Memories of Blackheath 1944-1958 | The Blackheath Bugle

The following are amazing memories of Blackheath at the end of World War II. Please click on the post to read the full text.

It was written by Bob Land, who now lives in the Netherlands, but found this website and (luckily, all of us) are willing to share his memories. I think this is great, and I urge everyone to read it, especially to visualize the antics of the milk cart. In contrast, picking up half a pint of semi-skimmed beer at Shepherd Foods seems incredible. Now, if we can only restore the bakery and toy store...

I was born in 1939, so my memories of the war years are very limited.

One night, I looked out from the front window of the bedroom,

Passing overhead on the way to London, its typical splash sound and flames are emitted from the rear exhaust.

One day, around noon, we were at school (

), and there was a huge explosion. All the windows behind the school fell out of the window frames. I think this was caused by a bomb explosion. The bomb directly hit Blackheath Grove (Blackheath Grove) Although doubtful, this is the reason.

In another case, when the war is about to end,

, And took away my grandmother’s broom, I helped the fire brigade sweep away the glass lying on the sidewalk from all the broken shop windows. I still remember the smell of charcoal, iodine and broken plasterboard.

During this period, we spent many, many nights in the air-raid shelter in the garden.

Then continue

with

Immediately after the war, in the summer of 1945, I was still at All Saint's. We used to have "classes" in the morning, and in the afternoon we were put on bunk beds to rest, presumably to catch up with all our sleep. Lost in the blitz

There are a few steps next to the school at the bottom of the school

To Heath, next to

, We sometimes take these steps and play on the grass during class.

I remember there were some toys, scooters and the like, and older students used to push our kids inside.

In those days, after the war, winter always seemed harsh.

Walking through the wasteland on the narrow road from Serenity Valley to Blackheath Valley, sometimes snowdrifts used to be knee-high.

We used to sledding in Greenwich Park, from

All the way downhill to

, And then dragged the sled to the road and started again.

At the end of the afternoon, after a long trek back home, across the Heath River, the sun set, a huge red ball appeared on the horizon, and the temperature dropped further. At that time, the shoes and clothes were wet and tired, but he was eager to drink tea. The toboggan gave the young guy a healthy appetite.

When the hare and billet ponds were frozen, we used to make "slides". Once we reached the edge of the pond, jumped onto the ice, and placed our feet side by side in front of each other, we would rush down the embankment as quickly as possible. Then "slide across" the pond, trying to reach the other side.

Christmas was also very happy at that time. The window of the Lagerty Anne toy store in Osborne Square was like a magnet.

In the past at Paragon Place and

, On the other side of Pond Road is the marshland. For the adventurous little boy, this is a delightful place, from playing cowboys and Indians in the woods to spotting birds and nature in the swamps and catching new ones.

With the arrival of spring, the atmosphere full of anticipation began, the Easter Fair was rushing to Blackheath, and the last batch of trailers and caravans arrived, and then became a hive of activities. All the juggling and major attractions seemed to be erected. At an amazing speed. Finally, it opened, the music roared, the lights shone, and the crowd wandered around.

A pleasant time spent in Blackheath throughout the year.

Thinking about it now, this seems to be a period of never-ending sunshine. After the attendants in the park used their tractor mowers to mow the entire Heath, the pleasant smell of fresh mowing came out.

In the hot summer, sitting on the grass, watching the countless skylarks hovering and twittering, and then diving underground, this is a wonderful scene.

One day of the week, in the morning, we ran to Mrs. Coultate’s Newsagents store in Tranquil Vale (located in

)buy

Comics, and then sit on the steps outside a friend's house on Collins Street and read them. We often play Monopoly on the same step in the warm summer air.

On Sunday, Princess of Wales Pond is the favorite, and the high-powered model speedboat races there.

In the first few days after the war, on a very warm and sunny afternoon, the village seemed to be in a "siesta" mode, with almost no cars around and even fewer people on the street. In fact, it is so quiet that you stand in the front yard of the royal public house, or across the road,

, And then looking towards the All Saint's Parish Hall, you can not only see the house Martin flying around in the nest under the eaves, but also hear their sounds.

On days when the weather is not too hot, during the school summer vacation, we used to play football on the wasteland with two jackets on the goalposts... Cricket, bats, balls and three stumps!

When it was dark, all of us sat on the wooden seats on top of Tranquil Vale, our jaws swaying until it was time to get home from get off work.

