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East Square – The Shops and Businesses

East Square was one of the first shopping areas built in Basildon New Town. The first shops opened in 1959, when Basildon was still growing rapidly. Over the years, the shops changed many times, with businesses coming and going as shopping habits changed.

The area included shops, restaurants, offices and important local services. Looking at the different businesses that occupied each shop shows just how much East Square changed over the years.

Unit 1

The first business at No. 1 East Square was Stewards, which opened in 1959. The shop sold bicycles, mopeds and scooters, which were becoming increasingly popular as more people in Basildon began travelling to work and around the growing town.

Around 1963, the shop became Peters Hair Fashions, a men's hairdresser. It later became Partners – Hairdressing for Men. The business eventually moved to Southernhay in 2019.

The original shop unit was later demolished as part of the redevelopment of East Square.

Unit 3

No. 3 was also used by Stewards during the early years of East Square. The business sold bicycles, mopeds and scooters.

The shop later became Tabwear, which sold men's clothing. After this, the premises became Bouquet, a florist selling flowers and other floral arrangements.

The changes at this small shop show how East Square developed from a new shopping area serving everyday needs into a place with a wider variety of specialist shops.

Units 5–9

Units 5, 7 and 9 were home to several different businesses over the years.

One of the early shops was Gay Furnishings, which sold furniture and other items for the home. The premises later became Stewards Departmental Stores, which sold a mixture of products including electrical goods, china and cycles.

Other businesses followed, including Harts Self Selection Store, B & W Linen Shops, Heraldshops and Richardson Fabrics. These businesses sold items such as bedding, curtains, linen and other household fabrics.

In later years, the units were used by the Job Centre, providing an important service for local people looking for work.

The premises eventually became a Pizza Hut restaurant. Pizza Hut operated from the units until around 2013, before the building was later cleared as part of the wider redevelopment of East Square.

Unit 11

No. 11 was originally occupied by Jeffrey's Hair Fashions, which opened in 1961. The shop provided hairdressing services to local residents.

The premises later changed completely, becoming United Dominions Trust, a financial business. It was then used by Nationwide Building Society. Nationwide eventually moved to Town Square.

In its later years, the shop became Townsend, a florist. The florist was eventually moved to the outside area of Westgate Shopping Park.

Unit 13

No. 13 has a particularly interesting history because one of its earliest businesses was Robinson Rentals. The company opened around 1959 and rented and sold televisions.

Television ownership was growing quickly at the time, so television rental shops were an important part of many town centres. People could rent a television instead of having to buy one outright.

Robinson Rentals was later replaced by Granada, another television rental and sales company. Granada eventually moved to East Walk.

The shop then had several different uses. It became Music Makers, selling musical instruments and music equipment. Later businesses included Tile Warehouse, Sunny Side Up, which was a tanning studio, and The Workhouse, which sold protective work clothing.

The premises were later used by Party Party, which sold items such as balloons, costumes and party supplies. It was also used as a Craft Fair.

This one shop therefore went from selling televisions in the early days of the New Town to music equipment, tiles, tanning, work clothing and party goods.

Unit 15

No. 15 originally became home to Forbuoys, a newsagent which opened around 1961.

The shop later became Sterling House, which was connected with the sale of bicycles and telephones. It was eventually taken over by Jessops, the well-known photography retailer.

Jessops sold cameras, photographic equipment and related products. The company remained at the East Square premises until 2013.

In later years, the unit became a Vape Lounge. The business eventually moved to Market Pavement.

Unit 17

No. 17 originally housed Sado and King Ltd, an off-licence selling wine and spirits.

In the early 1970s, the premises became Bristol & West Building Society. The building society provided financial services to local residents before eventually moving to Town Square.

The shop later returned to retail use when it became M.J.'s Music, selling musical instruments and equipment.

In its later years, the premises were used by Love ur Hair, a unisex hairdresser.

Unit 19

No. 19 began as ABC Wallpapers, a shop selling wallpaper and decorating materials.

