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Smokey Joe

A Memory of Sidcup.

Smokey Joe! I lived off Sidcup Hill - on a quiet Sunday afternoon, you could hear him rolling
down the hill with no tyres on his bike as noisy as , the police locked him up and gave a good wash in the winter I was told.

Added 15 December 2012

#239330

Comments & Feedback

I think Burfords bakers was where my Nan used to send me to buy penny loves on a Saturday morning, happy days. They were little miniature brown loaves of bread about three inches long , we used to take them home ,cut them in half and smother them with butter, I think they were made by Hovis. Wonderful.

By brian.nutt on Sat May 9th 2015, at 7:27 am

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Yes I remember smokey Joe, I used to work for G. Shepard & Sons Rectory lane Sidcup, VW Porsche & BMC main dealers, in those days when we did work on a vehicle we'd take it out for a test drive on completion of work, used to regularly bump into smokey down rectory lane we used to stop have a fag & a chat with him, in the winter time he'd smash a few shop windows & they used to lock him up until spring, on one occasion his bike was left in the police compound & a good few ton of coal was dropped on it he made the police dig it out when he was released, loved his bike both pedals hang down no tyres & a smoking pot on the handle bars.

By only_fools on Thu Oct 29th 2015, at 1:22 am

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My father used to talk to Smokey Joe & there was a rumour he came from a wealthy family but I think it was only a rumour. I heard about him smashing windows to get locked up! There was a photo of him in a library booklet that Bexley libraries used to sell

By samourx1 on Mon Feb 1st 2016, at 6:04 am

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I loved our Sidcup Smokey Joe who would sit at the end of Hamilton Road, withHis bike, can and wearing a waistcoat under His coat.
I used to give Him some of my Jam sandwiches. My mother was a photographer and took a great picture of Him which I will find and post later.

Also does anyone remember Mr Gilbert and His wife, they had a sweet shop next to Sidcup police station.
I was locked up there by a policeman at the age of 5 for not waiting for my sister after school and playing on a swing in the park. He said “you must wait for your sister”, I said “you’re not my dad and you can’t tell me what to do”.
Ahhh halcyon days 😂

By Limara Heathfrith on Sat Aug 9th 2025, at 3:34 pm

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