Memory Lane: Old Plaistovians from as far away as Australia reunited in a local pub to reminisce with childhood friends.

Debra Williams, a Plaistow resident of around 40 years, used a social networking site to get in touch with people who grew up with her in the E13 area but had since moved away.

Receiving an overwhelming response, she soon organised a party in the Lord Stanley pub on St Mary’s Road to great success with around 120 people attending on Saturday August 18.

Not only getting together to bring old memories back to life, the group also raised money for St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney along with Mrs Prosser, the Pearly Queen of Upton Park, who sang a rousing rendition of ‘Maybe it’s Because I’m a Londoner’.

Debra said: “We had people come from all over the country and even someone from Australia who met up with his long lost childhood best friend.

“We had a great night and met old and new friends all from E13.”

Memory Lane is back in the Recorder following requests from our readers who missed the column and also the memories from our Days of the Old School Yard feature,.

So we have decided to merge the two in a feature that depending on you, our dear readers! It will appear both in paper and online at www.newhamrecorder.co.uk

It will be what you make it! If you would like to submit a piece of history for Memory Lane, please e-mail The Editor colin.grainger@archant.co.uk, sending pictures as a jpeg or write to: Colin Grainger, Editor, Newham Recorder, 539 High Road, Ilford, 1G1 1UD.

We promise to take care of your pictures and post them back to you.

Or if you have a re-union planned or have been to one, please let us let us know.