Bearman’s was in fact a department store, a proper “Are You Being Served” job, sadly no longer with us and seemingly almost wiped from memory given the aforementioned lack of information out there. Frank Bearman, the proprieter, a draper by profession also went on to buy a part-share in Allders Department Stores.

So, I’ve basically started this post to try to gather any stories, pictures, in fact anything at all that people may wish to share about Bearman’s in Leytonstone.

Now, to get the ball rolling, I’ve been nosing around the 1901 census information recently and thought I’d see if I could find Mr. Bearman. Luckily, there’s an entry in there for what appears to be the department store itself – possibly the Bearmans actually lived there at that time. The census information lists the address as “3 and 4, The Parade, Leytonstone”, which presumably was the name given at the time to that section of shops on the High Road. The occupants were…

• Frank C Bearman (Draper/Shopkeeper)
• Kate Bearman (his Wife)
• Bernard Bearman (their son, aged 2 at the time)
• Mary Waller (Cook)
• Agnes Newby (Servant)
• Susan Tapp (Servant)
• Ellen Goodson (Servant)
• Arthur Harrison (Drapers Assistant)
• Bertrand Cox (Drapers Assistant)
• Richard Hilton (Drapers Assistant)
• Victor Brier (Drpaers Assistant)
• Thomas Simpkins (Drapers Assistant)
• Douglas Bunbury (Shopwalker)

So, looks like at this time the shop was still just a drapers, but it would evolve over the years into much more than that.

More to follow on this and as I mentioned, please add comments if you have any information to contribute.

Knotts Green House - Residence of Joseph Gurney Barclay

The drawing is taken from the Illustrated London News, July 15th 1865. The caption reads “Entertainment Given by Mr Gurney Barclay, at Leytonstone, to the Agents of the London City Mission”. Unfortunately, like most of the great old houses in Leytonstone, Knotts Green (which was situated around the Matlock Road area) eventually fell into disrepair and was knocked down in the 1960s to make way for Livingstone College and subsequently the tower blocks of the Livingstone Estate, also later demolished.

Tragic

Rink Picture Palace/Rialto/Granada

Originally opened in October 1909 as a roller skating rink located next to St. John’s Church, Leytonstone. The owner, Mr. James White enlisted architect P. Cornish to convert the building into a cinema and ”The Rink Picture Palace” opened on 15th June, 1911.

Seating capacity, after some modification to the interior in 1913, was 1000 all on a single floor. The main entrance was next to Bearman’s department store on Leytonstone High Road and was reached via a long arcade.

In 1926 the cinema was purchased by Bernstein Theatres, a successful chain headed by Sidney Bernstein who, in 1921, had inherited control from his father, Alexander. The Cecil Masey and Theodore Komisarjevsky re-designed “Rialto” opened on 6th January, 1927.

Capacity had been increased to 1760, still all on one floor. Stage facilities and a cinema orchestra, including a Compton theatre organ, allowed for variety shows as well as films. The Compton from the Rialto is still in existence today – see www.wizardcompton.org.uk for further details.

The following year, the cinema was taken over by Denman/Gaumant Theatres Ltd, but still managed by Bernstein. In 1934 the seating capacity was again increased, this time to 1884.

War damage from a German bomb meant the cinema had to close for much of the year in 1945.

Granada Theatres (Sidney Bernstein famously started the Granada group of companies) took full control in 1965 and re-branded it as “The Granada Leytonstone”. The downturn in audience numbers during the 1970′s forced closure of the cinema on 17th April 1964. The building was demolished and the site was taken over by Bearman’s to be used as a car park.

In 1984, Bearman’s itself went the way of the dodo and was demolished too. The whole area was re-developed and was for many years occupied by the infamous (for all the wrong reasons) Co-Op store. When the big Tesco supermarket opened in Leytonstone, the Co-Op basically gave up the ghost and sold the site to Matalan, who are still there.

The Rex

Run by ABC Cinemas and located across the High Street from Lincolns Pub – a block of flats now occupies the site. The cinema itself closed in 1960, but the building was gutted and converted into a ten-pin bowling alley. That closed in 1972 and the building lay derelict for a number of years before being demolished.

