1946

Loughton High Road was no exception.

This year, eleven years after it first hit book shop shelves, a book which brings the Loughton High Road of the 20s, 30s and 40s back to life has been re-published.

‘Life in Loughton: 1926-1946 ’ author Peter Woodhouse affectionately describes the busiest road in the ‘village’ that he knew.

The High Road, according to Mr Woodhouse was well stocked with ‘individual’ and ‘independent’ stores.

However, most of their trade would come from the demand of home deliveries.

Loughton was alive with young boys whizzing through the streets on their delivery bikes with huge baskets attached to the handlebars.

“Milk, bread, meat, eggs, groceries and vegetables arrived in a variety of carts and vans and by way of a constant supply of ‘errand boys’,” he wrote.

“They always seemed to arrive whistling the latest popular tune.

“It was an era of lists - separate lists of what was to be ordered or bought that day. For groceries a list was taken to Loughton House Stores or to Harrisons and, sitting on a tall cane chair, the housewife would wait while Mr Lockyer or Mr Harrison made up her order.”

Mr Woodhouse’s mother used a butcher named Grimsley in Smarts Lane which he swore she never stepped foot inside.

Aside from shop deliveries, others would wander the streets for their trade.

“There were two other regular visitors to the local roads. If you wanted heavy parcels sent any distance you put a large ‘CP’ card in your window and hoped that Carter Paterson’s van would eventually call to take them," he continued.

The other, according to the author was the ‘rang and bone man’ who would take away metal and unwanted clothes.

The book explains how shopping was a social event and that a twenty minute wait whilst slabs of butter were wrapped in papers was the norm – enough time to hear the latest gossip from the shop keeper.

In fact, calling into a shop would often take a lot of time.

At 215 High Road was a shop named Warne’s Outfitters which sold school clothes.

The owner would reach clothes high up on shelves and deliver all of the correct sizes to the counter.

“Such was the labour involved in packing and unpacking again that you had to have a hard heart to refuse to buy them,” Mr Woodhouse recalled.

A horse pond opposite Spring Grove was a vivid memory of the write as well as a library owned by a woman named Rose and a Penistan’s Drapers Shop on the site of the police station built in 1964.

Amongst the shops which Mr Woodhouse recalled are the Rickett’s Shop which sold sweets and number 96 and Barton’s the Ironmongers which had a floor strewn with sawdust and a 'pleasant smell of soft soap and paraffin'.

Mr Rickett, the author wrote 'had a fine droopy moustache, yellow with tobacco smoke'.

Aside from the shops and services of the days before the Second World War, Mr Woodhouse claimed that there was never a feeling of impatience.

“As in all transactions in those days there was no feeling of haste or any need to wait in a queue.”

Advertisements always addressed the reader in the politest terms telling them that the shop would ‘accommodate you in all ways’ and would ‘procure special articles’.

The station was also littered with signs for soap, wine and services – written in the same enthusiastic fashion.

The author of ‘Life in Loughton’ Peter Woodhouse died after moving to Norwich.

Councillor Chris Pond, a member of the Loughton Historical Society said that the book is now back in print due to popular demand.

He said: “Peter Woodhouse tells the story of that Loughton of private schools, tennis clubs, steam trains, pirate buses, and dancing lessons, the Loughton of the 1920s and 30s; a charming cameo of Loughton life in the past.

“His boyhood memories of the businesses that operated in the High Road, are a specially valuable contribution to the town's history.”

The book can be purchased for £5 from the LDHS (0208 508 2361) or the Loughton Bookshop.