Silver Jubilee 1977

A Memory of Sidcup.

We moved to the Grove in North Cray from Edgebury Chislehurst in 1965.
I went to the Boys side of Alma Rd School in 966 and later to Bexley Lane School.
I have mixed emotions of attending Bexley Lane school, (now Cleave Park School) most were ones of dislike, I was bullied terribly and nothing was done about it. In fact the Civics and Business studies teacher clearly condoned it, letting other lads lay me onto the bookcase trolley and push me down the corridors using my head to open the swing doors.
But that aside the school was in a beautiful setting, located on the edge of the North Cray meadows. If I could avoid the usual gang waiting for me after school, and make my get away without getting caught, the walk through the meadows across the River Cray over either the five arch bridge or the penny farthing bridge was great. Another plus was the school gardens, set within the original walled garden of North Cray Place. I really enjoyed the gardening lessons.
My mother, Aunt and Uncle set up the Premier Lodge children's nursery in Station Road Sidcup, opposite Sidcup House where I used to get my road tax. . My uncle an Osteopath and Chiropodist had a clinic on the upper floor of one of the nursery houses. Back then Premier Lodge had 3 houses in a row, I see today it only consist of two. I have some photographs of all the children and staff celebrating the silver jubilee in 1977.