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Locksbottom
Locksbottom maps
Historic maps of Locksbottom and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Locksbottom maps
Locksbottom area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Locksbottom and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Locksbottom
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Kent memories
Whippendell Way
I was born in the front bedroom in June. I can remember a greengrocer came round by horse and cart up till about 1960/61. There were only two cars in the whole street. I went to Grays Farm Infants, now retail units, and Grays Farm Primary, still a school, and Midfield/Walsingham Secondary, it was only round the corner so we came home for lunch. The curry house in Cottmandene was then a toy shop and also sold bikes and prams. Happy days.
Shoreham Road
I was born in Shoreham Road in 1955. My mum and dad used to play darts at the Partridge pub which you could get to via a lot of steps at the bottom of this road. They used to sell large biscuits for 1p cannot remember what they were called: Arrowroot? We used to play on the green most days and school holidays. I always remember the alley from our road to Whippendell, it was scary at night, because very often the light did not work! I now live in Norfolk, but visited St Pauls Cray last September and very sadly noticed flats I think in place of the pub. Mum and Dad used to leave us sitting in the car with crisps and lemonade, we loved it. I went to Grays Farm Primary School and remembered there used to be a large fish pond if you went a different way to it, then onto Midfield Secondary School which became Walsingham. I hated it... Read more
Dawsons Avenue
I was born in the front bedroom of 63 Dawsons Avenue on the 19th December 1954. I went to Grays Farm Primary School, then on to Midfield Secondary School for Boys. My local shops were Cotmandene Crescent. I remember the rag and bone man coming round on his horse and cart. My neighbours and friends at the time were Paul and Ian Biggs, Brian Cook, Gerald Tilney, Jeffrey Sparrow. We used to play football in the road, until way past 10.00pm at weekends. Happy days.
Midfield Way
We lived at 24 Midfield Way from 1940 until 1950, when we moved to Sidcup. When I was a boy we used to catch great crested newts in the pond at Greys Farm, and scrump apples around the back, from the orchard. I watched the country getting dug up and built on. I lost the raspberry patch I used to visit in the summertime. It had been neglected after the war. I went to the Cray Valley School before Greys Farm School was built. I still have lots of wartime and after, memories.
Single Street / Berrys Green.
Back in the 1950's I can remember living in No 1 Bertrey Cottages, Single Street very near Berrys Green. I can remember the Berrys Green Post Office where we could buy sweets by spending as little as a farthing. A little greengrocer shop opposite the Old Jail pub and all the old characters that lived in that area. No 2 The Webbs. No 3 The Fovarges. No 4 Wakefields. Others in the Street that I can remember, The Rolls. The Easters. The Williamson. And who could forget ' Cruger ' who was a chap that use to run all the errands for a quick penny. I can recall the long walk up Jail Lane to catch the nearest bus or to do the weekly shopping. The alternative was to walk the other way to Downe Village that was just as long to walk. Very few people had cars in those days and relied on the local taxi service that was run by John Linnington just up from the Old Jail... Read more
I Remember This Pub The Red Lion
In this photo is the Red Lion pub, right next door to my Auntie Winn and Uncle George house. Where the white picket fence is, is the end of Auntie Winn's front garden. I remember also straight across the road, was a shop that I used to do errands for. The shop sold everything you needed in those days, but it closed down after a few years. George and my Dad, used to have a beer or two in the Red Lion, when we visited them, while we used to stay indoors with Auntie Winn and her real live coal fire. Auntie Winn's daughter was born in this house, and I am still in touch with her today, her name is Sonia, my dear Cousin. Auntie Winn used to work in the Jam factory out the back of her garden, and her garden was always full of home grown vegetables, and fruit. The fields, were not so far away, and we used to walk Auntie Winn's dog, called Glen, he... Read more
Swanley Village 1934
I was born in Model Cottages,1934. in the Village at that time there was a bakers, (my father was one of the bakers he only had to cross the road to go to work), a grocery store next to the public house, post office, butchers, in a house down the hill past the church, a coal merchant Mr Partridge, and a sweet shop. During the war a land mine fell in a field, and it was placed in the village for all to see. I have many memories of Swanley Village and Swanley Junction. I remember wondering why so many people had birds names, there was a Partridge, a Rook, a Goose, I think there is even now a Mr Rook is living in the village. We would walk to Swanley Junction if we needed to shop for things our general store didn't keep. My family have lived in Swanley for 250 years, there have been many changes, not all for the better of our community.
