Bromley memories
Here are memories of Bromley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Bromley or a Bromley photo.
THE BLITZ
My Mother returned from a visit with her Mother to the Odeon Cinema in Petts Wood at 11 pm on Wednesday 16th April 1941, to find my father extinguishing, with sand from a bucket, an incendiary bomb behind our semi-bungalow at 154 Pickhurst Lane, Hayes. They heard more bombs falling and lay down with buckets over their heads. A 500-kg landmine came down though the head of my bed upstairs (decapitating me if I had been there) and into my parents' bedroom just six feet from where I was lying on a mattress at the foot of their bed. If the bomb had exploded, we would all have died - and if we had all been in our own beds, we would also have died. Suction, caused by the fall of the bomb, lifted the built-in fireplace in my parents' bedroom and slammed it onto their bed. It exploded at 1:30 pm on Friday 18th, leaving nothing of... Read more
Wolf And Hollander
There were a few sizeable department stores in Bromley, including Harrison Gibson and Wolf and Hollander (whose flag you can see waving on the left). I am pretty sure it was Wolf and Hollander that suffered an extraordinary fire in the early 1960's - the smoke was visible for miles around. I was in the crowd watching it from the street itself - a significant operation with many firemen struggling to control the blaze, which lasted for hours.
Concert in Blake's Park West Wickham 1964
I was at the concert in Blake's Recreation Ground and I was only 10 years old at the time! I went with my sister, who was a few years older. We were right near the front and I remember being so close to Paul Jones I could have touched him! David (my old class mate!) is right, there was some trouble about it at the time and the bloke who organised it (from the local record shop in the High Street) went bust as a result. What was the record shop called? The problem was that there weren't many people there and a lot of those who were there found it too easy to get in without paying.
Does Anyone Remember...
It is my Dad's 65th birthday soon and when he was younger he was in a band called The Burnettes with Brian Vickers, Colin Fisher and Trevor French. They played at The West Wickham festival in 1964 at Blake Recreation ground amoungst other places around the area. If you remember them or have any old programmes, posters or photos then please get in touch as I would like to make him something special for his birthday this July (2012).
Thanks!
Department Store Fire
I remember the fire very well: I was about seven or eight and shopping in Bromley with my mother that day. For a little while, we stood and watched the fire engines arrive and the firemen rushing about. As we were heading back to the car park in Swan Hill, we heard two elderly ladies excitedly describing to some people what they'd seen and their experience of trying to get through the crowds in the the High Street. One said they'd been been trying to pass but a policemen wouldn't let them ".... and we was all converted". It's gone down in my family's stock of sayings and we still describe any kind of diversion as being 'converted'.
MANFRED MANN/MERSEYBEATS GIG IN WEST WICKHAM
Re Malcolm's question 'does anyone remember the gig?'. I do. I was 10 and had no interest in music at that time and my parents hated pop music. Our house backed onto the tennis courts in Blakes Recreation Ground and I could hear and see proceediongs from the back bedroom. I remember that numerous people complained to the police about the noise and I was reminded recently that the promoter lost a lot of money as people climbed in over the fences and it was very rainy all day too.
I have a copy of the poster here. It was Saturday, August 1st 1964 and featured MANFRED MANN, THE MERSEYBEATS and JOHNNY DANKWORTH ORCHESTRA from 10:30am.
I went to Worthing last night and spoke to one of the original Merseybeat members, Tony Crane. He said he remembered it and that there was a riot.
I said how much I wished I had been interested. It just came 4 years too soon for me.
Regards
David
Seaford
Store Blaze
It was Harrison Gibson, circa 1965. Raised eyebrows. HG had lost their flagship store in Ilford only a year or two before.
Market Square
We used to live above a shop in the market square. I went to Bromley parish primary school. I was a May Queen in 1969, I think, and my brother fell in the boating pond. These picture brought back lots of memorys of my childhood. I now live in Suffolk.
The Hospital Where I Was Born During The 1943 Blitz
I live in San Diego (America). My birth certificate says that I was born at the Redhills Hospital. My parents were living in Camden, this was during the war in Feb. 1943. I can't find any place now with that name. I would very much like to know where I was born - can anyone help?
20 High st 'Staples' Fine Art Dealers
Hi, does anyone remember Staples, the fine art dealers located at 20 High Street, Bromley? If so, please leave information regarding approximate opening and closing dates? Many thanks.
Bromley-By-Bow Hospital?
My mother, at the tender age of 17, was taken to Bromley-by-Bow Hospital in the midst of the London blitz to have her first child. She never saw her baby girl, was told she had died and everyone was to be evacuated to Scotland right away. Mum would not leave London and when my Dad went back to the hospital for the remains, they said she had been cremated with spare body parts. Sending for records much later in life, Mum found the stillbirth record had been signed by a midwife, although she had been attended by a male doctor. Also, the date recorded was September 10 and Mum knew it was September 15 because it was the same day that St. Paul's unexploded bomb was detonated on the Hackney Marshes near their home. Needless to say, she could never accept that my sister Margaret was stillborn and believed to her dying day that her 'Peggy' was alive somewhere. I cannot help but wonder if my sister was taken away... Read more
So Far Away Yet so Near
Such a familiar sight - the High Street with what looks like a number 47 RT AEC bus approaching. I actually lived in Coney Hall, but Bromley was only a 5d ride away (or 6d to the North if going to the Odeon or Pullman cinemas).