The premises later became Cold Seal, which sold doors and windows. The shop then returned to the music trade when it became another branch of M.J.'s Music.

Later businesses included a Nail Salon and the Cartoon Shop.

The Cartoon Shop was a specialist shop selling comics, magazines, face masks and other collectables. It eventually moved to Eastgate Shopping Centre.

Unit 21

No. 21 has an interesting history because it was originally connected with the Post Office before the main Crown Post Office was built elsewhere in East Square.

The premises later became H. Toby, a bookmaker. It was then used by Arthur Prince, another bookmaker.

Later, the shop became Megabet, continuing its use as a betting shop.

The unit remained in East Square until the area was cleared during the redevelopment of the town centre. The original building was eventually demolished in 2019.

Units 25–29 – The Crown Post Office

The Crown Post Office was one of the most important buildings in East Square.

A purpose-built Post Office opened at Nos. 25–31 in 1963. It provided local people with postal services and other services that were an important part of everyday life.

For many years, the Crown Post Office was a familiar part of Basildon town centre. People visited it to post letters and parcels, buy stamps and use other Post Office services.

The Crown Post Office remained in East Square for more than 50 years.

In March 2014, its counter services were moved to the WH Smith store in Town Square. The old Post Office building was later demolished during the East Square redevelopment in 2019.

Scientific & Technical

Above the Crown Post Office was a business called Scientific & Technical.

The company sold electrical goods and calculators and operated during the 1980s.

Although it was not one of the larger shops in East Square, it is another example of how the area changed as new technology became more common. Calculators and electrical equipment were becoming increasingly useful to homes, businesses and schools during this period.

No. 35 – Tax Office

East Square was not only a place for shops. Some of the buildings also contained offices and government services.

No. 35 was used as a Tax Office, with an Inspector of Taxes working there during the 1960s and 1970s.

This was another sign of how important East Square had become. It provided not only places to shop but also services and offices for the growing population of Basildon.

Freedom House

Above and behind some of the East Square shops was Freedom House.

The building was named after the Freedom Development Company, which was involved in the development of the area.

The upper floors were mainly used as offices rather than shops. A number of different organisations and businesses were based there over the years.

These included the Basildon Development Corporation, which played a major role in the development of the New Town. Other businesses included A. Glenny & Son, an estate agent, Basildon Secretarial Services, and solicitors including Elliott, Mortlock, Bland & Co., Mitchell, Caulkett & Coiley and MWP Solicitors.

The Co-operative Insurance Society also had offices in Freedom House.

This meant that East Square was much more than just a row of shops. It was also a place where people worked, visited government offices, used professional services and dealt with local businesses.

The End of the Original East Square

The original East Square buildings eventually became old and the town centre began to change.

As part of plans to regenerate Basildon town centre, Basildon Council acquired Freedom House and the East Square buildings, along with parts of the surrounding shopping area.

Demolition began in 2019, removing many of the buildings that had stood there since the early days of the New Town.

This brought an end to an important chapter in Basildon's history. Shops that had once sold bicycles, televisions, furniture, clothing, wallpaper, musical instruments, cameras, flowers and household goods had disappeared.

East Square Today

The East Square that exists today is very different from the one that opened in the late 1950s.

The original buildings and shop units have been removed, making way for the redevelopment of this part of Basildon town centre.

Although many people today may not recognise the names of the old businesses, East Square was once a busy part of everyday life in Basildon. For the people who lived in the New Town during its early decades, these shops were where they bought their first televisions, had their hair cut, bought clothes, posted letters, purchased furniture and carried out many of the ordinary activities that made up daily life.

The history of each individual shop also shows how shopping in Basildon changed over time. Businesses that sold bicycles and television rentals in the early years were eventually replaced by photography shops, music stores, tanning studios, party shops, restaurants and other specialist businesses.

East Square therefore provides a fascinating look at the changing face of Basildon — from the early days of the New Town in the 1950s and 1960s, through the later decades, and finally to the major redevelopment of the town centre in the 2010s and 2020s.