Flashback: Storms, sweethearts and scratchcards

A look back at the biggest local stories from this week 20, 40 and 60 years ago.

1956: Redbridge was in shock after a freak 20-minute thunderstorm caused heavy damage across the borough.

Five separate houses were struck by lightning during the storm on the August Bank Holiday, and fire services were stretched thin as calls came in of fires in both Hainault and Ilford.

The downpour also caused a section of pavement in Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham, to collapse, but fortunately no one was hurt.

Arriving for work on Tuesday morning, workers at Overton’s motor repair shop in Grove Road, Chadwell Heath, found the entire workshop had flooded, and spent the whole day mopping up.

Elsewhere children had a better time of it, many of them finding ready made paddling pools outside their front door.

1976: Residents of one of the borough’s most popular romantic spots finally had enough.

Families in Lowbrook Road, Ilford, launched a petition calling for teenagers to stop getting amorous down their street.

Labour councillor Keith Axon presented the 38 signatures to the council, saying one resident finally called for action after discovering a couple making love on his front lawn.

Cllr Axon also said stones were being thrown at cars and windows, and young peoples’ motorbikes were constantly causing problems in the area.

He said the nearby youth centre was causing a lot of the problems and branded the noise “totally unacceptable.”

1996: A 44-year-old sales manager from Wanstead couldn’t believe his luck when a lottery scratchcard he bought at the supermarket netted him £50,000.

Michael Knell, of Warwick Road, revealed: “I’m still in shock at the moment. I used to buy the cards all the time but now I only buy them occasionally.

“I picked up a couple from Somerfield in the High Street and then forgot all about them.”

With one of his daughters due to get married the following year, Michael intended to spend most of the money on giving her the best day of her life.