Tuesday 2 October 2012

Blackmore: Wayside Tea Rooms (1)

Wayside Tea Room

Received  7 July 2012

Hi there, I was living in Blackmore during the 2nd world war, in the Wayside tearooms (which were opposite the school). I can remember a plane crashing nearby and wondered if anyone could tell me more about this happening?  I was a toddler at the time, but the memory is so vivid that even now I hate to hear planes at night!  Also does anyone have a photo or a memory of the Wayside Tea rooms, I would be very interested to hear. Thank you.

Replied  14 July 2012
Hello Val

Thank you for writing to me about the American bomber crash at Blackmore, which happened on 24 September 1944. Some correspondence on this is on the blog (follow link to www.blackmorehistory.blogspot.co.uk/blackmore-notes-and-queries-3-americans.html ) but I would be very interested to hear of your memories of this event as well as any other stories relating to the Americans who came over to Essex during the Second World War. I was told that many of them used to come into the (old) Leather Bottle pub, reputedly putting their money on the bar and buying drinks for everyone. Of course the missions they flew were very dangerous and some did not make it back to the base at Willingale.

Regarding the Wayside Tea Rooms, back in 2004 I had the privilege of talking to Malcolm Baird who had come to visit from New Zealand.  He sent over some photographs but I had difficulty locating the site of the premises until, by chance, I came across an old postcard which located the building opposite numbers 3 & 4 Blackmore Road (then Brentwood Road).  I attach the photographs and an item I wrote for the Parish Council's magazine 'The Herald' (see part 2).

I will publish this information on the blog very soon, but if you have memories of Blackmore during the Second World War I would be interested to receive them. You might be interested in viewing www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore-families.html which includes some notes of two brothers Johnson who were evacuated to Blackmore to the Jopson family during the early part of the Second World War.

With kind regards

Andrew

Wayside Tea Room, Blackmore, when the Bairds lived ran the business.


No comments: