London Trolleybus on Ilford Hill

Click on picture [539] for an enlarged version

From: "Brian Benedetti" <B.Benedetti@btinternet.com>

The vehicle featured in Picture 539 is, in fact, halted at the bus stop [Eastbound] at the top of Ilford Hill, just prior to this thoroughfare continuing as Ilford High Road, at its junction with Ilford Broadway [the 'hump' outside Ilford Station] and Ilford Lane. The giveaway is the ladies' outfitters in the background, 'Maison Riche' once the apogee of younger, working-class ladies fashion. In its heyday, [circa 1965] Maison Riche was so successful that it moved into [then] newer, far better appointed and modernly shop-fitted premises in a large steel-and-glass construction building of several floors, right on the corner of the junction. Sadly, like the trolleybuses, this local icon has long since been swept away by the irresistible blandishments of Top Shop, and the like, at the nearby 'Exchange.

As a child my mother often took me on shopping expeditions to Ilford and I vividly remember seeing and riding on the trolleybuses which - due to far earlier objections from self-interested local councillors concerning a continuation of the tram line from Chadwell Heath - were never permitted to proceed as far as our home town of Romford. [Though we did have three LT bus Garages - if you count Hornchurch, originally coded 'RD' for Romford and hence the reason for the Green Line garage being 'RE' instead and the later North Street 'NS'] Anyway, I digress but I hope this snippet helps!

To conclude, I must also say that you site is first-class - whether in terms of layout, ease-of-use, photographic content, information or links - as well as much appreciated, extremely useful and entertaining.

Brian Benedetti

From: "Lawrence Murphy" <lawrencemurphy@tiscali.co.uk>

I lived at Ilford Broadway [above the Gent's outfitters "Rego"] from 1942 until its demolition in 1960. I then moved to Loxford Lane before leaving Ilford in 1973.

I am also an enthusiast of all aspects of London Transport bus and trolleybus operation.

Most of the pictures depicted I have never seen before. Trolleybus 1637 on the 663 outside Maison Riche is particularly evocative.