Let’s take a trip down memory lane as we look back at how much Romford High Street has changed in the last 23 years.

Over the years we’ve seen shops come and go in the ever-changing busy street, but sometimes it is easy to forget how different things were many years ago.

Ariel pictures above High Street, Romford, shows a snapshot comparing the area from 1999 and 2022.

From above, the landscape appears very similar 23 years ago to today with the general layout of roads and buildings pretty much staying the same.

Use the slider to compare 1999 (left) and 2022 (right)

Of course down below changes are much more noticeable.

One major difference is the transformation of the former multi-storey Debenhams shop into Aklu Plaza.

In 2021 when the Recorder asked readers which shops they “loved and lost”, others mentioned the loss of Woolworths in 2008, fashion shop C&A in 2001, BHS in 2016 as well as other shops such as the Disney store or Littlewoods which closed in 2002.

Another ariel snapshot from 1999 compares Romford as a whole and how different the overall borough looked then compared to 2022.

Use the slider to compare 1999 (left) and 2022 (right)

From the two comparisons above, are there any major differences that spring to mind?