Year: 1955

Memories of David Hale:

"Despite the cattle market closing in the 1950s, I remember livestock being sold there and a bull escaping and charging around before eventual capture. It was big local news. I remember ogling over trays of tiny yellow chicks being sold. For some reason I recall they were half a crown each, 8 for a pound. I wanted one, but the cost was way out of my reach. Used to love seeing the animals up close, loved the smell. There was no A127 back in my school days and only short bits of the A12, if I recall correctly. All traffic went through every town. Ilford, Romford, Brentwood, Colchester etc. It was a nightmare journey just to get to Clacton. The main road went straight through the centre of the market. Only remembered this having seen the old pics of Romford. Wish I could remember more, so many roads added and towns bypassed. Romford Market was a big draw in those times for lots of people from the surrounding area. I recall my Grandad used to call it Rumford Market and in fact it was spelt this way above the entrance to the undercover food hall off the market square. We moved to Seven Kings when I was aged five in 1952, so it's possible I was taken to the market from 1952 onwards as a school kid."

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