It seems that there is often mist or fog in early autumn. On some days, the visibility is only a few yards and it is so quiet that you can often hear the fog corners of the tugboat on the Thames!

November is the notorious period when the pea soup is foggy. Sometimes the visibility is only a few yards. Many times, the bus has to be guided from the village through the wasteland to the Royal Standard, and then someone walks slowly in front of the bus. Sometimes they From a bus to the middle of the wilderness, they dragged two or three.

There used to be a big orchard,

I’m standing now, so this is my favorite place to go in late autumn. I’m "crambling to buy apples" and often driven out of the orchard by angry owners.

Late autumn is the time to collect chestnuts and more interesting "buckeyes" (wild chestnuts), soak them in vinegar overnight, drill a hole in them with meat skewers, then pass a strong rope through them, and fight ! In today's computer games and iPods, all this seems very primitive.

Also in November, amidst the excitement of Guy Fawkes Day, the bonfire was set on the wasteland before the Royal Parade and later moved to a wasteland next to Express Dairy on Wemyss Road.

There are many kids playing Guy Fox dummies outside on the street. Obviously, the best (and most profitable) place is outside the train station during the evening rush hour.

In the first few years after the war, the Army sometimes trains camps in the wilderness. Soldiers always ask us for our old cartoons. There is always the atmosphere of axle grease, oil and impregnated tents. I think those people are really like us, boys with very small hearts.

One of the distressing moments was an accident when there was an Express Dairy milk buoy in the yard of Wesmail Road. Obviously, the horse was raised in the yard, dragged the horse with a float, then jumped up, and then jumped to the low back wall at the back of the yard. It was a pure drop and fell on the place where Wesley Chapel was. On the bomb pile. The float didn't cross the wall, but the horse jumped up. It dangled in the horse ins rope and harness... We saw the veterinarian climb a long ladder, probably to put the horse to sleep. We did not stay to see this!

Regarding the Express Dairy Yard on Wemyss Road, when you walk past it, there will always be pungent smells of horse, milk and straw. The smell of freshly baked bread behind Jobbins the Bakers in Bennett Park is even more pleasant.

Another extraordinary sight is the horse-drawn Express Dairy milk floater, passing the very short steep hills between Collins Street and South Vale. Milkers used to take the horse to the middle of Collins Street, turn sharply to the right at the end of the curve, and drive along the short hill into the South Valley, and accompanied by the hiss of horses hoof scattered on the road, shouting encouragement and whip , And the sound of shaking bottles and crates on the buoy, all this repeated for a few yards, and then from the southern valley to the quiet valley, and then to the steep hill. Amazing sight and sound.

Most of us have had paper rounds, some of us worked for Mrs. Coultate, a couple worked for another tabloid newspaper in Montpellier Valley, but creme de la creme worked for WH Smiths at the train station Boy, "company bikes"-they are all painted red and have two pan bags! We had to use our own bikes and got a shoulder bag.

In the early 1950s, a coffee bar opened at the top of Tranquil Vale. That is next door to the corner bookstore. It has a jukebox and a fixed customer base, and nothing happened there, but if you think you are "I won't go tonight", you will still do it because you are worried that you will miss something. But you never...

Below the coffee bar, there is a restaurant called "El-Sombrero" (we call it "The Hat"). They serve delicious omelets.

I left Blackheath in 1958. I have been back several times since then. Standing in the village, looking around, and then thinking back to the early years, it makes me feel very satisfied. Spend a happy and carefree childhood in such a pleasant place.

If you like it, I can suggest reading again "

"(Neil Lind).

Volume 1 has been printed, available from Bookshop on Heath or from

.

Volume 2 is out of print, but it is still available for second-hand.

Photo based on

File down

,

Mark as

superior.

I have two aunts who live in Blackheath. The surname is Edwards. Annie, Ann or Annie is an aunt. I don't know if the other person is Elizabeth. The two parties have never married and live together. I think they lived at least between 1900 and 1980. My family wants to know more about them because we never had the opportunity to meet them before they died. As far as I know, they own some kind of baking/food company. If anyone can remember them, please let me know. thank you very much

What a wonderful memory. I deeply remember many shops that Bob wrote about, such as Raggedy Ann, Coultates and Jobbins. He misses Reeves and Jones, even though they are the best old-school gadgets, where you can buy a yard of elastic for French skipping rope or any number of ribbons/buttons/fabrics. Another gem is Florians, an Italian delicatessen that now exists in this form in the Genaro store in Lewis Grove-these The only place that attracts me to shop in Lewisham!

