1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee Celebrations in Rainham

The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 was an event that had celebrations across the country and Rainham was no exception. These photos were taken in Roystons Close of the party and Chalky Bank Road (of the bunting), Rainham in June 1977. Photos thanks to Eddy Newport.

 

 

The photo below was of the street party in Bettescombe Road Rainham in June 1977

Rainham High Street Coop Co-operative Store Demolition

The Rainham Coop Store stood opposite St Margaret's Church next to the White Horse pub and sold items such as clothing, shoes and homeware. It was demolished in 1997 and the site left vacant for some time before the NHS Rainham Healthy Living Centre was built. The store had an upstairs/upper floor called Rainham Co-operative Hall that was used by various groups for meetings and social events like dances.

Sandra Perkins has been in touch and said "My Mothers parents and my Grandparents, Royston & Ethel Black were Old Time Dance teachers at the Co-op. Upstairs in the hall was one of many places they taught, they lived in Rainham most of their married lives until their deaths"

These photos of the demolition in November 1997 were kindly provided by Peter Manning

The scene in 2001 following the demolition looking towards the church & White Horse pub.

Rainham Co-operative Society Store Locations - Rainham Mark Coop Supermarket Store

There used to be various premises where the local Co-operative society traded from around Rainham - some were supermarkets and some were department stores. Now only the small convenience stores are left but generally these are not in the same locations as the historic sites where they used to be.

Some of the local sites I can remember:

  • Top of Station Road Rainham (was Bookies & Chemist)
  • Station Road/Rainham precinct - supermarket opened in 1980 and closed mid 1990s (now Wilkinsons)
  • High Street Rainham opposite St Margaret's Church (now NHS Healthy Living centre)
  • A2 Rainham Mark next to Belisha Beacon pub (now JCB Medway Van centre)
  • Hoath Way Wigmore (now Raj Rani & takeaway)

 

 

St Margarets Church Hall Orchard Street 1937-2000

St Margarets Church Hall was built on Orchard Street Rainham and opened in 1937. By the late 1990s the hall had become outdated and it was decided that a replacement could be built nearer the church on land that was freed up by the cancellation of the Rainham Bypass project

Construction of the new Millennium centre began in the late 1990s for opening in the millennium celebrations and the old church hall in Orchard Street was demolished to make way for new flats in 2001. 

These photos were taken by Virginia Smith, proprietor and manager of the Peter Pan preschool. 

 

 

Former Church Hall site, now flats on Hurst Close/Orchard Street

 

Subcategories

Old photos by decade

Roads around the Rainham - old photos of how roads used to look in days gone by

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