My first ever visit to a cinema was in Bromley (The Gaumont) to see "A Shaggy Dog Story". There were visits to the New Theatre for the annual pantomime; there was the overpowering smell of fresh coffee coming from the grinders in the front of the coffee shop; floating my toy yacht in the gardens; that scary foot xray machine in the shoe department in Medhursts; catching the train from Bromley South for our annual hols on the East Kent coast.
Later the place had other attractions: drinking in - was it Hennecky's bar? Bromley Technical College to see Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin; cheap LPs in the market; a place to meet up with girlfriends and indulge in a cup of... Read more
College
Just off the High Street, somewhere opposite Medhurst's, there was a short cut near a fishmonger's which we called Fish Alley and this led to what was originally the Palace of the Bishops of but which, by 1952, was an established Teachers' Training College for young ladies, which was approached via a drive. To the front of the building was a garden, and beyond that a hockey pitch. There was a lake at the back, a beautiful cedar tree, St Blaise's well, and some 'ruins'.
There was a large stretch of lawn at two levels, the upper one becoming an outdoor theatre during the summer months when a Shakespearean play was performed
Woodlea Drive, Bromley. '50s/'60s.
I lived at 42, Woodlea Drive from the age of 9 until 18 when we moved in 1963. My dad bought the plot and we used to visit it regularly until the house was completed, and we moved in. Our house was at the top of the hill on the right. Pete Frampton did live on the right hand side at the bottom of the hill and we often played guitar together as kids. Facing our house, the Medhursts lived to our right, and the Chandlers to our left. Barnhill School playing fields lay at the bottom of our garden, long since gone.
The picture by another reviewer is just as I remember it. It looked new, and not established as it does now. I revisited it last weekend with my family and it looked great! The present owner, Dennis, was kind enough to show us round, and it was great to see the improvements he has made to it. Lovely also to see the large oak tree which dominated... Read more
Bromley Court
Yes I remember the Bromel Club at Bromley Court - saw all the best bands of the time there. I also remember 'Paul and the Playboys', I was in 'Dave and the Couriers', I think we probably shared the bill more than once. Does anyone remember the big open air gig in Blake Recreation Ground at West Wickham? We played at that, in 1964 I think. Happy days.
Youthful Memories From A Member of A 1960s'' Bromley Band
In the 1960s, in my late teens, Bromley was the hub of my universe. I played in a local group - Paul and the Playboys (later 'The Machine' - I had a 1958 Ford Popular with 'The Machine' crudely painted on one door and stripes to match my striped blazer on the other). We played regularly at Bromley Tech. Paul Goodman was our drummer - he knew Dave Bowie and Peter Frampton. Peter played with us once or twice - I think he was thirteen! I MISS Bromley - where has all the beauty and charm gone? I miss Dunn's furniture store - so ahead of its time; the coffee store with the beans roasting in the shop window; Medhurst's department store; the traditional grocery shops and tea rooms. I guess it was inevitable that uniform high street-ism with the big chains and same names would oust the old. I remember being able to park virtually anywhere! There was always a bit of a traffic jam around Market Square with... Read more
Movie News
In the late 1950s I was an assistant cinema manager at the Odeon cinema, I learnt a lot from the very efficient staff there and have many fond memories, even down to the odd lunch hour watching the Rolls Royce workshop guys at work, and one particular day being honoured to sit in the front while the tech finished fitting the dashboard panel, he switched the engine on to prove the loudest noise in the passenger compartment WAS the clock ticking.
Careless Driving
About the time that this photo was taken the fence on the left hand side of the road was demolished in the middle of the night. An obviously tired local Member of Parliament, for the adjoining constituency, had fallen asleep at the wheel. My parents helped him out. Fortunately he was not badly hurt. For some reason he was keen that my Dad didn't phone the police. I assumed as a child that there was some evil reason for this, but of course, now that I am an adult, I have realised that he just didn't want to give them any trouble. I know that there was no other car involved in his accident. I'm not sure if there was a passenger. Sadly I wasn't woken up by the noise, having a bedroom at the back of our house, (just out of the photo) and so only heard about it in "not in front of the children" language the next morning.
Angela's Memory of High Street
I worked at Market Square Cafe in 1949, fond memories of working for the Arpinos Family. Left in 1950 went to Margate to work and met my husband and I went by Rydam Boat to the USA (Mississippi) in 1955 and was married. Any one from Alsbury Road School can contact me at bobbyjones96@hotmail.com to catch up on memories.
Additional Info...
