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Upper Norwood memories

Here are memories of Upper Norwood and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Upper Norwood or a Upper Norwood photo.

Aurelia Road

Dulwich Wood Avenue 1898
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We moved to 161 Aurelia Road from 6 Brampton Road, Addiscombe, I lived there for 24 years with my mother and father Margaret and Harry Spencer. My father was a plumbing and heating engineer and taught plumbing at Vauxhall College. Our neighbours were lovely Mr & Mrs Isaacs lived at 163, and 159 Mr & Mrs Lucas and my best friend Joyce, across the road upstairs lived Mr & Mrs Finlay and sons Jimmy, downstairs lived Mr & Mrs Tanner and Linda, next door was Mr & Mrs Mitchell son Jimmy and Beryl, then elderly couple next door.Mr & Mrs Cocklyn, Michael Robert and little Mary. On the corner was I went to West Thronton School my mum used to take me on the back of her bike in little black seat, which was fun, then went to Lanfranc. My dad had garage for his car down Aurelia Road, which he let me drive when I was 9 I used to sit on his lap and steer the... Read more

Dulwich Wood Avenue

Dulwich Wood Avenue 1898
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This is now the Gipsy Hill roundabout at the end of Croxted Road at the junction of Aleyn Road, Gipsy Road and Dulwich Wood Avenue (formerly named The Avenue). This photograph is looking along the length of Dulwich Wood Avenue with Crystal Palace clearly in the background. A magnificent photo and very rare to find a photo of Dulwich Wood Avenue and the former triangular shrubbed triangle which is now an ugly big roundabout! The triangle remained until after the Second World War but as traffic and congestion increased dramatically with more cars on the road the triangle was replaced in around 1960.

Upper Norwood

Church Road c1955
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I grew up in Palace Road and I remember going to the Granada Cinema as a child and opposite was a shop that had a train set in the window and if you put an old penny in the slot it would go round. This would have been approx. 1965.

Memories of Greater London

Champion Crescent

I went to St Michael's School in Champion Crescent. My grandparents Annie and Ernie bines lived opposite the road. Good times.

Growing up in Crystal Palace

I was born in Stone Park Hospital Beckenham in 1958 and brought home to No 36 Palace Road. I went to Anerley Infants and Junior School. My memories of the surrounding area of Crystal Palace are of the pub on the corner of Palace Road, The Paxton Arms Hotel. The old Victorian railway station that I used to take a short cut through to Crystal Palace park. I also have vivid memories of the motor car racing on Sundays, it was deafening. We lived in a Victorian house that was spilt with us having the downstairs, bedrooms on the next floor and some else living on the top floor.I had a wonderful time growing up in Crystal Palace. I also remember walking down Hamlet Road and past the Links to the church where my brother and little sister had to go on Sundays. At the top of Palace Road there was a Square and when I was very young there was a bomb site where we used to play, (Health and Safety would have... Read more

Crystal Palace 1960s - 1970s

I have similar memories to you Lyn, in fact I was in your sister's class at Anerley School (born in Stone Park hospital) so I remember you too as an older girl! I remember the penny in the slot train going round along Church Road and later it burned down, that was a shock, it smelt of burnt bacon. Now I come to think of it that sounds ominous. Hope noone was hurt. I recall the really loud motor racing and being surprised as a child to hear it when I was halfway down Anerley Hill where there was a sweet shop (up from Versailles Road) as I always thought it was only our road that could hear it!

Student Hostel

I lived in the National College Hostel from 1955 to 1956 which, to the best of my recollection, was located at 28, Dulwich Wood Park, Upper Norwood. The local pub, which our meagre allowance allowed us to visit once a week - usually on Sunday evenings - was the Paxton. I went by my "student name" of Joe in those days and I recall meeting a lovely young lady named Mary Rickett in the Paxton with her Mum and Dad, who used to invite me home for supper after closing time. Apart from the fact that Mary was a most beautiful young lady, the fact that I was treated to hearty meals like macaroni cheese, etc. on a regular basis made me the envy of my fellow students considering the starvation diet on which we existed at that time!!
Unfortunately our course of studies concluded and I returned to Liverpool, got married and emigrated to Vancouver in Canada, however I have never forgottem those magical days of my youth and,... Read more

Palace Road

I remember walking down Palace Road with the shopping trolley aged 4 to go to Wavyline supermarket with a shopping list, on my own. Amazingly I made it back safely! Those where the days. I remember Nobles the chemist, Batty's supermarket and Clouds the greengrocers.

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