1966 TOUR OF BRAINTREE ESSEX ENGLAND

[funem145]

this is my home and it doesn't look like this at all

[1989ratboy]

its good to see what braintree looked like back then all the old cars shops :) at 2.09 you can see tabor high school it has since been demolished all that is left is the the wall that surounded it . still a great town and its full of great people

[superteacher1000]

Long before the bypass was built! Looks so different, yet so familiar!

[iLoVeCoDMoDz]

i was born in 1992 and have lived in braintree all my life.it's wired looking at the cars driving around what is now a 1 way road past were argos is now, and the road near tesco. i thinks its a really interesting video. = )

[Adschi2010]

what's the music?

[cantab1000]

I was 11 in 1966 I recognise so much. I rememer looking at night from my bedroom window on Queens Rd at the red light on the tower at H G, and feeling safe that there were people protecting us. I remember the Americans well, they gave a lot to the town.

Mnay thanks fot up loading

[kdyken]

RAF High Garrett was a prisoner of war camp during WWII. In the 60s it was micro-wave radio relay site. The micro-wave site was closed in the early 70's. The micro-wave site had only a few airmen. When I was there we had 10.

[TheBitfit]

@kdyken: I'm glad that you saw it at that time. I didn't know that there were US personnel at High Garrett...actually, I didn't know there was an RAF base there. The only US base I knew of was Wethersfield, which these days is used to tune and prepare police cars.

[TheBitfit]

I was born in 1979 and lived in and around Braintree for nearly 25 years. This was a great look at a very different period from today; the town no longer has this quaint market town feel to it, which is a shame. There's a lot of drunkenness in the town now and it's a lot dirtier, not to mention its having grown faceless as part of the march of Everytown UK. Many of the same buildings along High Garrett (at the start of the film) and in the town remain, though.

[kdyken]

@TheBitfit --- Braintree in the early 60's, was a great little town. I was a young American serviceman, stationed at RAF High Garrett, from 62-64. Braintree made a big impression on me. I'll never forget that time, and the people.

[chunkyboy100]

@kdyken daddy?

[InterMeLocal]

@TheBitfit Agreed. I was born in 1976 and grew up in Braintree, it was a lovely little market town for such a long time but then it gradually started to give way to large new estates and re-housing from London overspill. I moved away years ago but have family in Braintree so do visit occasionally, its such a shame as the town still has its charm with the ancient buildings and narrow streets, Braintree will always be my home town but I hate to see the way that its losing its identity to chavs :-(

[masterpandaassassin]

it's sad ;(

[Doubleringer]

lovely Hillman Minx in front

[maharg1610]

you probably wont write back to this comment and i guess you wont anyway but its realy sad to see braintree in such a relaxed environment. Braintree use to be like Sudbury these days. Where did you get the film from?

[kdyken]

My Father in-law took the movie, on a Sunday morning, in 1966. one thing you miss in this movie, are the bike's

[Tse33333]

i think someone should go round braintree now and around all theses places

[kdyken]

I have another video Braintree today--- Yes-- there is a big change---

[torchyboyz]

I live in the north of England but I can appreciate this video. By the way, what is the music accompanying it? Thanks again. Paul.

[kdyken]

It's been some time since I put the video together----- I forgot the name, of the music.

[Sktrgrlally]

It was so beautiful back then. :(

[miklaucich]

My uncle lived near Foley corner High Garrett all of his life until an accident some years back. I saw the prisoner of war buildings (now a crematorium much to my uncles disgust!) and Foley House. I was born in 1967 and remember as a young child the town very similar to this. Very nostalgic, it would make my uncle cry.

[Terrythestud]

have you seen all the junkies hanging around near the 2 phoneboxes near the weatherspoons,they are there all the time.

[kirsty1320069]

im 22 years old and wish braintree was like it was back in 1966!!!!

[DaveyJam]

WOW, didn't think Braintree was ever that pretty :O

[juicypops123]

haha its changed a lot but i can recorgnise a lot of it, only the building look different lols.

x

[LesleySGoddard]

Around this time I was briefly dating an American airman named Larry. I only met him a week before he was due to go back to the States but we had a lovely week together and I remember being filmed by a friend of his at that time. I have to wonder if there is more footage and whether I feature on it?

[awvince]

My mother Doris May bush was born in Brintree. So was my Grand mother. I lived there from about 66 to 69. I was 9 when we left. I think my cousin still lives there.

[NotaFro]

changed a lot since then - shame really

[PinkFairy1961]

Thanks for posting this. I lived less than 3miles from Braintree town center from 6/07-6/08, now that I am back in the States, it was good to see my old home again.

[InterMeLocal]

Braintree used to be such a lovely little market town. Now its just like any other London overspill town, its lost its identity and become much more unfriendly. - Such a shame for a town rich in history and most amazing countryside surrounding it. Some of little villages are so picturesque and would recommend anyone to visit them. (Shalford, Finchingfield, Panfield, Gt Bardfield etc)

[InterMeLocal]

Does anyone know what the music used in this clip is..?

[markdelaney]

Amazing video. My mum is so impressed as she want to Tabor school in the late 70s

[liaaam1234]

i went to tabor..but the new one :)

[Jen999Para]

I have lived in Braintree for 25 years. It is wonderful to see it as it was then. Thanks so much for posting.

