Lewisham memories
Here are memories of Lewisham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Lewisham or a Lewisham photo.
Gaumont, Rex & Prince of Wales Cinemas
My strongest memories of Lewisham is there being three cinemas there. The Gaumont (where I saw the Beatles live in the 1960s) - I went to Saturday morning pictures there. The Rex cinema, just by the bridge opposite The Duke of Clarence pub, also opposite the best restaraunt in Lewisham, 'The Saville'. And the Prince of Wales which was further up Lewisham High Street almost opposite the Catholic church near to C & A's. Lewisham has changed a great deal since I lived there in the 1940s-50s. I lived in Oakcroft Road off Granville Park and to walk down to Lewisham with my late Mum was a treat for me. Chiesmans was on the left with the Quaggy running along side, and next door was the CWS Co-op store. My school uniform was bought there and when we went in and Mum had to pay for it the money would be whizzed across the store in a little pot on a wire and we would have to wait for the change.... Read more
Sunday Football
Although l tended to spend most of my free days playing at near by Hilly Fields, it being nearer to my home, l do have a few memories of playing at the Wreak, that's the name, we as kids knew it by. As a pupil at Lewisham Bridge Primary School, we used it for sports. After leaving school, mostly during the mid 1960s, a number of us, including 2 of my brothers, friends and mates, from my street mostly, after Sunday lunch would walk along Algernon Road to the Wreak for a game of football. There could be a many as a dozen or more, depending on who was available, and the weather. Despite the changing rooms not being open, we still got ready, used bags for goal posts, picked 2 teams, and enjoyed ourselves for a couple of hours. We used nearly all of the area just inside the park. Rules, not many used, but who cared, it was just a friendly kick about. Sometimes... Read more
Childhood Memories
The smell of chestnuts in December on cold nights in Lewisham High Street. The seafood stall, eating cockles and whelks. Going to Chiesmans to see Father Christmas. Hearing the calling of the market traders. Going to Saturday morning pictures at the Odeon. Going to St Mary's C of E School and harvest festival at St Mary's Church. Getting free buns from the bakers where I lived at Engate Street. Feeling really posh when my nan took me to Lyons tea rooms. I could go on and on with the great memories at Lewishem in the 1960s. And I always remember the little old lady with her sweet stall on a Sunday morning. I remember the police box near Ladywell baths, I used to think it was a Tardis. Good days.
Teenage Years
Hot dog stall, Lewisham, Wooly's Saturday afternoon, Saturday morning pictures, Cheismans, Elvis, rock and roll, Chislehurst caves, jazz Saturday nights, chasing girls to get candle back, being chased by Deptford boys in Bedford van, clambering through the river tunnel under Cheismans, courting in Ladywellwreck, youth club in Davenport Road, Catford, watching the show on the bandstand in Mountfield Park, playing hide and seek in the bushes in Mountfield Park - the memories are coming back maybe to haunt all of us from these lovely years. I remember my mother playing the piano and singing in the local pubs, the Black Bull where I met my first wife, the Spotted Cow - what a pub, the Queen's Arms, Courthill Road (we called this pub the Breakers Arms), never ever a dull moment but never any trouble, just comedy, Coronation Day party in the playground of Ennersdale School, walking my girl home to Lee Green (I lived in Hither Green), first kiss long, whistling walk home, I was 9, running errands to... Read more
A Day at The Flicks
I did my cinema management training at the Gaumont, Lewisham under Keith Hann and assistant Brian Richardson, then moved on as assistant at Deptford Odeon, New Cross Gaumont, Bromley Odeon and eventually my first management was The Walpole (300+ seats) at Ealing and then on to The Astoria (3027 seats) in the Old Kent Road, I finally left in 1962.
Do you remember the catastrophic fire that destroyed the Lewisham Gaumont?
And the riots (whipped up by the press) after 'Blackboard Jungle', and the pub (?) across from the theatre?
Shop
The white building on the right used to be called Chiesmans. Trams used to run along the street. In the 1950s in thick smog I had to wait for hours for a bus to eventually arrive to take me as far as Well Hall, where I had to walk from there to home. I was in a train travelling from Cannon Street down to Falconwood on one line when everything stopped because a train from Holborn became derailed on the Lewisham viaduct. Never forget that night. Screams from people injured and some dead from the train crashing into a stationary one on the other line. We alighted from our train to walk along the track led by railway porters with lanterns. Shaken up I and other passengers found a milk bar around the corner from Chiesmans which was still open. Then the long wait for a bus. The walk from Well Hall took an hour to get home.
