You are here:
Catford
Catford maps
Historic maps of Catford and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Catford maps
Catford area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Catford and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Catford
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Catford.
Add your memory of Catford
or of a photo of Catford.
Girl Guides
I lived in Thornsbeach Road and belonged to the Girl Guides in Lewisham and on special occasions I would be the flag bearer and lead my troop along the High Street from Lewisham to Lewisham town hall which was in Catford where we meet up with the cadets, there was bugler that played while the flag was lowered, the mayor was always present. Sadly the front part of the town hall has gone and also St Lawence's church where I was married, also Plassey Road School which I attended during the Second World War and after. Any pics, anyone?
Catford by Bus!
We lived in Lewisham High Street over a DIY store (I think) and mum often took us to Peter Pan's playground. I always thought there was a tunnel in Catford as the bus conductors used to yell 'Catford Town'all' as we got to that stop. My first school was Plassey Road Infants which I think has recently been demolished. Happy times! We moved to North London in 1958 when I was 7.
Bakery
We lived above Saunders Bakery in Stanstead Road, opposite St Dunstan's School.
Anyone remember this shop? Mr Saunders had another branch at Brockley, and he drove a green Humber, licence plate LLB 27. What things one remembers!
Greater London memories
Nelson Remembered
This was always the Maritime Museum to us as children and still is today. I was fascinated by this museum, especially what were called Nelson's Relics. It was his pigtail I always wanted to see. It was displayed in a case with other Nelson memorabilia. When did they cut it off? Who did it? Why is it there? Why did he have a pigtail anyway if he was a man? I am sure there were much more educational exhibits ...but that was my favourite !!
My Favourite View !
I am old enough to remember this fantastic view from Greenwich over the Thames. it was a GLC 'protected view' ...until they decided to build Canary Wharf. Now it is very different . Shame !
High Street Changes
The Hinds Department Store on the right is no more. I remember it well from my childhood in the 1950s and 1960s when we shopped in Eltham, but lived in nearby Welling. You could buy everthing there. It turned into Allders, but was demolished a couple of years ago. Now in 2008 it is just a building site. Dolcis Shoes is now I think a charity shop. And the RACS, the Co-op, which was in the high street until last year ... is boarded up! Times change!
My 18th Birthday.
This photo was taken at the time I was at Shooter's Hill GS and my stepfather was stationed here as it was the HQ for the RAEC (Royal Army Education Corps). As officer's family we occasionally visited the Palace, which had then an amazing billiards room in the cellar. On my 18th birthday I was treated to dinner in the great hall with the other officers .. a strange experience for me altogether ... my stepfather plying me with my first legal drinks...he was the wobbly one going home on the bus to Woolwich!
Now the whole palace, originally Henry V's country retreat, is a tourist attraction, a far better use, in my view.