I must try Genaro. Lewisham has many hidden gems, like the TFC I mentioned the other day!

Dear Lucy, you mentioned that the Florians deli in the country is Italian. It is run by my father and is the first Polish deli in the area. He first opened his business in a small place in Cresswell Park in the late 1960s and then moved to the Nat West Bank on the corner of Cresswell Park and Blackheath Village. He retired in the mid-1980s. This shop is now an Italian restaurant.

My stepfather Henryk is Polish and he used to go to Florians.

Hello, David-yes, min fish in the pond! Catch them in a one-ounce tin... In the store by the pond, I once stole the bites, but the turn of the back made me feel guilty, I put it back! American bubblegum candy-Bazooka Joe and the world flags playing cards. (Do I have a suitable pond there?)

My mother used to make paper animals and glove puppets that Raggedy Ann's kindly sold. (See Lucy's post.) My friend and I tried to hold a Punch and Judy show at All Saint's, but we didn't realize it until the beginning. So that we haven't prepared the script... It's too embarrassing, and the audience left muttering "garbage".

On the hill just around the corner is a hall where I did ballet for a short time. I am a "sheep", not an agile "goat"-it is too early to invent child psychology and positiveness!

I was a little monster at school. Once Mr. Rod blasphemed me in front of the school for one of my crimes, saying: "There are women, there are ladies...you will not be a lady!" Unfortunately, , This sentence makes me feel very stupid, like coming from a vibrant socialist family, the last woman I want to be is a lady. My heroes are Pippi Longstocking and Just William! I was locked in school as punishment on the day of the exercise, but I hate exercise, so it’s okay! Except when my mother found out.

I am sure that my lifelong love of music comes from the hymns we have to sing in school... "Become a Pilgrim" etc.

Good memories

"In the shop by the pond"

I don't remember, where is it?

Greetings

Bob Land

This describes my childhood in Blackheath. My mother (Sheila Fauci) and Liz Anne Bowden ran the Blackheath Film Club in the hall.

Hello Bob.

I don't know much about computers, so I hope you can be satisfied?

My name is Jennifer Fowler Ni Bonn.

I was also born in 1939 and live in Kidbrook.

During the war years, we were evacuated for some time. My sisters Ann and Elizabeth may still remember many stories.

I remember having a lot of interesting times in Blackheath when I was a kid.

The toy shop, the bakery and we used to go to Miss Barton’s ballet school, and then we were across from the bakery.

Remember, the small sailboat in the pond is very good, and you can also go to the for in the "swamp"! I love Blackheath Village.

Then I went to Kidbrook Girls' Comprehensive School, and we went to St. James's Church. My sister got married in the Catholic Church in Blackheath. In 1961, I left the UK to come to the United States and now live in Washington State.

Thank you for bringing back such beautiful memories.

Jennifer Fowler (Jennifer Fowler).

Hi Jennifer, you won't know me, but I was born in 1942, when I was about 5 years old and went to all Saints schools. I live in a holly hedge bungalow. The thing I remember in the village was a dessert shop owned by one person. I imagined it very profound. He is full of clocks and watches. We used to buy sweets there when our parents could afford it. I have been living in Australia since 1957. Pearl fitzsimmons nee hall ottaway

Hello Jennifer. I am glad you like it, and I am glad to hear from our generation.

While looking for Raggedey Ann's toy store, I found this blog. It brings back memories of Blackheath’s childhood from 1949 (my birthday) to the end of 1957 when my family immigrated to Canada.

The toy store is where my brother David and I stop regularly on the way home from school. I remember that ballet school belongs to Miss Stowe from the village. We also glide/glide on the pond and watch the sailboats in warm weather. It was unforgettable when the circus came and pitched a tent on the wasteland. Our father opened the Greenwich Chest in Maize Hill, so we often went to the observatory and boated in Greewich Park.

Hi Lucy,

I also miss several other people, such as vegetable grocers Fenners, Ebenezer Smith, contractors, Butcher Curnows, photography shops, Webb's Bicyle store, Hinds department store, etc. I saw some other people in my mind, but I don't remember their names.

Where are Florians, Reeves and Jones?

