West Wickham memories
Here are memories of West Wickham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of West Wickham or a West Wickham photo.
The White Hart in 1881
I've been researching my ancestors and discovered that my great-great-grandfather, William Fox, was living at the White Hart in High Road, West Wickham, in 1881 with his daughter Mary Ann Reading and her husband John Reading, who I presume was landlord. Wlliam Fox died in 1881. He had been a farmer in Womenswold before retiring.
Roger Lancaster.
Coloma Convent
I have fond memories of Coloma Convent and would love to visit the old place again just to compare it with my memories of it 45 years ago. My mother used to be a cleaner there in the mid sixties and I used to go to work with her during the summer holidays. I remember the church and the smell of pledge, I also recall the day they gold leafed the rail around the altar.Just across the from the church was a large aviary where there were lots of Miner birds kept.The old building was fascinating with a sweeping staircase and a filled in tunnel in the basement, which I was told an escape tunnel leading to addington village shoiuld Henry V111 wish to escape.I went down it one day and it was a good 50ft long and I found a sword.
Fond memories of the old place when the sun seemed to shine everyday, and everytime I hear daydream believer by the Monkees it always takes me back there.... Read more
Coney Hall 1950/60s
This picture brings back many memories. I was born in 1953 and lived in Coney Hall until 1972, attending school at Wickham Common and then Hawes Down Secondary.
The view from where this picture was taken is not dramatically different today. The parade of shops that can be seen on the right included the newsagent and confectioners, Butts ( for whom I did a paper round for 2 years) and a pet supply store (Pearson's??). The Coney public house ( a place of exotic mystery when I was growing up) is just out of view. On the far left can be seen the rather stylish garage and petrol station. I remember using this facility to put a pounds worth of petrol into my first car, a Hillman Imp. The last time I was in Coney Hall this was a DIY store.
Out of view on the left is another parade of shops, one of which was the Harry Minting music store from which I bought my first ever record,... Read more
Discos And Status Quo
A college full of young female teaching students on my doorstep - what more could an 18 year old ask for? Yes, Coloma College was , for a short while , a weekend hotspot for me and my friends. There were regular discos , and also, on occasions, live music. And, in 1971, none other than Status Quo played a gig there. It should be pointed out that they were, at this time, at something of low ebb in their career. Having left behind their poppy Pictures of Matchstick Men period, they were still far from Rocking All Over the World - just rocking all over West Wickham to about 50 unimpressed people.
A few years before this, I used to deliver papers to Coloma College, and I remember scaring myself silly on dark winter mornings when I had to negotiate the narrow tree lined avenue that led to the college. It was amazing the number of bushes that looked like hunched crones that were about to leap out... Read more
Memories of Kent
Hayes - Gateway to London
What a great picture of Hayes High Street - brings back so many memories. I lived in nearby Coney Hall from 1953 to 1976. As a child it was 3d to get to Hayes Station on the 138 bus. I recall Woolworths (bottom right) had one of those big red weighing machines outside that dispensed a picture card ( a series on steam engines I think) with your weight printed on it.
My mum bought me the first yoghurts I ever sampled from the Express Diary shop on the left going down the street - these came in a jar and were unsweetened so I used to mix in sugar. I can still taste them.
Hayes Station was also the place to get the train to London (Charing Cross) and I can still pretty well list all the stations on the route - West Wickham, Eden Park, Elmers End, Clock House ..OK I won't bore you with the lot.
Great cars in the picture as well... Read more
Living in Hayes in The 1950s & 1960s
I lived in one of the council houses in Mounthurst Road from 1954 to 1970. I have a very good memory of growing up there. The prefabs in Mead Way, there must have been hundreds on both sides and we used to play on this site around 1963 to 1965 when they were being demolished. Hayesford Park was being built and I remember this massive earth pile that we used to roll down. Barnfield School at top of Mead Way, I can still picture the building and when it was about to be demolished we walked around inside, there was a massive staircase. Hayes Estate where I lived was always busy with young families and the shops in Chilham Way were always busy. I went back there last year and how times have changed. Most shops are shut down, the whole estate is very quite and I now see that the Beacon pub has been flattened. Anyway I loved growing up in Hayes and maybe one day I would like... Read more
Badgers Hole
My father (who died recently) used to play in Shirley Hills, and Badgers Hole, which was close to his home in Shirley Way, Croydon when he was a small boy. He had 4 other brothers and a sister. He often told us of the fun they had there, with their catapults, knocking tin cans off of a tree stump, and how he got chased by a whole nest of hornets because his football disturbed them... He had a phobia about wasps all his life.
Shirley Public Library
I was born in Shirley in 1935. My parents had married a year earlier and moved to a new semi detached house (cost seven hundred and twenty-five pounds) in the new housing estate. They came from crowded row houses in London's East End so living in a new house in the suburbs with three bedrooms and a bathroom for the two of them and one baby must have seemed like heaven. Although my parents had bought a new home they didn't have much money left over after paying the mortgage and for a long time the rooms were not fully furnished.
My Dad was in the Army in WW II and overseas for four years. He must have been quite despondent to hear that his 'castle' had been damaged by a doodlebug in June 1944. Fortunately it was repairable, several other homes nearby were destroyed completely. The picture of Hartland Way brought back memories.
The building... Read more
Shirley in 1947.
Hi.
I remember living at the 'Shirley Homes' for children in Shirley in 1947, I believe it was run by the old LCC (London County Council) It was a wondeful place to live, the staff looked after us as if we were their own, I lived at the 'Willow Cottage' but although the 'Home had their own school I attended an outside one, We were taken on a fortnight's holiday to Walton-on-the-naze in Essex,a Camping holiday, it was wonderful time, When my Father used to come down to visit us he would often take us to the 'Shirley Hill's to play, and after spending several months at the Homes, we were reunited with our Mother, she had been in Hospital for many months, but we were very sad to leave Shirley, and the 'Homes.I had made some good friends whilst there,I believe today the 'homes are still there, but have all been 'refurbished and sold privately, the people living in these 'Cottages today will experience a wonderful calmness associated with... Read more
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