FRANCIS FRITH

Having spent the majority of my life living on and around Mottingham Estate, I have a great interest in this area.
Along with my Grandson we walk his dog on the remains of the cement road most days, which I think was called Wayside Gardens which is still there but grass is gradually covering this surface up.
My Grandson ask why a cement road was laid here and I explained that Prefabs were erected just after WWII as temporary accommodation for families who were bombed out or just needed a home.
I have been trying for sometime to locate pictures of the prefabs to show my Grandson what it looked like but without success.
It would be lovely if photos of the Prefabs are available so they could be posted on this web site for all to enjoy a little of Mottinham Estate past history.
Thank you
Peter

Hi Peter,
It was lovely to hear your story. I remember when the prefabs became derelict and we children played amongst the rubble and crumbling buildings - I have learned since that they were made of asbestos! Lets hope they were not a danger to health. Unfortunately I have not got any photos which is sad but if I discover some I will post. I remember playing out until dusk around Smarden Grove and around 'the block' (Prestbury) before going in for tea and then going out again afterwards during the summer holidays. Playing 'knock down ginger', go-carting (carts all home made) lots of ball games much to the annoyance of neighbours. Ball up the wall another game where you had a tennis or similar ball inside a stocking which was swung from side to side against a wall. Skating at great speed down the 'big hill' which is the steep path that runs from Prestbury through to Mottingham shops - who cared about Health & Safety? Various girlie clapping games which i have now taught my granddaughter - Eltham Swimming baths and Downham - stories from my mother about dancing up Burton's Eltham High Street. Mrs Hubble who ran a shop from her front window selling sweets and cigarettes (Guards and Wates?). Friends having the Corona lorry deliver their lemonade and saving all the bottles up to get some money so you could walk to Mottingham fish and chip shop to buy 2d worth of the leftover fried batter (scratchings?) which we had the cheek to cover in vinegar and salt!
Only drawback of this site is afterwards I feel I should nip to the hairdressers for a blue rinse!
Thanks you
Jane

Hello,
My name is Marina Shaftoe, nee Drewell. I do live in Mottingham ,but moved away for a few years, but came back and still live here. My mum, dad and I moved here in 1961 to the Wayside Grove prefabs from Rotherhithe. I lived in the prefab that overlooked Elmstead Lane, I lived there from 2-7 years old then moved to Castlecombe Road, my mother still lives there, who will be 80 in a couple of weeks and I know that she has photos of our life in the prefabs. I was often taken up the cows track ( the walk to Chislehurst from Elmstead Lane) to pick blackberries and feed the horses in the fields that they then built the art college on and now houses.

I do remember the Tibbals family living at the top of the hill on the right from where we were. I have fond memories of living there as I played with other children on the path down the middle of the prefabs and we made camps in the woods at each end. I also remember a huge bon fire being made each bon fire night, either at the bottom or top woods. one year there were lot of mods and rockers turned up to join in. One of the families would have fireworks, jacket potatoes and fireworks.
My cousins lived in Framlingham Crescent, I remember that one of them was in a band and practiced in the Community halls where the co-op now stands. When I am walking around the shops now, I often think about the past shops that were there. Anyway....... I could go on and on but I shall see if my mum can retrieve the photos and get them on here.
Marina

I too lived in the Mottingham prefabs. Mine was the very first one by the 126 bus stop, opposite The Chinbrook Pub. I lived there from birth in 1948 until we moved to Ravensbourne in 1960. I went to Marvels Lane primary school. I remember playing in the street with lots of other children. Doing acrobats on the bus shelter was another popular activity and leapfrogging over the posts outside the pub. Many happy hours were spent in Chinbrook park playground. I seem to remember there being a large paddling pool there. I can remember a few names of other children who lived in the prefabs i.e Valerie Taplin (I always wanted hair like hers and I always thought she was so pretty. There was Marion Green who lived in the prefab behind us, Brenda Poole, Sandra Shepherd, Pamela Yearley, she was my best friend at the time. Does anyone remember the street parties for the coronation? They were such happy times and personally I think we were so much luckier than the children of today. I remember my mum taking me to Lewisham every Year to see Father Christmas in either Chiesmans or Tower House Co-op.