Greetings

Ebenezer Smith is indeed a very appropriate name for the contractor! By the way, I think so far, nearly 600 people have read your post :)

Ian Webb's father is the owner of Webb's bicycle shop. He is a school friend. We both went to John Ball Elementary School. I was living in Hollyhedge House at the time, and I recalled how the prefabs looked before they were finally demolished. Your site must have awakened many happy childhood memories of living in the wasteland.

I just visited this website and I am glad to find my name and mention of my father's shop.

I’m Ian Webb, and my father is Webb’s bicycle shop, which was founded just after the war. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago, but it was not until this afternoon that I talked to my mother (91 years old) about when Dad opened the shop. It was damaged by a bomb and he had to repair it. I believe it was the Earl of Dartmouth who owned many Blackheath properties and let it before his father bought it.

I was born in 1949. I was enrolled in John Ball school. I went to the store to buy a ticket to go home. Most days I went straight to the road (hopefully out of sight), and then I spent it at Sears. Ice cream cornet? .

I worked for a Saturday at Rovibonds when I was 14 years old (when I was licensed at Royal Parade).

I have many fond memories of Blackheath.

Hi Ian,

Glad to learn that you are still in the world!

Do you remember that you took me on a bike? You said we are going fishing in Shoreham! .. You have a lightweight alloy race car, I have an old military surplus assault vehicle, weighing a ton, folded in half!

About 20 miles, we finally reached a village called Shoreham, not Shoreham by the sea... just a Masley River, no fishing!

Hi Adrian

My memory is not the original one! I do remember cycling to Shorham (think of fishing in the private area behind the wall). Do you live in an army barracks?

Yes, the military barracks (TA LAA) you are considering are located on the same fence as Hollyhedge House.

I think your bicycle (1960?) was Dawes? …It was very light and expensive at the time… I seem to remember that you were very small, wearing round blue wire glasses… In school, for some unknown reason, I chose to perform two impromptu performances with abdominal pain and Dummy show...you are a dummy!

I know it has been for many years, but I remember Webbers. To be precise, Douglas is a friend of my father's, and we go there every weekend to buy bicycles and car supplies. Since he closed the store, I still have a set of wooden drawers. He is related to the Coppings family I also know. Douglas (Douglas) stored my birthday bike in his shop when I was 9 years old, and I was sent to look for things only to find that looking for a new car was a trick for me, I will never forget his smiling face and His engineer jacket. To this day, I am still repairing cars and bicycles. This is a very important day for me!

Dimitri

I must be at John Ball School at the same time as you

My teachers are Mrs. Bowes Smith and Mrs. Curry. Mr. Bill

We have had some classes in the past.

Roland

I remember I worked for John Ball before 1975. At that time, I remember it was MRs Beer and an Indian teacher. My name seemed to be Chipatti, but I was worried. This may be the reason why I am not welcome :) All of them.

Hi Bob, sorry, I only saw your comment-the shop is on the opposite corner of the bar. So on the left side of the same block. Unless I turn it off. I am afraid the memories will become chaotic, sometimes even dreams! I don't think I am crazy, but a madman will never be crazy again! HA AH BW Helen

Hi, Helen.

Thanks for your reply, but which bar?

Hi, Bob, I read your memories of living in Holhhedge bungalow for several years. Around 1949, I was about seven years old. I always remember that I used to buy sweets in a shop in a village where there was only one person. He seemed a little humble in my little head. He has various clocks in the shop. I would go and put a bag of penny candy, and there always seemed to be such a big bag. I also went to all the Saints' schools, and then went through Greenwich Park. I remember when the pond was freezing, we used to skate on it in school shoes. I still remember a green fair. I hope someone can remember this dessert shop. Sound familiar when I read Jobbins? Thanks for the memories. About Pearl

Hi Pearl, I remember there are several dessert shops in the village, but none. Jobbins is a bakery, opposite the train station.

Hi bob

Florians are located at the top of the village across the road from Fenners, but they may have been added later, perhaps in the early 70s. Reeves and Jones are in the big store next door to Butcher Curnow in Tranquility Valley.

Do you remember the little black pipe shop in the middle of the village? I remember buying a pipe cleaner there to be a dwarf!

Lucy

Where is the pipe shop? We need more pipe shops and fewer real estate agents!

The small shop next to the flower shop is a pipe shop, and there is a small stairwell in front of the door. I remember Coulate is very good. He is a newsboy at the station’s newsstand.