[chrisking73]

You had video recorders in 1966? wow

[jamierourketen]

no mobile phones,no dvds,no happy slappers,no eastern euro's filling every nook and cranny,no foreign players swamping the football league (and look what england did that year!)mods with cool clothes! no shit filled hoody wearing scum on the streets etc,etc,etc.

[djstickland]

Anyone remember the Embassy Cinema, an old Shipman and King theatre ?

[rexpub]

My late father (Sam King 1890-1973) was the King in Shipman and King. The cinema, was one of 44 owned by the company. I was MD of S & K from 1959.

S & K was sold to The Grade Organisation in 1966. I left in 1968 to join Paramount Pictures.

In 1970 the Grades sold to EMI. S & K was merged with the 300+ ABC Cinemas and I was asked to become MD of EMI Cinemas and Leisure including ABC and S & K Cinemas.

I left in 1974. Subsequently EMI sold their cinemas and the Embassy disappeared.

[knuddle68]

Really enjoyed watching this. I lived in Braintree from 1976 to 1993 and visited again in 1999 and 2002. It was fun to watch, but I don't know if I am just weird but I found it slighly eerie to see places that no longer exist (the building where Tesco's now is and the old Tabor school in panfield lane)

[Tse33333]

near tescos theres a sign about a pheonix shopping centre?

[jake66]

Thank you so much for posting this video. It was lovely to go 'back in time' and remember how lovely Braintree once was. It made me feel so nostalgic.

[northernpo]

I spent 6 years, living at Foley house High garrett, from 1960 to 1966, it was a childrens home then, you have pictured it in your video. This has brought back great memories, thanks

[LesleySGoddard]

I knew someone who lived there then.We may have been to the same school,same class BCHS?

[northernpo]

I went to school in Halstead, & sunday school at methodist church in Braintree

[d1962a]

What a superb video, thanks to the uploader. So different to the chav infested hell hole that is Braintree today....where did it all go wrong?

[sirhcuk]

born braintree 1986.

This is weird! xxx

[InterMeLocal]

00:00 - 00:20 - Antenna Station on the road towards halstead? 00:20 - 00:49 - Broad Road 00:49 - 01:00 - Bradford Street 01:00 - 01:07 - Bank Street / Bocking End 01:07 - 01:24 - Bank Street 01:24 - 01:35 - High Street - The Bull 01:35 - 01:46 - High Street (Fountain) 01:46 - 01:57 - High Street 01:57 - 02:06 - Bank Street 02:06 - 02:08 - Rayne Road > Aertheric Road 02:08 - 02:12 - Panfield Lane 02:12 - End - Panfield Lane

[kdyken]

Thank you for the break down of the Braintree trip. The Antenna Station was Raf High Garrett. In the 60's, It was a mcro-wave site for the United States Air Force.

[gorillagrowa]

I wish my ugly old, london overflow, chav ridden town was still this pretty

[adzee14]

at 1.36 it seems really odd without the huge tescos and the horrible chavs outside lol

[kirsty1320069]

you are so right about the horrible chavs outside tescos lol

[markdelaney]

my mum was one of those in the 1970s !

[Tse33333]

lol whats so entertaining about standing outside a shop?

[cousined2003]

This is really interesting, I live there now. Some of the places I recognise but some have changed so much I don't know where they are! Could you list the places in order of where they are? Thanks very much.x

[InterMeLocal]

Eveything seems so much better back then.

[Jeniroo2]

wow- this is pretty amazing. i live in braintree now, and i was born in 1989 so obviously iv never seen it looking quite like this. Funny how nice it looks, event though its a shame to have to say it. very interesting though. if anyone is interested in photographs of braintree town, visit the local museum, the john ray museum, and there are hundreds of photographs upstairs- its a real eye opener to see how it used to be, id recommend dropping in.

[poetrificator]

How sweet and poignant. I was seven years old and the son of an airman from Weathersfield Airbase. I still live in Braintree but that dreamy calm from 1966 has gone forever. Thank you so much for that fleeting glimpse.

[Jimmynumnuts]

Fascinating to see my home town before I was even born! So weird seeing two way traffic on the high street. Thanks so much for sharing!

[unglikaorse]

Would love to see the 1969 pictures of Braintree,I was about 18 then and used to go to the Continental coffee bar in Sandpit lane and the dances at the various venues around town, it was great to be 18 in 1969. Could you post a link to your website please, regards Mick

[kdyken]

Go to google, or yahoo, msn, search, and type in "raf high garrett". there is a link to the web page.

[unglikaorse]

nice to see your video of Braintree,presumably you were based at Wethersfield,I used to live under the flightpath at Gt Maplestead and watch the sabre jets heading home.I lived in Braintree from 1978 to 1989,and have relatives who stil live there, next time I visit I may try to replicate your video to show how the place is now.

[kdyken]

In 1969, I went back to Braintree, and took a few pictures, of the town. Went back in 2003 stood in the same spots and took pictures. you can see them on my web site. I was stationed at High Garrett from 62 to 64. I was back in 2006, took a few video's, and sure has changed. Thanks for the comments.

[hamishmclaren]

Wow, what an amazing vid! Am from Braintree, was born there in'83 and that video looks like a completly different town. It actually looks quite nice!

[whurides88]

wow takes me back. thanks for sharing

[dekachin]

thanks for putting this up