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Welling
Welling maps
Historic maps of Welling and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Welling maps
Welling area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Welling and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Welling
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Welling.
There are 17 shared memories to read.
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Unexploded V1 Bomb
My wife was living in Northhumberland Avenue when a V1 doodlebug passed by very low, to land unexploded at the top end of the avenue. She lived at number 208. The house number it landed at was about 220 to 230. It was on a Sunday afternoon. The man living there was in the kitchen having his lunch, and walked along the V1 to turn off his gas and water! My wife remembers quite clearly the V1 coming up the street, getting lower and lower with no noise. She and her friend Hazel ran indoors to get under the table shelters, there was a crashing sound but no big bang, so they were very lucky. The whole of the top end of the road was evacuated for 3 nights. They were told that it was the first V1 that had not exploded.
Bicycle Shops Welling?
Does anyone have any memories, information or better still any photos of the cycle shops in 1950's Welling? Two of them were Holmes of Welling on Wickham Lane/Welling Corner and A.F.Mills in the High St. There was another, I believe, in Station Rd called Harlows. Do any of these names prompt memories?
Wrotham Road
Yes, I used to go to Wrotham Road for rock & roll, they were the early days from 1960 to 1963 and it was the meeting place for the lads. I remember taking a break from dancing and going into the Lord Kitchener pub Friday night when the news broke that Kennedy had been shot. The Embassy ballroom... My mate Andy And I were listening to the band when we decided to go across the road to the greengrocer on the Saturday afternoon and buy a couple of lemons. We went back into the dance hall and ate them in front of the trumpet player, he spluttered when he saw us and it mucked up his playing, great fun!!
Ice Cream Parlour.
I remember the Ice Cream Parlour opening near the corner, Tony's I think it was called. Being only 13-14 at the time, we could never afford to buy one but it was fun to watch, all chrome and glass, just like an American movie.
My Youth
The inferno was the old British Legion hall in Station Approach by the labour exchange. Yes, the Court school of dancing was upstairs next to the Granada, many a happy saturday night was spent there, also day times at Danson lido.
Great Times at The Emabssy Welling
You mention the Embassy Ballroom in Welling. I first started going there in 1953 (when I was 14 but looked older as you needed to be 16 to get in!) and carried on going until I went into the Army (National Service) in 1958. My abiding memory of the Emabssy was seeing both the Johnny (not John in those days) Dankworth Seven and the Ted Heath Band on the same bill. Later it was Ronnie Scott and his group alongside Ted Heath.
Besides the music entertainment the on floor entertainment wasn't too bad either i.e. the 'chicks' (remember that term?). And I was only 14-17 at the time! What a great way to grow up. Those were the days indeed.
Welling, Danson Lane
I was born in 1948 at number 3 Williams Cottages, Danson Lane. These were near the junction of the High Street,. My first memmories are of John Newton Court being built, has anyone any photos of Williams Cottages?
Inferno
Yes, I remember it very well ... we saw Grant Tracy and the Sunsets there, Erky Grant, and many more. Jack Eastwood on the door, all run by Paul Meyer ... and I remember the night it burnt down, a Saturday. I used to help Bob serve the hubbly bubbly. I enjoyed it so much that in later years I opened my own nightclub.