That's right, Florians were much later than in 1958, apparently Reeves and Jones opened in 1959!

Can you be more clear at the pipe repair shop, I don’t remember, but maybe I can check it somewhere.

I have a correction. Ebenezer Smith is not an undertaker, but a decorator, but his shop does look like an undertaker.

I remember one of the men who worked at Florian's had a digital tattoo on his arm.

There is also Madeleine Moore's shop near the wasteland. She sells milk and popsicles.

Mrs. Coulter's son, Frankie, opened his newsstand on the road.

Mrs. Kurt has two sons-Frank and another. Does anyone remember his name?

I did the thesis there for about two years,

The only people I saw in the store were the Kurts and sometimes their young son

Frankie

After a quick check on the free BMD on the Internet, the Kurts had three children. Frank was born in 1930, Eric was born in 1931 (never know or met him), Ken Kenneth was born in 1945 (he is often in the store, after school with his mother).

Frank Sr. (Frank Sr.) died in 1960, and Mrs. Coultate died in 1990

I remember Frank. I like to go to John Ball school on Baizdon Road. Frank Coultate used to call me Kim Novak, I called him Frank Sinatra! I have lived here since I was born in 1956 until I was 10 years old.

Hi Julie,

Madeleine Moore (Madeleine Moore) started as a flower shop.

That's right, Frank Coultate, he has his own newsstand across the road. I think his previous store was a "business license."

pingback:

Good job, Bob. We have some super time in and around the village, don't we? Does anyone remember the name of the coffee shop at the top of Tranquility Valley?

Bob has since discovered that the coffee shop is called The Rendezvous. Does anyone else remember rum? They are great.

I remember that the gathering went smoothly. It served as the boundary of the Christian College between 1954 and 1959. If you performed well during school, you can travel between 2.00 and 4.00. So some are made for cafes, pocket money is only 2/- per week, we can only afford to buy a cup of tea and wait for someone to put 6d into the jukebox to listen to Guy Mitchell (Guy Mitchell) The voice because of the opportunity to meet the locals in our minds! happy time.

I was also a boarder from 1955-60. I think there are not many people left in that era. Undoubtedly, they are different days-they will definitely be happy. Do you have that old dear Mr. Carbasse who uses his unique control method? I remember except for the table tennis room

In your article, you mentioned that the explosion at the All Saints School in Black Seaville blew up the windows.

I was born in 1938 and was in school when it happened. Some of us were bathed in glass particles (my hair was covered with some kind of glass powder. The explosion actually landed on V2 of Wemyss Road, destroying several houses and 3/4 of Wesleyan Church.

I live on Wemyss Road on No. 21. We suffered damage to the roof and walls, and the windows were blown open. My father and mother are at home, and I remember my mother came to school to see if I can take me to my aunt who used to live next to the Golden Sands.

I am not sure about this. At first I thought V2 demolished Wesleyan Church and a few houses, but it was indeed too far away from All Saints Church, and the level of this school was lower than that of San Francisco Church. Heath, I don’t think the shock wave from the explosive V2 will fall into Blackheath Vale.

Neil Rhind wrote in his book "Blackheath Village and Environs" that I have another theory:

On July 21, 1944, Talbot House No. 1 and No. 2 were bombed to Smithereens. No. 3 and No. 4 were so badly damaged that they had to be demolished.

The Talbot houses are located on Duke Humphrey Road. These houses are on the right side of the entrance to Blackheath Vale.

This seems to be the more likely and feasible reason why the school windows were blown up.

or not?

Hi, Bob. In the memory of my youth, I seem to remember that V1 hit the houses on the left side of Blackheath Valley, flattening them and severely damaged the Talbot House. After cleaning up, we got used to playing games in the Doodlebug engine part left on the scene. The V1 flying bomb ceased in September 1944. The V2 attack began in September 1944. I wish I could remember the establishment date of Wemyss Road V2, but it must be that day when I was covered by glass and my mother picked me up. I remember she was covered in smoke

The date when V2 hit Wismail Road was March 8, 1945. I was born in Wyatt House No. 6 in 1965. Since then, I have been living in Blackheath.

Hello, July 5, 1944 (Wednesday), about 40 yards from the V 1 beep bug that almost blew up the crater is St Germans Place 7. When it was hit, my father was staying with Donovans. His diary also pointed out on Thursday, July 20 that from 11 pm to 6 am, there was V1 almost every 10 minutes. I want to know whether the official records support his observation.

