Just across the road from Mr. Tew's was the greengrocery run by Florrie Mills. Down the road towards Pitsea was the watch repair cum jewellery shop Bellefontaine and on the corner of Kent View Road a hardware shop.

     On the other side was White's sweet shop. Over the road from there was Bedwell's shoe shop and then a bit further down was Steward's the paper shop plus sweets etc later taken over by Mr. Jack Shepard who overexpanded in Basildon Town Centre and went bust sometime around 1965.

     A little further down there was a corn chandler's run by Mr. Frank Smith who had been an officer(?) in the navy. Almost next to him someone called Cattle opened a fish and chip shop after it was said having won on the pools.

     Going back up the road to the Barge Corner was another fish and chip shop - Allen's. They had a daughter Gloria. This was next to St. Paul's church and church hall.

     I wonder if anyone remembers the muddy swimming pool at the bottom of Wharf Lane almost next to Churchill Johnson's timber yard?

     This modest contribution made by John Doney b.Pitsea 1935 who lived in High Road Vange from 1937 until 1953. Saunder's supplied our bread and Mr. Campbell our milk.

     Further shop memories: next to Tew's there was a chemist's, then a sweet shop and then perhaps earlier on a haberdashery, Kingston Smith's. The proprietor was a very dapper man with a waxed moustache.

     John Doney went to Pitsea school and was last in Mr. Bebbington's class.

Title: Tew's shoe repair shop at the top of Riverton Drive, Vange by John Doney.

Copyright: © John Doney, October 2010.

Comments: This account was supplied by John Doney for use on the Basildon History website.