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Swanley
Swanley maps
Historic maps of Swanley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Swanley maps
Swanley area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Swanley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Swanley
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Swanley.
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Living in Station Road
This where I lived wih my parent's Anita and Les Franklin. We lived in, what was Dawes the breakdown people's shop, where the shop used to be (i think). That was my parent's bed-room, as far as I can remember.
Model Cottages
I have just been going through a case of my grandparents' photos and I see they lived at 2 Model Cottages - their names were Henry and Harriett Plume and they had three sons, Henry, George and Norman, the latter being my dad who is alive and well, but sadly his two brothers have passed away. What I am trying to work out is whether the first house next to the car park in Swanley High Street is actually known as 2 Model Cottage or just 2 Swanley High Street, which is what I always thought it was? That house has been marketed recently and I so wanted to go back and have a reminisce. If you know of my family then I would love to hear back.
Station Road, Railway Cottages
My dad worked for BR, as it was then, and we moved from Rochester, Kent, to Swanley in about 1963. He worked in the Control Room which was on Station Approach and we lived in one of the railway cottages, that had yet to be built ,in this photo. We lived in number 8 opposite the butchers, Lyn's and I can remember having to stand at the front room window watching for a quiet moment so my mum could pop over there with out having to wait too long!
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.
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
Bourne Family
My father was born in Swanley, in 1917, he was one of 5 boys & 3 girls. Sadly there is only Aunty Jean left, but she and her husband still live in Swanley.
Their father, Alf, was doorman at the Swanley Working Mens Club for 50 years.
My father married a girl from Birmingham, my mother, and it was in B'ham that I & my siblings grew up.
I remember trips to Swanley as a young lad, which during the war years was quite hairy. Does anyone know of the Bourne family, they lived for many years in Montague Road?
Kent memories
The Careers Service College in Hextable
Kent College for the Careers Service was in College Road, Hextable. I was a student living in this college in 1987 and enjoyed my studies very much as the nature of the course tended towards exploring local facilities and occupations. I graduated and left in 1988 to become a school careers adviser with Hertfordshire Careers Service.
I recall the college principal at that time was Alaine Somerville and my own tutor was Phil Glasson. The college tended to attract sociable, sincere and honest people who were drawn to a caring profession. During my year there we endured the "Great Storm" of October 1987 when one of the college chimneys was blown down and through the roof into the first floor bedrooms! I recall that day very well as the college had organised a day long outing for us to the National Sea Training College at Gravesend - we were surprised to be told that it would be unsafe for them to take us out on the River. Clearly they... Read more
