This is a photo passed to us by Frances Townsend. She says it shows her Grandmother, Lillian Walker, outside Walkers Stores at the top of Denham Road.
John and Lillian moved to Canvey in 1926/7 for a healthier life for my mum who had been in Great Ormond Street Hospital with a lung infection. The shop was at the top of Denham Road opposite Jones Stores. My mum helped in the shop in the mid to late 1930’s until she was called up to the WAAF’s in WW2.
My grandma ran a canteen in the shop for the soldiers stationed in the nearby army camp for the duration of the war.
They sold the shop in the late 40’s/early 50’s and a Co Op store was built in its place.
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I’m so pleased you have shared this photo Lillian was married to my great great grandad Charles on my grandfather’s side he has childhood memories of spending time on canvey with family and we have often heard tales of the store .I moved to canvey 7 years ago and live a few roads up everytime I walk past and try and imagine what it was like ,just shown my grandad and his very happy and we are reminiscing once again about his childhood so thank you best wishes laura
I’m doing some Family Tree research for a friend and would be very interested to hear from anyone who has any knowledge of Mr & Mrs Walker who ran that store in the 1930’s. Lillian and Charles have been mentioned but I’ve not been able to trace their records yet.
In particular I am looking for confirmation that they had a daughter Irene Mabel b 1933 and if there were any other children, siblings of Irene.
Laura, you must be related to the person I am acting for but I don’t know the exact relationship – yet!
It’s a very small world out there.
In the 1929 Electoral Role Lilian Rosena Walker is mention with John Taylor Walker as living at ‘Perrymead’, in Denham Road. There are several other Walkers on the island at that time but no Charles.
John Taylor Walker and Lilian were my grandparents. Lilian was John’s second wife. He had 3 children from his first marriage, John, Fred and a daughter who we knew as Lally. John and Lilian had more children, Irene,Helen(known as Nelly), Ronald,Reginald,Rita(my mum)and Kenneth. Another boy,Roy was sadly killed in an accident in the home at age 5. John Taylor Walker died before the flood and Lilian died years later after moving to Kent to live with her daughter Helen. The little shop was sold first to a family called Nightingale who added a second floor and they later sold it to the co-op.
As my sister Jaqueline has said we had an auntie Rene, (Irene) daughter of Lilllian and John Walker, but not born 1933 as she was older than our mum Rita who was born in 1919. Not sure if this could be the Irene Mabel you have mentioned John Simpson?
John Taylor Walker’s daughter from his first marriage was my grandmother Lally – though I knew her as Eliza. She lived at 1 Craven Avenue with her daughter Leah, my mum, and my dad Donald Keys (from London) and me and my brother Adrian of course!
Hi Janice. Yes I remember visiting your grandmother who was my Auntie Lally in Craven Avenue. My mum Rita was her half sister and they got on very well together. I also remember seeing you and your brother when mum and I used to visit my cousin Leah while you all lived on Canvey. It is a coincidence that about 5 years ago at my college reunion in London, one of my old college friends knew your dad Don in Suffolk. I think it was something to do with a choir she belonged to. I also have fond memories of Leah’s sisters Pat and Jean and their families going back to the 1950s and 60s. I lived in Denham Road but a bit further down from our grandparents John and Lilian Walker.
I’m a relative from John Taylor Walker’s first marriage. My dad was the son of John Taylor Walker’s son John. My dad was also very confusingly a John! Ie I’m John Taylor Walker’s great grand daughter.
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