Wells Way, Camberwell, S.E.5

My parents also married in St George's Church on the corner of St George's Way and Wells Way in1950. I lived in Gloucester Grove at no. 151, opposite the school. We were moved out in 1968 when they demolished everything to build the big estate.

I recall Russell's sweet shop used to buy sweets there. When young with my mum regularly.

Do you know if your Stepdad had any brothers or sisters at all ?

I lived right opposite the newsagents at no 65 Wells Way. I was born in 1954 but my father passed away in 1956 so my mother brought me up on her own. We moved to Surrey Road in 1960 when I was 6 years old but I remember going to the old Gloucester Road school when I was 5 and still have photos of me taken there dressed as one of the Three Kings in the Nativity play. My mother's name was Joyce Waters. We lived on the top floor of an old Victorian house (demolished a long time ago) and I remember an old lady called Beatrice lived there with her husband. I'm not sure if we rented the flat from them or if they were also renting. A young girl called Diane used to babysit me when my mother had to go out. The McLeod family lived further down the road at no 100. I used to play with their two children and we often had a picnic in Burgess Park (which was much smaller in those days). I recall one amusing incident when three lorries got stuck outside the row of shops. They were presumably trying to pass each other. My mother and I looked down to see what all the commotion was about! We were very poor, as I know a lot of people were in those days. I got bitten by a dog outside the bakers and am still nervous about letting dogs come near me today!

Beatrice was my Mums friend, called Beat, she used to look out for me sometimes, if I was unwell, along with other neighbours, , when she had to go to work. We were in 9 Gloucester Grove. I remember she wore a turban, as a lot did then, we moved to Herne Hill in 1950, so for 10 years (me) and 7 yrs.(my brother) we were both in the same bedroom as Mum and Dad, My two older sisiters in the front room. Mrs. Ellis lived up stairs, wore a black boot built up, she would never go in the air raid shelter, in the back garden, I remember my Dad carrying me there every night. I live in Perth , West Oz , fifty years, now. Just out of curiosity, I thought of schools I used to go to, and lo and behold, have found my third cousin, also in OZ.

I used to buy a penny ice lolly on a stick to go to Saturday morn pictures. In Parkhouse there was the sunpat peanut factory, and word got around when mesh bags broke when the crane lifted them. Kids everywhere. My Dad used to go to the barber in Wells Way, a jewish gentleman, I was in awe of the stuffed fish in glass cases, that were in there. I have a photo taken in 1946, of the kids in Gloucester Grove , our side of the street were terraces, but opposite detached houses. The photo was of either Nicholas or Christophers birthday party in late Nov. Mrs Bird was their mother, and we always had wonderful Guy Fawkes bonfires , we got this papier mache head and we dressed the guy every year and pushed him around the streets, yelling penny for the guy. Further down the streey towards The Grove Tavern, ou doctors lived,, Dr. Johnand Frank Devlin, but their practice was somewhere else, we used to walk there along side St. Georges Chuurch, a sort of passover, gave me the creeps it was so scary. The Surrey canal, I used to walk pass a lot, always had green muck on it , the horses would pull the whitning barges, a friend in the street drowned in the canal.A lot of my relatives lived in Newchurch Road, Camberwell. One thing I do remember from Gloucester Grove School, was seeing the the funeral coaches, being pulled by black horses with high plumes. See if I can get a pal to put photo on line, We lived in No 9, gloucester Grove, next door to Sylvia and Queenie Derriman, the other side was a Mr and Mrs Schultz, and a Mr and Mrs Moon, June Simpson, nee Sampford, now in Perth OZ