This was a large cinema with a nice art deco interior and seating on two levels, 1174 in the stalls and 780 in the circle.

Premier Electric Theatre/The State

This is the only building still actually standing – after a number of years as a snooker hall, it was put up for sale and is now some sort of function hall.

Opening in 1910 as “The Premier Electric Theatre” with seating for 710, it ran successfully until 1938, when it was closed for re-construction work. Renowned cinema architect George Coles was employed, refurbishing in an art-deco style. It re-opened as “The State Cinema” in the same year with a seating capacity of 600.

Bomb damage forced closure between 1940 and 1943.

The doors were closed for the last time as a full time cinema in 1961, after which it was mainly used for bingo, with occasional films also being shown. Over the years the cinema seems to have developed a slightly seedy reputation, showing more adult-oriented films.

The Academy/Century Cinema

Situated opposite The Plough and Harrow Pub on Leytonstone High Road, ”The Academy” opened in 1913. Seating capacity was 650 on a single floor. Operated by Scriven and Huxtable, it was later enlarged to accommodate 1100 and given a facelift, re-opening as “The New Academy”.

In 1954, Granada Theatres took it over, employing architect George Coles to oversee renovations. The following year it re-opened as the “Century Cinema” . As audiences dwindled, Bingo was introduced on Thursday nights in 1962 and films stopped being shown altogether the following year. It was converted into a full-time Bingo Hall, closing completely in 1983. Demolition followed, with the site being sold to developers – a block of flats now stands there.

The Future?

At the moment, there’s no sign of Leytonstone ever getting its own cinema again – in fact, the whole of Waltham Forest is without one following the closure in 2003 of the EMD in Walthamstow. There is some hope though, The Leytonstone Film Club kicked off at last years Leytonstone Festival, attracting a lot of interest. They show both modern and classic films on the first Wednesday of every month in Leytonstone Library. Recent screenings include “The Counterfeiters”, “Persepolis”, “Man on Wire” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Their website can be found at www.leytonstonefilmclub.com.

We do also have cinemas in our neighbouring boroughs of Newham and Redbridge - Stratford’s “Picture House” is pretty good and probably most peoples choice if they want to see a film locally. In the other direction, it’s worth trying “The Odeon” at South Woodford – decent screens with plenty of restaurants and watering holes close by.

St. Andrew’s has played a major part in the history of Upper Leytonstone, its development as a community, and is also an important (grade 2 listed) building in its own right. At the risk of sounding “preachy” (and possibly somewhat hypocritical to boot), if you think that’s worth preserving, then consider supporting it!

For more information on St. Andrew’s, their website can be found at www.standrewsleytonstone.org.

The fountains began life as horse troughs for the mounts of thirsty travellers in an age when horses were the majority form of transport and are a well loved part of the local scenery and a reminder of a bygone age.

The earliest, which still has its trough, stands on George Green, Wanstead, and was built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond jubilee in 1897.

The other stands at the other end of the High Street at the junction with Holly Bush Hill in Snaresbrook, and was erected in 1872.

Councillors representing the two wards of Snaresbrook and Wanstead formally reopened the fountains following their makeover.

These included Councillors Michelle Dunn, Allan Burgess, both for Wanstead, and for Snaresbrook ward, Councillors Christopher Cummins, Peter Goody and Mrs Suzanne Nolan.

Chairman of Area 1 committee which covers both wards, Councillor Chris Cummins, said:

“It is great to see these beautiful features restored to their former glory. They help to remind us what a historic place this area is.”

The seller originally acquired the stool from a 1980 contents sale at Wingfield Castle, home of the late connoisseur-collector Graham Baron Ash.

Initial estimates for the piece were between £15,000 – £25,000, but the Wanstead House provenance, unearthed after a pointer was given to Christie’s by architectural historian John Martin Robinson, resulted in a 5 way battle over the phones between private collectors. The stool eventually sold for a very impressive £135,000.

The contents of Wanstead House were originally auctioned off in 1822 after the then owner and richest woman in England, Catherine Tylney Long was bankrupted by her wreckless husband William Pole Wellesley. The auction was a huge undetaking, lasting for 32 days. As no buyer could be found for the actual house, it was demolished and sold piece by piece to pay Wellesley’s creditors.

