Fond Memories Of Erith

A Memory of Erith.

I was born in 1947 and grew up in Brasted Road, Erith. I have very happy memories of my childhood. Saturday morning pictures at the Odeon, the dances over Burtons, the riverfront, the ice cream parlour in Pier Road, the library where I went every Saturday morning with my dad, the 480 bus into Erith and then on returning running back into Dartford, the bowls club in Avenue Road, where I would stop sometimes and watch the ladies and men in their 'whites' playing their game. Then in my teens twice weekly visits to the Odeon to see good films, I remember seeing the first James Bond film 'Dr No' with Sean Connery, enjoyed it so much I went back 3 times to see it! and have seen every James Bond film since.

My shopping trips to Woolwich usually on a Saturday after I got my weekly pay to buy clothes, shoes or handbags was always a must, I have not changed over the years!

I went to Normandy Primary School and then on to Slade Green Secondary.  My nan lived in Hazel Road, Slade Green, so have a lot of memories there as well. When I left school I went to work for a company called Dussek Brothers in Thames Road, Crayford then after 2/3 years went on to a job at Burroughs Wellcome Dartford. Happy days whereever I worked and also made a lot of friends along the way.

After leaving Brasted Road in 1968 to get married I moved to Dartford for a while but obviously still made frequent visits to Erith to see my mum and dad, after about 1992 I had no reason to visit the area but decided a couple of weeks ago to make a trip to see how many changes there had been over the years, well, sadly nothing is how I remember it. I had a big shock seeing places where I grew up, and especially not recognising Erith town was a surprise, I just could not get my barings and had to think hard what it was like before in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

As someone else has said before me as you get older memories become important and mine certainly are, unfortunately you cannot turn the clock back so best hang on to those memories.

So I am now on a mission collating old photos and gathering informamtion from various archives purely for my own benefit to look back on and remember the good times.

If anyone remembers me would like to hear from you.  My single name was Roberts.