Originally a collection of villages in Essex, Basildon was developed as a New Town after World War 2 in 1949. The last 70 years have seen incredible changes in Basildon. New residents started to move in during the 1950s as the first homes were completed and alongside the new housing, the town attracted businesses to relocate to its industrial parks, many of them household names such as Ford, Gordons Gin and GEC Marconi, as well as leading the way in new retailing with the largest covered shopping centre in Europe at the time when built in the 1980s. Alongside the modern face of Basildon, further regeneration of the town is planned, and the town retains traces of its historical past, as well as green, open spaces.
Lost Basildon presents a portrait of this town in Essex and a way of life that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not just the buildings, streets and industries that have gone or changed, but also a way of life. This fascinating photographic history of lost Basildon will appeal to all those who live in the town or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.