The Dumps And Royal Hill

A Memory of Greenwich.

I just read the coment by Jackie Payne, I would love to see the photo of her mum outside her shop. I often went in this shop when little with my mum and she talks of all the things I used to do, even playing on the dump, which I always believed belonged to me as it was next to my house. I used to live in Gloucester Circus, for all I know we may have played together. I must have lived on that dump. We had it all, the park, Blackheath, our dump, walking through the foot tunnel to play on the swings in the small park there, or going down the steps near Greenwich pier onto the pebbles among the barges. Wonder if Jackie remembers Mullins? I used to run across the dump, knowing where every brick was to jump over, to get to Mullins back gate (where he stored all the milk) to knock on the open door to buy Mum's milk (don't think you could leave a door open now). Or to the shops near where she lived in Royal Hill; a wet fish shop, greengrocer and the little sweet shop who wouldn't sell hair shampoo on a Sunday. Jackie's mum's shop was rather small, long and narrow, but stacked out with everything. All my aunts and uncles lived nearby, with my grandparents a couple of streets away. I have since learned my ancesters owned the boat yard where Greenwich rowing club is and the one at Wood Wharf near Creek Road, now alas all high rise posh flats. So when I look back I can't help but think that Greenwich history and sense of community has been destroyed.

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