CORSET SHOP
Has anyone memories of the Corset Shop or did you work in Cheesmans Corsetry Department between 1948 - 1988 - I need your memories or they will be lost forever no matter how wacky or off the wall. Shop Assistants - were your relationship with your customers or the relationship with your Foundation Wear. During the 1950's / 60's we had a lot of single sex schools - did a mum ever bring or buy foundation wear for her son who was playing a girls part in a play etc - we also had shows in the west end such a Forces in Petticoats - did you ever serve them or simlar? Please reply to me at corsetiere@corset.ndo.co.uk yours Geoffrey
Marsala Road, Ladywell - The Prefabs
I was only a few months old when our family moved to 122 Marsala Road, Ladywell in 1949. I was ten years of age when we moved from Ladywell to Dartford in August 1959 but there are many different and varied things that I can remember. Money was then very tight and Dad was working in London and Mum also worked full-time. Mum's Aunt Mabel (Massingham) came over most days to look after Ian and me until mum got home at the end of the day. The milkman used to leave the milk in the fridge each day, and even if Auntie Mabel wasn't there the prefab doors would be left unlocked, such was the spirit of the day. Regularly the milkman would leave a bar of chocolate in the fridge for Ian and me and that was a real treat. He had a horse that pulled the milk cart and I would love going out to stroke him. At night I would always hear the clunking and banging of the trains... Read more
Memories of SE13
Born in Hither Green 1n 1966. Grew up and have fond memories of home. Started Beacon Road school from 1970 to 77. Catford Boys 77 to 82. Edie May's sweet shop Ardmere Road with that distinct smell. Barretts Off Licence etc. Loved going swimming at Ladywell Baths. Does anyone remember Torbay chippy in Staplehurst Road? Them chips were the best. Showing my age, I can remember the Springbank Road Station entrance. Was a member of the Boys Brigade in Ennersdale School, later moving to Campshill Road I think. It's a pity that Lewisham and Hither Green were only made famous by two horrific railway accidents in the 1950s and 60s and the NF Riots in the 1970s.
Kent Butchers
Year: 1930s Kent Butchers
Does anyone have memories of the Kent Butchers during the 1930s in Lewisham Market? I have a photo taken about Christmas time 1936 of their shop. It is decorated with rows of turkeys and other meats, with the shop workers standing at the back of the shop. The prices of the produce made me smile! Did anyone's relatives work here?
Memories of Greater London
Those Were The Days
I remember Rye Lane in Peckham as a very busy shopping centre. I was born in the area and lived in Mcdermott Road in the prefabs (it is now a Charlie Dimock Garden) until I married in Blenheim Grove Church (behind the station)and moved away in 1963. I remember shopping in Jones and Higgins (in this picture) - to us children it was an aladdin's cave with all its different departments. Later on I worked in Woolworths, which I believe is still in the same place, while still at school in the evenings and weekends, and went to school at Bellenden Road and then on to Peckham school, firstly in the old building then on to the the new glasshouse as we used to call it. We would all play on the shelters on the corner of Peckham Rye Park - they made good slides when it was wet on the shiny stones, then we would go off into the park for a day's fishing in the pond, just playing... Read more
James Walker
This photo shows the James Walker jeweller's shop in the foreground on the right, where I bought my wife's engagement and wedding rings!
Ken Cook
Jones & Higgins
In the picture with Jones & Higgins, on the right, that is my nan and mum pushing the pram, with me in the pram. We lived in Walworth but they always walked there to do shopping and to see my dad who worked in his mum's shop in Choumert Road.
Commercial Way or Road
Hi, I worked on bomb damage for Bishop & Clarke (a firm of builders from Horley), the foreman's name was Mr Collins. In the August of 1945 I was teaboy and builders' labourer, it was my first job after leaving school in Horley, Surrey. One street we cleared was Commercial Road, I remember a cafe just round the corner, I think called 'Janes', I know one day there were whale steaks with onions on the menu,(they weren't bad, can anyone else remember? We also had 'double plain and syrup', good memories, I bought a pair of long trousers at the big shop on the corner, I think Queens Road. I remember walking to the market by the railway in Rye Lane. I now live in Australia. Tony
Up And Down.
My friends and I loved Rye Lane, it had more shoe shops than Oxford Street. On Saturdays we would meet in Manzes Pie and Mash in Peckham Hill Street, then make our way up one side of Rye Lane, shopping if we could afford to, window shopping if not. We would navigate all through the arcade, and carry on to Choumert Road market, there used to be a lovely pub at the top, where my sister was engaged to a fellow called Mickey whose family owned a large greengrocers there, we would then cross over the road and come down on the opposite side, stopping and usually buying a record in a smashing record shop in Bournemouth Road, then another small arcade,into C & A's to try on the latest fashions, then Woolworth's, B.H.S, and Littlewoods and into Jones and Higgins to browse for a long while. On one occasion I bought a beautiful pair of bright red patent stiletto's in 'Saxone's' at the bottom of the Lane and could... Read more
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