Mr George Jackson

A Tale of a Florist.

My Grandad was Mr George Jackson. He ran his florist business for about thirty years from his home in Auckland Close, making wedding bouquets, funeral and Christmas wreaths for many Tilbury people…He and my gran, Rene would usually start thier day around 3.30 a.m when my nan would get up and push the ‘barrow’ (an old door screwed on to a set of old pram wheels) along Dock Road and on to Tilbury Town Station, she would then cross the train lines, as you could back then and get the first train into London,making her journey to either Covent Garden, or Spital fields flower Markets. .They never had a car so this was the only way to get stock, and the flower markets were only open from around 2a.m until 7am. . . Nan would buy the stock needed bring it back on the train, load it all on to the barrow and push it back home calling in to ‘Elvins’ a grocery shop which was just along from what is now the Rainbow fish bar. She would buy 2 rashers of bacon for grandads breakfast and sometimes a bit of cheese for his lunch.(which Mr Elvin would weigh and wrap in greaseproof paper). Whilst nan was ‘at market’, Grandad would be at home missing frames, taking orders and sorting out the work that needed doing for that day. When nan got home Grandad would sort the stock while nan cooked his breakfast, all this being done before 9.30a.m!. . They would then work until midday when nan would get ready to take grandads ‘bet’ (his daily treat) to the bookies in Civic Square. On a Friday she would call in to Webbs fish shop along Calcutta road for grandads lunch via the Co Op that then stood on the corner of Calcutta/St Chads Road by the traffic lights. . . Sometimes when I was with her, we would have a quick look round in Larkins, he sold almost everything in that shop! and I would get 6pence to spend across the road in ‘Moer’s’, the little shop on the corner of the Railway Club Or in Waites.

On the days that nan grandad were very busy it was my job to run errands for them. Nan would give me a list that would always start with getting vegetables from ‘Beasleys’, a big double fronted shop on Commonwealth house. Then into Greens pet shop for the dogs meat then into Bill Briggs on the corner. . . My favorite time would be when I would stay with them at weekends and we would take bottles back for a refund to the Diamond Jubilee on the corner of Montreal Road, Grandad would have a bottle of beer, nsn would get a Babycham or a ‘Cherry B’ and i would have the refund in the bottles to spend on whatever took my fancy, which was usually a bar of chocolate!!.

Comments about this page

Add your own comment

  • Hi Lorraine, your nan made my wedding flowers too, i had lovely red roses, my bridesmaid basket and the button holes and the car flowers they were beautiful. I often look at the photos i got married in 1979.

    By Linda Tucker (31/10/2013)
  • this is my great uncle George

    By danny jackson (06/08/2013)
  • This is my fondest memory of my aunt Renee who was my Mums sister my Dad was Mons Smith who was a window cleaner in Tilbury. When my dad died my sister was with him but was so upset she didn’t give him a last kiss. My aunt Rene made a wreath in the shape of a kiss for my sister.

    By Iris Mead (was Smith) (26/07/2013)
  • i remember mr and mrs jackson your nan made my bouquet for our wedding i think they made everybody’s in tilbury. the road before it was called auakland cloce. that your nan and granddad lived was ottawa road. the houses are still there elaine holmes [t/laine ]

    By Elaine Holmes (28/01/2013)
  • Ah larraine you are right about nan and grandad but he done his flowers a lot longon then 30 years. Grandad did his flowers for about a good 50 years. We lived in montreal road for a good few years before we moved to tennison walk in tilbury. Then we moved to auckland close. A lot of poeple new grandad and nan which eveyboby new them as goege and rene jackson. Also grandad had a big red shed at the bottom of the iron bridge. He used to collect old rags. His daughter by his daughter winnie. By the way pauline is my cousin. Her dad is my uncle. My mum was his sister.

     renie win heapy

    14 1 2013

    By win heapy (14/01/2013)
  • Hi Larraine i remember your gran as she did the flowers for my wedding back in 1967. I married Pauline Carpenter who is the daughter of Fredrick Carpenter. He was your grans brother, which makes your gran my wifes aunt. What is the name of your mum and dad so i can pass on to freds wife Dorothy.

    By Ted Sargeant (08/01/2013)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.