Nostalgia

MOTTINGHAM ESTATE SHOPS – KEMMERIDGE & BEACONSFIELD ROAD
Baines was one of two paper shops, the other being Humphreys. The Greengrocer shop was actually called Reeves, it was situated where the Dentist and Sense Charity shop are now. The baker is called Marlborough, been there since before the WW2
My cousin lived in a prefab of Canadian manufacture. The specification was excellent which included a built-in refrigerator, fully fitted kitchen and bathroom with hot and cold running water.
Unlike the Galley Kitchen in our two up two down Villa in Dunkery Road; on the Mottingham Estate. It had an upstairs bathroom, with only a cold water tap for the bath, hot water being heated up in a gas boiler in the kitchen and hand pumped up to the bath. General hot water had to be boiled in a kettle until an Ascot type gas water heater was fitted over the Belfast ceramic sink.

I am writing and about my childhood, and Mottingham was a big part of it.
My Parents met each other as both were living on the Mottingham estate. Mum with her Mum and Dad and 12 siblings at 72 Castlecombe Rd and Dad with his Mum and Dad and 7 sibling at 26 Horley Road. Both the Blewetts at no72 and the Matthews at 26 moved to Mottingham when the estate was built. The Blewetts directly from the East End, and the Matthews family from Brockley. Mums Dad used to sell anything from his horse and cart, as he had done in the east end. But he got a job with the RACS, but still delivering with horse and cart. My Dads Dad was a security guard. Dad told me lots of stories about his life during WW2, the air raid shelter they used and being evacuated to Reigate Paignton. Mums family had an Anderson shelter in the garden but they did not trust it so used to trudge to the caves at Chislehurst to escape to bombs.
I was born in 1955 and we lived in the front room at 26 Horley Rd. The house was full, with two of my dads sisters also living there one with her husband and their daughter, my Nan, Granddad obviously, and another of my Dads brothers and his wife. I only lived there for a couple of years as Mum and Dad got a maisonette at Edgebury. But I spent most of my childhood there as both sets grandparents looked after me, I also had an Aunt living in Escott Gdns, and she still does today. Another Aunt lived in Framlingham Cres. I have fond memories of me and my cousins playing in Elmstead and Marvels woods. We used to walk over to Grove Park Cemetery, cross the bridge and sneak onto the golf course. Even as a teenager I would go over with my parents on Fish and Chip Friday, cue up at the chippy in Mottingham Village (everyone said best chip shop around) and take back food for the family, and there was a lot of us then, most of Dads siblings, now with their own family would come on a Friday night back to 26 Horley. the house was heaving. I remember collecting beer bottles and getting the return money back at the off sales at the King and Queen, and then buying sweets, in what I thought was called 'the cabin', was that Baines's shop? Most of the family were married at the church opposite, and we used to party at Mottingham Village Hall. I think that is where there is a supermarket now. I also recall a Blue (Dr Who) Police box in Dunkery Road, I think it was on the Junction with Ravensworth Rd. Ahhh lovely memories.

When my parents moved in, the water for the bathroom was heated in a copper, intended for laundry. When the water was hot a hand pump on the wall could be used to send the water up to the bath. Then, later, came a geyser.

I moved from the Mottingham prefabs into158 Dunkery road in1951/2. After finishing juniors at Marvells Lane School 1953/4? I also went to school at Edgebury via "Fram" collecting other pupils the "Nunns" etc. I remember the boiler in the kitchen , Lighting it with a match and priming the pump if it failed at first attempt. We moved from the area to Essex, Job move, but many relatives still lived there.