Nostalgic memories of Bromley's local history
Share your own memories of Bromley and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 11 - 20 of 47 in total
Please can someone help? We run #bromleyhour every Thursday 8-9pm on Twitter, do you have any idea what the name of the fantastic coffee shop was? I'm thinking the Importers but I can't be sure. The smell of coffee to this day reminds me of walking past and sometimes if my Mum had enough money, we'd go in for a treat. Who else remembers?
If I remember correctly on the far left was the chemists, then the butchers, then Reekie's the grocery shop, then Wayletts the sweet shop and post office and then on the right a greengrocers. This could all be wrong of course. I had my first Saturday job in Reekie's stacking shelves, tidying the stock shed washing floors and even the pavement outside. I think I got twenty-five shillings for a days work which went up to 30 on my next birthday.
I remember the greengrocers, it was called Cunninghams I think. There was always a smell of cooking beetroot coming from the back of the shop. Then there was Wayletts who had a brilliant sweet counter and a very small supermarket called Reekies who later bought larger premises in the newer shops across the road possibly where the off licence is now. The chemist at the end of the parade was Hamer and Crumpler ...see more
I remember that market square very well indeed. At that time I was taking my girlfriend from Stockwell Teachers Training College to my house to meet my parents for Sunday dinner in my father's Hillman Minx. Feeling very grown up and pretending that it was my car, came round that corner you see there careful to look in the direction of the traffic coming from my left, when I was brought to a dead stop. The noise was ...see more
I don't remember too much about Bromley as I lived in Harrow. But I travelled to that area a lot in the mid-sixties as I was the lead singer and co-founder of Paul and the Playboys. In fact I think I came up with the name. Unfortunately the distance was too much and I bowed out.
I lived at 3 Barnfield Wood Close, Park Langley. Waylett's lived just round the corner at Barnfield Wood Road. They had three daughters who I was very interested in, I was between 9 and 18 at the time. The (photo) shows Waylett's papershop. My father had a Lambretta scooter and rode along Westmoreland Road everyday to get the Bromley South Train until he crashed going up Westmoreland Hill - ...see more
Absolutely right Vicki, as soon as they built that high rise there was a wind tunnel effect. Before that there was a lane that cut the corner down to Simpsons Road and Westmoreland Road - it had some interesting little shops on it including an aquarium and a junk shop.
Does anybody have pictures of the old white building which was Bristol Street Motors, Bromley please? I have the clock movement and would like pictures of how the front of the building looked so I can build a new dial that looks like it. It was12 blue stones / jewels lit up, with hands that lit up as well. regards Gordon
I've just done a bit of checking and I realise that the 'tired' man must have crashed here a few years later; about the time that he was not only an MP, but also a mayor. No wonder he was 'tired'.
I remember that first row of shops quite well. There was a greengrocer on the right which I was sent to sometimes to buy 3lbs of King Edward's (why did he have potatoes?) My brother and I argued about carrying the shopping bag - he was older and usually ended up dumping it in the road, so I had to take it home. Once I remember seeing a red squirrel in the fenced off woodland on the left of the ...see more