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Pitsea Broadway – Page 4: Station Lane Shops and Businesses

Station Lane as a Shopping Street

Station Lane linked the High Road, market and railway and once contained far more buildings than survive today. Late-1960s road works shortened it into a cul-de-sac, while clearance removed many southern properties.

No.2 – Scotch Bakery to Forge Services

Scotch Bakery c.1929; James & Sons in the 1960s–1970s; later Golden Travel and Forge Services.

George Richard Watson's Scotch Bakery sold bread and confectionery. James & Sons continued bakery use. Much later the premises became Golden Travel and then Forge Services shoe repairs.

No.6 – estate agency to driving school, recruitment, beauty and finance

A. Glenny & Son in the 1960s; later uses through the 2000s/2010s.

The unit housed A. Glenny & Son estate agents/chartered surveyors, BSM driving school, Wellbank Resourcing, T & M Nails & Beauty and Fast Cash.

No.10 – A. E. Porter, Snips and Stacey's Flowers

A. E. Porter before 1957–1970s; Snips before November 1978–2010s; Stacey's Flowers until July 2021.

The premises spent decades as a hairdresser before changing to floristry.

No.14 – Dane Cleaners, E. E. Hart and Pitsea Kebabs & Pizzas

Dane Cleaners from 1963; bookmaker use in the 1960s; takeaway from around the 2000s.

The unit moved from dry cleaning to betting and later takeaway food.

Tudor Chambers – opticians and driving school

Dollond & Aitchison from October 1956; G. Welford-Giddings c.1974; BSM c.1965.

The upper Tudor Chambers units housed professional/service businesses. Dollond & Aitchison had previously operated within the Broadway chemist.

No.18 – Bata, Shoesave and Georgie's Café

Bata c.1956–c.1970s; Shoesave in the 1990s–2000s; café thereafter.

A long history of footwear retail eventually gave way to food service, with Georgie's Café & Pie n Mash.

Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe

c.1920s–2000s; demolished.

A small mock-Tudor single-storey café serving teas and snacks survived for many decades before being demolished.

No.26–28 – Pitsea Auto Mart

From 1957 to after 1967.

Frank Warr operated a second-hand car dealership here.

No.30 Tudor Cottage – batteries, cycles, music and fishing

Hare's documented before September 1936–1941; G. P. Trevett from 1949–c.1959; later Music Box and Jenson's Angling Centre; building demolished.

One address moved through several very different specialist trades: accumulator/battery charging, cycles, television/radio and records, then fishing equipment and pet-related sales.

Pitsea Pram Service – No.49

1950s–1960s; building demolished.

Nellie Turp sold prams, babywear and toys before the business moved to Broadway North.

Market Pharmacy – Station Parade

R. & Elsie MacGregor c.1940s–after March 1951; Grace Milner c.1952–after June 1961; later demolished.

A chemist serving the market and station district.

Reklaw and Laindon Recorder sub-office

Photography c.1940s–1960s; newspaper sub-office from November 1951.

Sidney Huckle and later Kenneth Walker were associated with photography and photographic equipment; the premises also housed a Laindon Recorder sub-office.

Miriam – ladies' hairdresser and hosiery

Before September 1936–1953; later demolished.

Gladys Tonkin combined ladies' hairdressing with hosiery sales.

What Changed?

The old market, Tennyson Road and many Station Lane properties disappeared as the A13/South Mayne road system was constructed. Tesco opened beside Station Lane in 1978, further changing the area's commercial centre of gravity. The surviving Tudor frontage therefore represents only part of what was once a much longer mixed street of shops, homes and small businesses.

Broadway pages:123456