Source: Antiques Trade Gazette.

A friendly group of people mostly from East London and Essex, The Woodhouse Players produce the kind of shows that they like, including quite a bit of new work. They meet most Wednesdays, quite a few Fridays and some Saturdays at The Welsh Church Hall, Leytonstone to rehearse 6 major productions a year, as well as one-offs like readings and cabaret.

There is also a lively social atmosphere, giving rise to many friendships and even romances (two marriages so far!).

Current active membership is around 45, the majority being actors, but with specialists too in directing, writing, lighting, sound, music, graphic design and costume.

History
 
The Woodhouse Players made their debut in the Autumn of 1983 at St Margaret’s Church, Woodhouse Road, Leytonstone, taking the name of a long defunct drama group that had previously performed there in the 1950s.  The driving force behind the formation of the Players was Friar Ivor Moody, then curate at St Margaret’s. He was keen that the group be part of the local community, and not just a church based group, and twenty years later he would be pleased to see that the Players have a wide membership and audience from across the whole of East London, and Essex. Waltham Forest Arts Council, and in particular its long serving Chair, Vi Gosling actively supported the establishment of an amateur drama group in Leytonstone and offered generous financial assistance for its first production, “Once in a Blue Moon”.

The Woodhouse Players first decade saw remarkable development – it became the only group performing regularly in the Leytonstone area, with single Autumn productions at St Margaret’s, including such classics of the British Theatre as “Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie and “Blithe Spirit” by Noel Coward. The second decade built on this, with a substantial increase in the number and quality of plays performed, both for the Leytonstone audience and in competition with other groups from the area in drama festivals. Increasingly, these have been original plays specifically written for
 or by the group.

In 1988 the Players decided to enter the Waltham Forest Drama Festival for the first time. The play was called “Festival Nightmare”, aptly, as the group came last! However, the same year saw the one-play a year pattern abandoned as one act and full length plays were added into the schedule. This increased activity meant that they had to move from
 St Margaret’s, and were fortunate enough to able to move into their current venue, the Welsh Church, in time for their first Christmas pantomime in 1989. In the last few years, the Players have flourished, winning many awards at festivals, and performing an increasingly wide variety of plays.

In 2003, their twentieth anniversary year, the players won the best original play award at both local festivals. They also introduced another innovation for the group – two shows produced in one month, with October’s “Woman In Mind” by Alan Ayckbourn and “Dracula – The Vampire Strikes Back”, which transformed the Welsh Church Hall into a studio space for the first time. 2004 and 2005 also saw a set of awards picked up in Waltham Forest and Havering festivals, their first full-length Shakespeare, and the first production at a professional external venue: “Jekyll and Hyde – Make Mine A Double”, their most ambitious and technically challenging show so far.

In 2006 they’re picking up the pace even more, moving to a calendar of 6 productions a year.

For the middle classes, life in Victorian England was a much different proposition to that of today. There was no welfare state (the very poor were looked after by the workhouses), so those who fell on hard times generally had to rely on charity, be it from friends and relatives or from organisations such as the Infant Orphan Asylum at Wanstead, founded by the Revd. Andrew Reed in 1843.

Reed was an influential figure with numerous friends and connections in the upper echelons of Victorian society, including politicians and royalty. He had already founded the “East London Orphan Asylum” in 1813 with the aim of helping to educate and care for “fatherless children who are respectably descended but without means for their adequate support”. The success of this first school (which catered for children over seven)
encouraged Reed to seek support for the creation of another orphange, for younger children.

In 1840, after a good deal of effort and the help of his friend the Duke of Wellington, Reed gained the support of Queen Victoria and was given a piece of Crown land on the edge of Epping Forest near Wanstead on which to build the new asylum. George Gilbert Scott was
charged with designing the new building (Scott also later designed the celebrated hotel at St. Pancras Station).

Building started in 1841, with the foundation stone being laid by Prince Albert. Eveyone who was anyone in Victorian society at that time attended the ceremony. The orphange was opened on 27th June, 1843 by Leopold, King of the Belgians and provided a accomodation and schooling for 600 children, making it one of the biggest charities in England. Queen Victoria was the first in a long line of monarchs to become Patron of what later became The Royal Infant Orphanage and then The Royal Wanstead School.

