Smokey Joe

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.

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.

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

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 😂