@ilfordhistory.bsky.social
The Bluesky account for the Ilford Historical Society. Posts by @ColinRuneckles Website: https://ilfordhistoricalsociety.weebly.com/
Oh no!
You were in the right place but I hadn't realised it had gone - that is very sad. I'd got quite attached to that house!
Ha!
Good to see you again Andrew. Hope to see you soon at meetings (and having rejoined).
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Trouble on the water in South Park, Ilford in May 1902.
Something I found for my talk last night on Parks & Recreation was this wonderful piece about South Park, literally in the same month that the park was opened in May 1902.
A 'regular quarrel on the water'?
The solution - ensure that boating and model boats were given separate parts of the lake.
Photo of a square-shaped cloth with signatures embroidered in different colours scattered all around. The names of the creator's immediate family appear at the centre of the cloth.
A lovely piece from our collection for today’s #Museum30 theme of Stitch – a ‘Friendship Cloth’, owned and used by the donor’s grandmother, Sylvia Ashbridge of Grove Park, Wanstead, who had friends visiting for tea sign and embroider (or embroidered herself) their names from around the year 1870. 🪡
08.11.2025 11:01 — 👍 36 🔁 9 💬 0 📌 1
Poster for Redbridge Museum’s ‘Redbridge and the Second World War’ exhibition featuring a black and white photograph of two Air Raid Precaution wardens wearing gas masks
As we mark Remembrance Day this weekend, find out more in our exhibition and film, Redbridge and the Second World War: youtu.be/Lmy0kOTTHA4
Find out more about Redbridge and the First World War: redbridgefirstworldwar.org.uk
Black and white photo of the Bishop of Chelmsford speaking to a group of people gathered around the Book of Remembrance at Ilford Town Hall
Black and white photo of a group of people looking at a memorial plaque at Ilford Town Hall
Black and white photo of a group of people gathered around the Book of Remembrance at Ilford Town Hall
Photo of a wooden memorial with a glass display showing Ilford's Book of Remembrance at Redbridge Heritage Centre
To remember Ilford citizens killed in the war, a memorial plaque and book was unveiled in Ilford Town Hall in April 1949.
This is now available to view at Redbridge Heritage Centre.
Next Monday!
07.11.2025 14:05 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
HARTFORD SHIRE intermixed with BEDFORD SHIRE The Limits uncertain Mapmaker: Jefferys, Thomas, -1771. Title: The County of Bedford, surveyed anno 1765 and engraved / by Thomas Jefferys. Date: 1765 https://maps.nls.uk/view/262718874
County boundaries weren't always as neat as we'd like them to be. The area around Meppershall in Bedfordshire was particularly complicated giving rise to this cartographical equivalent of a shrug of the shoulders:
HARTFORD SHIRE intermixed with BEDFORD SHIRE
The Limits uncertain
#MappyMonday
A small open cardboard box containing four brown handmade spiders
Happy Halloween! Watch out for all things creepy crawly in your travels tonight 👀
These spooky spiders were handmade by local resident Gladys Harrison and now live very harmlessly in our museum store! 🕷️
Parks & Recreation Monday 10th November 2025 Gloucester Room, Redbridge Central Library
The next talk in the series is, well you can see - it's one of mine and I'll be speaking on the subject of Parks & Recreation.
7 for 7:30pm start on Monday 10th November in the Gloucester Room in the library in Ilford.
Black and white photo of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) and the Mayor of Redbridge.
Black and white photo of the Duchess of York, cutting into a long ribbon, with the Duke of York standing by her side.
Black and white photo of smiling police officers struggling to hold back a crowd of cheery spectators, mostly women in hats and coats.
Black and white photo of huge crowds outside Ilford Town Hall decorated with bunting and a sign reading “Ilford welcomes the Duke & Duchess".
Today is Ilford’s Charter Day – when the town officially became a Borough by Royal Charter on this day in 1926 📜
Crowds lined the streets to welcome the Duke & Duchess of York who visited Ilford to mark the occasion.
🔗 Visit 'Village to Suburb' at Redbridge Museum to discover more: vrcl.uk/museum
A wonderful blog about our collections and display on Redbridge's Jewish stories by Dr Rachel Lichtenstein 👇
20.10.2025 11:46 — 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Photo of an old ‘ghost’ shop sign made up of red mosaic tiles with the name ‘F. W. WOOLWORTH’ faded but visible, over a shuttered Superdrug store under refurbishment, taken 8 October 2025
Black and white photograph of Ilford High Road showing F. W. Woolworth’s far right beside the Town Hall, taken c.1930
Photo of Ilford High Road showing F. W. Woolworth’s far right in white Art Deco style exterior beside the Town Hall, taken c.1970
Photo of Ilford High Road showing F. W. Woolworth’s storefront with faded sign and painted-over windows, taken January 1983
Recently spotted on Ilford High Road – the F. W. Woolworth ‘ghost sign’ still in place beneath the new Superdrug store signage being installed this week.
Woolworths opened in Ilford in 1912. In 1938, the exterior was renovated in the attractive white Art Deco style that still stands today.
