Just Pre War

A Memory of Petts Wood.

My name is Peter Nutkins, I was born in 1939 and lived in Chesham Avenue for the first 24 years of my life.

I worked for Arthur Black at Queensway Radio as a TV engineer for a number of years in the '50s and '60s, so got to know quite a few people in the area.

My earliest memories were towards the end of the war when the 94 bus terminated at the Crooked Billet, some of the buses had outside stairs and a starting handle!

I started school at Crofton Lane towards the end of the war and transferred to Southborough Lane about a year later, on leaving there I went to Charterhouse Road secondary school in Orpington. The train journey from Petts wood to Chelsfield cost 4p, how times have changed.

I married in 1963 and we moved to Borough Green where I started my own TV business, then in 1970 we moved down here to rural Dorset and still live in the same cottage, now in retirement

Peter


Added 09 April 2017

#381861

Comments & Feedback

Hello Peter, I was wondering if you knew my brother, Peter Sanders. He was born in 1940 and the family moved to Frankswood Avenue in 1948 I think. The family name was Day, my mother's second marriage, but Pete kept his last name. He went to Crofton and then on to Charterhouse, taking the train from Petts Wood to Chelsfield. He moved back to Petts Wood, firstly to Woodhurst Avenue, then to Town Court Crescent. I arrived on the scene in 1951 and can certainly remember Mr Black in Queensway Radio. His son was in my year at Crofton,was his name Stephen?
Hello!
I am tracing some family history and wonder if any of you can help.
The family name was Copeland - Reginald and Ivy Copeland were relatives of mine. I remember visiting them in Petts Wood in the early 60s and know they had a Chemist’s shop - or maybe two?
Does anybody have any memories of the family or the whereabouts of the shop/s
Thanks Sue Ives
Hi Sue

I certainly remember Copelands chemists. I seem to remember two chemists in Queensway almost opposite each other, one was Copelands the other Gibsons? Sadly I don't know any of the family I'm afraid, or at least I don't remember them. I never did have a good memory and at 82 what I did have is rapidly disappearing. If I had ever repaired any of their TV's I might remember them.

The shops were in Queensway going down towards the Embassy cinema, somewhere near Maynards the sweet shop.

We live out in the sticks in Dorset in a 350 year old cottage, we moved in almost exactly 51 years ago.

Peter

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