Hi Martin,
It was in fact Peter Frampton who lived there at number 12. His dad was the head of the art department at Ravenswood School for Boys (then Bromley Technical High), and I went to school at Pickhurst Primary with his younger brother Clive. I was in Peter's bedroom one day and saw his electric guitar hanging on the wall, must have been before he got famous though because I was about 10, so it was about 1965/66.
Clock at The Entrance to The Garden
During the 1950's we lived in Bromley. We regularly walked through this park, and every year, perhaps I think sometimes several times a year, the design on floral clock was changed. It was full of bright plants, but was fascinating to a child as the hand moved. I have a feeling there was a special one the year the Queen was crowned.
57 Pickhurst Park
My family moved here, to no. 57, just beyond the tree on the right, a year after the photo was taken. At the time of the photo the houses were still being built (ours was probably not yet up), to the right (in the wedge with Pickhurst Lane) were a number of survivng wartime 'prefabs', and beyond was a stretch of farmland, almost as far as Bromley South. Within, I would say, two years of the photo being taken, all that farmland had been built over.
Woodlea Drive
I used to come down and up this road from the bus stop every day to and from school. One of the boys who grew up in this street (a house on the right as I remember) started playing for a very influential rock band called the herd. It was either Andy Bown or Peter Frampton - Andy Bown I think. They were at the forefront of psychedelic Bromley, and he was a pretty stylish resident. They are both still making great music.
CORSET SHOP 1948 - 88
Has anyone a memory of the above, did you work there or in a corset department of a store? If so I need you to share your memory with me, unless this important social trend is not documented it will be lost for ever. What was your relationship with your customers - and if a customer, what was your relationship with your corsetiere - what age did you start to wear foundations? We had a lot of single sex schools during 1950's and 60's, did a Mum ever bring her son to you for foundation wear as he was playing a girls part? We also had West End shows, such as Forces in Petticoats, did you ever serve men that were doing such a show? Please do respond to corsetiere@corst.ndo.co.uk yours Geoffrey
Memories of Kent
Hayes - Gateway to London
What a great picture of Hayes High Street - brings back so many memories. I lived in nearby Coney Hall from 1953 to 1976. As a child it was 3d to get to Hayes Station on the 138 bus. I recall Woolworths (bottom right) had one of those big red weighing machines outside that dispensed a picture card ( a series on steam engines I think) with your weight printed on it.
My mum bought me the first yoghurts I ever sampled from the Express Diary shop on the left going down the street - these came in a jar and were unsweetened so I used to mix in sugar. I can still taste them.
Hayes Station was also the place to get the train to London (Charing Cross) and I can still pretty well list all the stations on the route - West Wickham, Eden Park, Elmers End, Clock House ..OK I won't bore you with the lot.
Great cars in the picture as well... Read more
Living in Hayes in The 1950s & 1960s
I lived in one of the council houses in Mounthurst Road from 1954 to 1970. I have a very good memory of growing up there. The prefabs in Mead Way, there must have been hundreds on both sides and we used to play on this site around 1963 to 1965 when they were being demolished. Hayesford Park was being built and I remember this massive earth pile that we used to roll down. Barnfield School at top of Mead Way, I can still picture the building and when it was about to be demolished we walked around inside, there was a massive staircase. Hayes Estate where I lived was always busy with young families and the shops in Chilham Way were always busy. I went back there last year and how times have changed. Most shops are shut down, the whole estate is very quite and I now see that the Beacon pub has been flattened. Anyway I loved growing up in Hayes and maybe one day I would like... Read more
Happy Families
We lived on Red Hill from 1964 for 21 years. Both our daughters attended the school illustrated. Our house is now a busy doctors' surgery. Many of the houses in the village were taken down for the building of a large Sainsbury's store. The trees that lined the road were removed in order to widen the main road.
Happy Childhood Memories
I was 4 years old when I was placed in St Michael's home for children in Chislehurst. My brother and I lived at St Michael's for 6 years. I remember St Nicholas School, the church, our Sunday walks and the beautiful home. In those days Mr and Mrs North were in charge and I can honestly say they were some of the happiest days of my life. We had the freedom to explore the commons and the surrounding village and made many friends. I have since lived around the world and have lived here in the States for the past 36 years. My husband and I recently visited Chislehurst - things are still the same - the common, the school, the church are all still there. The home 'St Michael's' is no longer, but the house is there - turned into private residents - but still exactly as I remember it. I shall always cherish my memories of my childhood in that beautiful place.
St. Michael's Childrens' Home
I too have fond memories of Chislehurst and in particular of St. Michael's Childrens' Home. Along with my younger sister, I spent my earlier childhood in the home from around 1958 to 1964. Many children between those years came and went. I have warm memories of my "Uncle and Auntie" North who were in charge of the home for many years. The surrounding area was (and still is) beautiful, especially the woods and nearby ponds. I always remember the lovely daily walk to Edgebury Boys' School, through the woods, silver birches round the ponds. There seemed to be red squirrels up every tree. Chislehurst is still a great place, and well worth a visit if you have not been there yet. If anyone out there was at the home at the same time as me, then please get in touch.
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