My Grandparents

A Memory of Dulwich.

My grandparents George and Elsie Wood lived on Landells Road for most of their married lives. They had two daughters, my mum Elsie and my auntie Bibby (Vivian). When my parents and I moved to Derby around 1965 (when I was about three) I only saw my Grandparent perhaps once a year so when in 1967 my mum took us to London to stay with my grandparents it was the cause of great excitement. It was one of the memories I will always have.
My Grandad met us from the bus at Victoria Coach Park and we all got on the bus that dropped us off at the Church. I remember the bus being so different that those at home, they had tarton seat covers for a start and were red! My grandparents house was a terraced house with a large lounge and dining room which had been knocked through, a kitchen that had a bath in it but was used as a table for Nan to dish up dinner on. Outside there was the linny - a place Nan could dry her washing, an outside toilet, an anderson shelter that Grandad used to keep his tools in and a small garden.
Next door lived Uncle George and Auntie Bella and their sons and I remember my Nan and mum chatting away over the garden fence. My Nan's house always had a special smell, which I didn't know at the time was carbolic soap but grew to call it nanny's smell. My Great grandparents lived at no. 2 along with my Aunt Lottie, Uncle Bob, Rosa and Bobby. My Great-grandmother used to be on the stage and was a big lady who ruled her family with a rod of iron. I remember my Great-grandfather as being a small slight man who ran around making cups of tea.
Dulwich to me was a magical place, as I grew older, mum would put me on the bus, in the care of the bus driver and I would be allowed to stay with my Grandparents for a couple of weeks during the summer holiday. I got to join the library, to go to meet my Nan from work at the chyropodist around the corner from the Bank just opposite the library, to go for walk's in the beautiful park, eat rock fish and chips, do the shopping with my grandad down Lordship Lane on a Saturday, which always included tea and a cake in the Lyons restaurant but best of all to spend time with the people I loved.

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