Hey Guys, we moved to the new Chinbrook estate in 1965 from Rotherhithe (Albion Street) and often wondered what the old prefabs were like. Bizarrely, we moved from a pre-fab to a lovely new house (my mum was on the council waiting list for 15 years). I went to ravensworth primary and edgebury secondary. I also remember the bonfire in elmstead lane and can recall most of the names from the area. Not sure if this is a relative of yours Jane, but I knew a Frankie Tibbals from Downham who was a mate of Freddie Tong. I do remember the names of some of the girls you might know, Janice Kilburn, Christine Deamer, Janice Bavin, Kim Creasey, Gabrielle Postlethwaite. I live in Melbourne Australia now but remember the mottingham , chinbrook estate area well. growing up there was certainly character building and the life skills I learned roaming around the estates has held me in good stead all my life. I am 60 next June and I am planning a trip back and will most certainly be revisiting mottingham.

Hi, I was born and raised in Mottingham and have enjoyed reading all your comments. I remember the Creasey family but not any of the other names mentioned above. I seem to be a little bit younger than this group but some of you may remember my late brothers Michael and Gary Leader from Dittisham Road? I still visit Mottingham occasionally which sad to say has changed over the years. I have very happy memories from my early days in Mottingham though and Jane Tibbals your recollections from that time made me smile - I remember very well buying 2d leftover fried batter from the chip shop which we called crackling :-) I also loved spending my pocket money at The Cabin in Kimmeridge Parade shops.

Hello.my name Alfred [Alfie]Garaway,and was born in one of the prefabs at Wayside Gardens,in 1949.It is great to read all your comments about the area.I went to Ravensworth School,my best friends were Peter Holdway,Brian Doll, Robert Stevens,who always wanted to sit next to Valerie Powell at school!.The head master was Mr.Kellog!I often played up the cows track and in the woods.We moved to Basildon in 1960, I have never been back to SE9,but often think back to those early days of my youth.I will go back soon,just to walk around the area again.My early childhood neighbours were,the Shoesmiths whose father worked on the buses,and further up Wayside Gardens was a man called Dan,whose garden always needed cutting.I hope this will bring back some memories.

Hello there everyone
I hope that you are all well
I was just reading all your lovely memories of life in and around the prefabs in Mottingham/Elmstaed Lane and, like you lovely people, the memories come back to me, rolling back the years to much happier times and always sunny days it seemed. I lived in Croft Close in Elmstead Lane, just across the road from the prefabs. I remember them so well. The all seemed to have lovely gardens and lovely folks living in them. (Or is that just rose tinted youth type glasses). This was the early/mid 60's I guess, I know the Beatles music was everywhere, tiny transistor radios that the girls and boys carried around or the Dansette on in a bedroom however, we moved into Croft Close in 1958 when I was 2 years of age, in fact they were still finishing the Close off when we moved in. I digress, sorry.
Mary Horn is a name that comes to mind, she was friend of my sister's, I used to play with her brother Peter. They lived in Mells Crescent. The shops in Kimmeridge Road are etched into my memory. Like Jean, above, nearly all my pocket money went into The Cabin, I loved it, a veritable Alladins cave of sweets, toys, Airfix kits, Civil War bubble gum cards, Beatle wigs, skin transfers, crumbs, I'm filling up. Anyway, Humphreys Grocery Store, Marlborough Bakers which is STILL baking! The lovely fish and chip shop. Walters Hardware Store, Deeko's, that very large greengrocers near Walters and many more that will come to me. The mighty King and Queen pub of course. Crumbs! It that the time!??! I must away. I will be back guys and dolls as I have a super memory from 1966 concerning Chinbrook Meadow. Bye now and take care.X

Hello...is anybody there any more?

Was it something I said?!!?

We were moved from wayside gardens to the chinbrook estate in 1966 along with the Deamers, Christine and Rick. Left there in 1988.

I think I still have some photos somewhere!

Houseland Road?

Drs Winton and Harris when you were ill.

And your dad flew model airplanes as a hobby and your mother was also called Marina?

My cousin used to take part in the annual junior horse jumping that took part in the field that became Croft Close. A big house lay at the back of it.

Hello,I lived in Charminster Road with my grandparents. My family were from the Mottingham estate. My Uncle, Pete Creasey also lived in Charminster Rd then moved around the corner. I have lived in Australia for over 40 years. I went to school at Marvels Lane and Edgebury Sec for Boys. Reading these memories were great. My parents lived in Elmstead Lane then moved to Slade’s Drive in Chislehurst. I saw my cousin Kim Creasey’s name mentioned in an earlier post.