Orphan Elections

“An Infant Orphan Election at the London Tavern”, George Elgar Hicks (1865)

The above painting by George Elgar Hicks depicts a scene from The London Tavern in which orphans are being put forward in an election to gain places at The Infant Orphan Asylum in Wanstead. This was one of the more unfortunate consequences of Victorian childrens charities. Subscribers to the Asylum were entitled to one vote for a 10s 6d annual subscription, or two votes for a guinea. Five guineas bought you life membership with one vote per year. Supporters of the children would try to beg or buy votes from members, even bringing placards along daubed with slogans such as “Vote for Harriet Langdon; a case of great disfigurement” or Annie Lisle ‘Daughter of a Physician’. Members would be more inclined to vote for children they saw as deserving than educate poor children who they saw as getting above their station.

The School Today

After the Second World War, the school found it increasingly hard to survive with spiralling costs and diminishing support from the local education authorities on which it now depended. It struggled on for many years but finally closed in 1971 and was subsequently acquired by the Crown for it’s present use, a judicial court.

 
Rebecca (1940) starring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier.
(Note St. John’s Church , Leytonstone shown in the window).

The mosaics are the work of the Greenwich Mural Workshop and are made up of over 80,000 tiles. They took more than six months to complete with installation finishing in April 2001.

North by Northwest (1959) starring Cary Grant.

Seventeen mosaics were made - in addition to those shown above, scenes from “The Wrong Man”, “Rear Window”, “The Skin Game”, “Suspicion”, “Psycho”, “Number 17″, “To Catch a Thief”, “The Birds”, “Saboteur”, “Vertigo”, “Strangers on a Train” and “Pleasure Garden” are featured.

Three mosaics feature scenes from Hitchcock’s life - as a young boy outside his father’s shop on Leytonstone High Road, at work on a film set, and relaxing with German actress Marlene Dietrich, who starred in his 1950 production “Stage Fright”.

 For more information, see The Joy of Shards.

1. The “Time Terminus” statue outside Leytonstone Tube station contains a kitchen sink and a roll of wallpaper taken from one of the Victorian houses that were demolished to make way for the M11 link road extension.
2. Mary Jane Kelly, the last victim of Jack the Ripper was laid to rest in St. Patrick’s Cemetry, Leytonstone.
3. The first electric tram was built at the North Metropolitan Union Road works, Leytonstone.
4. Leytonstone and Wanstead both used to have cinemas, in fact Leytonstone used to have four (The Academy, The Rex, The Rialto and The State) !!! Today there are no cinemas within E11.
5. Highwayman Dick Turpin reportedly stayed at The Green Man pub, now O’Neills by the Green Man roundabout.
6. “Forest of Leytonstone” were one of the founding members of the Football Association, formed in 1863. They became “The Wanderers” a year later, moving across London to Battersea Park and went on to become one of the most successful clubs in the 1860′s and 70′s. Probably their most famous victory was in the first ever FA Cup final, held at the Kennington Oval in 1872, where they beat The Royal Engineers 1-0.
7. In 1940, during World War 2, Plessey’s of Ilford decided to put its factory underground (in the Central Line system) where it would be safer. The 5 mile long production line started between Leytonstone/Wanstead and stretched as far as Newbury Park. Nearly 2,000 workers worked day and night to supply the RAF with aircraft parts.
8. The creation of the M11 link road extension destroyed over 350 homes in Wanstead, Leytonstone and Leyton. Hundreds of anti-road protestors were evicted from houses by an army of police, security guards and bailiffs.
9. Sir Winston Churchill was MP for Wanstead and Woodford for over 40 years and sometimes popped into The Eagle in Snaresbrook for a drink with the locals.
10. “Commmoners” still have grazing rights within Epping Forest. Cattle could be seen during the summer months on Wanstead flats up until 1996 and the BSE scare. Local residents may recall cows wandering down roads or into their gardens. Whipps Cross hospital still has cattle grids at it’s entrance to prevent our bovine friends from straying into the grounds.