We have just joined BlueSky! Since our foundation in 1880, we have reproduced an unrivalled selection of historic maps, plans and views of London. We also publish books and monographs containing original research. See more of what we have to offer at: londontopsoc.org
12.10.2025 11:48 — 👍 275 🔁 102 💬 0 📌 9
Poster for Redbridge Museum’s ‘Redbridge’s Windrush Generation’ display reading ‘Discover the experiences of Redbridge’s Windrush generation in this new permanent exhibition at Redbridge Museum. / Wednesday 1 to Friday 31 October 2025 / 11:00 - 17:00 / Redbridge Museum, 2nd floor, Redbridge Central Library’ featuring a photo of a woman looking at the Museum’s Windrush display.
On 22 June 1948, the Empire Windrush docked in Essex, the first of many ships and planes bringing around 500,000 Caribbean migrants to Britain from 1948 to 1971.
Discover the stories of Redbridge’s Windrush generation in this new permanent exhibition at Redbridge Museum.
🔗 visionrcl.org.uk/museum
Ilford HS talk on J.M.W. Turner - 13th September 2025
Our next talk will be given by our president Jef Page and commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of J.M.W. Turner.
13th September in the Gloucester Room, Redbridge Central Library after the AGM.
A man in a turtle neck jumper sits in front of a laptop in a library. "Get involved" is written over the image
Do you have a #LocalHistory you'd like to tell? Why not share it through the BALH's website! Whether it's a podcast, blog piece, 10-minute talk or other format, we have a range of ways of sharing your stories.
Find out more, here: www.balh.org.uk/blog-ways-to...
#WeAreLocalHistory
Plans for a public library at the junction of Ley Street & Balfour Road, Ilford. 1904
I wrote an article about an early theatre plan for the Ley Street / Balfour Road site - think C&A and Wilko.
Of course only now - by accident - do I find the plans for the public library that was in the running for that site a couple of years later.
Sigh.
Black and white photo of three players of the Woodford Rugby Club team in action
A great action shot of Woodford Rugby Club players in 1983! 🏉
The Club was formed in 1924 and used a pitch next to the Woodford Wells Cricket Club in Monkhams Lane, Woodford. They later moved to a ground in Highams Park, where they still play today.
#NSHD2025 @sportingheritage.bsky.social
Ilford HS talk on J.M.W. Turner - 13th September 2025
Our next talk will be given by our president Jef Page and commemorates the 250th anniversary of the birth of J.M.W. Turner.
13th September in the Gloucester Room, Redbridge Central Library after the AGM.
Just the other week I visited the Fuelling the Railway Revolution exhibition at the rather wonderful #AucklandProject #MiningArtGallery (Bishop Auckland, County Durham).
Amazing how quickly steam-driven railways spread across the country.
200 years since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway today!
So what you want to do is to read how the railway came to Ilford, right?
Of course you do...pp 15-19 in our April '22 Newsletter.
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Chingford station c.1900. The station buildings fill the middle distance. A horse drawn passenger cart is just right of centre. At front left is a policeman, his back to the viewer. At front right a group of women, two with cycles, enter the station forecourt. In front of this group is a woman carrying a large handbag, accompanying two girls wearing large white hats Postcard image from VHM collection, available in our Searchroom.
Chingford station c.1900. Built in 1878 to replace the station near Chingford Green, it was soon a popular destination for tourists visiting Epping Forest. In 1882 Queen Victoria travelled by train to Chingford station for the ceremony at High Beach dedicating the Forest to the people. #Railway200
27.09.2025 08:51 — 👍 13 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
It's here! Sign up for History Day 4 Nov 2025. #HistDay25 Together with @senatehouselib.bsky.social we are celebrating all things history with collections from galleries, libraries, archives, museums & more. Find out what it's all about and book your free spot. www.history.ac.uk/library-digi...
25.09.2025 09:01 — 👍 25 🔁 17 💬 0 📌 1
And if anyone is interested in what @vch-home.bsky.social has to say about our area, the links to the text can be found on our website.
ilfordhistoricalsociety.weebly.com/articles--re...
Our Co-General Editor, @adamchapman.bsky.social, joined us in 2013.
Since then, we have published just over 40 books and Adam has edited or co-edited 37 of them.
The most recent is our 250th #BigRedBook, Westmorland volume 1.
Join us on Wednesday to learn more.
Cranbrook Castle Kelly's Directory for Ilford, Manor Park and East Ham 1899-1900
Cranbrook College, Cranbrook Road Kelly's Directory for Ilford, Manor Park and East Ham 1899-1900
Ilford Hospital Chapel Kelly's Directory for Ilford, Manor Park and East Ham 1899-1900
Ilford Station Kelly's Directory for Ilford, Manor Park and East Ham 1899-1900
Kelly's Directory always had photographs of local buildings.
Here's some of the ones for Ilford that Kelly's Directory for 1899-1900 had in it.
Photo of trees with golden leaves casting shadows on the grass in a park
Today is the Autumn Equinox, marking the arrival of a new season.
This photo from our collection shows the lengthening shadows and falling leaves in Valentines Park, Ilford, in 1987 🍂
The 1960s OS map shows that the space left by the demolition of the old Kinema was taken over and used by Ilford Limited but I'm not sure what those buildings were exactly.
The site is now part of the Sainsbury's building.