I remember it fresh, thinking it was the wreckage of a car, but you might be right. Also near the engine, there were a few steps leading to a small wine cellar in one of the bombed houses. One day, we found that the wine cellar was full of bandages, medicine boxes, etc., so we rode to Lee Green and reported it to the police station. If any measures are taken, I will not remember.

Peter

Niel Rhind pointed out in his book that V2

Attacked the church and surrounding areas on the 8th. March 1945.

Regarding the "bomb pile" of Blackheath Vale, I also remember, do you remember seeing a "cave" in the sand, about half of the pure wall on the side of the Vale Heath, we used to venture there, but because of the fear of the cave The roof may collapse, so I dare not walk one or more yards inside.

I do remember the sand cave. It is actually on the ground. It went in about 20 feet (because I was still very young, so I left!), and then walked a few feet again. I seem to remember you moving on and walking out of the entrance, but now my memory is hazy. I do remember Miss Collins (the principal of All Saints' Church) telling us this is a dangerous place.

Another memory is in the school service of All Saints Church. I think I am about 8 years old. Father Green is telling the story about God creating the world and Adam and Eve. I remember I raised my hand and asked who made God. Someone told me not to be stupid, sit down! Later, Father Green suggested that I join the choir and learn about God by singing. I used to be a lawyer, and I have been a lawyer for several years.

I am now very sure that V1 in July 1944 caused the window of All Saint's School

damage.

V2 in March 1945, in the Wemyss Road area, very close to the school

To cause any damage, I have seen aerial photos of the damage caused by V2, all damage is included in Wemyss Road, Blackheath Grove, Montpelier Vale and some Tranquil Vale areas.

Maybe these are people who live in Blackheath

Who can provide more enlightenment on this issue.

A bomb (not sure if it was V2?) landed on the opposite side of my father's house (near Beckenham) and almost killed him. At that time, he planned to hide under the kitchen table with his mother, but went to look out the window at the wrong time.

The explosion left him covered in glass and stayed in the hospital for several months. Even today, there is still a glass on his forehead.

After the incident, he went to live with his family in Brixham in Devon.

Well, Bob, I'm waiting to see your website. It's great to read your comments and what others have said about Blackheath. I used to deliver papers for Coultates. I remember a bag that was so heavy on Friday that I could hardly carry it. I used to go to Rendezvous Cafe in the late 50s and early 60s. I am a Ministry of Defense and have all my Lambretta scooters installed. I don't think anyone mentioned Sainsbury in the village. I will always remember my mother going there to pick up her cheese and other items. Then we go to the butcher, and then to the next door to the green grocery store, and don't remember the name. There is also a non-business license opposite the church. I remember the dairy farm again, because as a young man, I would go there very early to meet the dairyman and help him deliver milk. I remember that horse eating hedgerows at the Saint German's place where I lived in a prefab house. I went to Blackheath and Kidbrook School. We have a private boys’ school on my street called Christ’s College, and we will play in the bombed-out house on St. Deutsches Square. These same houses are now worth millions of pounds. After leaving school, I worked as an apprentice draftsman on Dog Island. I used to bike through Greenwich Park, through Heath, and then through the pedestrian tunnel to Millwall. I did go back a few years ago, the first time since 1959. It has completely changed. My mother used to clean the house of the managing director of Simans who lives in St. Deutsches Square. I remember sometimes his driver would take me to school in the homeless.

I live in Hollyhedge bungalow 22. The driver's name is Burt Eade, and they live in a prefabricated house next to us. His sons Fraser and Philip are my best companions. The three of us, me, Patrick Frawley / Fraser Eade and Philip White. I remember winning the egg and spoon contest at the regional barracks at the Queen’s Party in 1953.

I won a bag of marbles for this. Riding books and skating racing on Granville Mountain. Catch spinach at the hare and billet bar next to Greenwich Park and skate on the pond. Go to the sandpit at the bottom of the pagoda garden and swing on the rope hanging from the tree. Reflection is dangerous. Walk to Catford’s pet corner. We had a lot of freedom in those days. At the weekend, we would go out in the morning and not come back until late. Such a beautiful memory. In contrast, my three sons grew up very smoothly. These days, I spend half of my time doing business in China, and my second hometown makes me young.

Hi Norman.

Thank you for sending memoirs.

Your name does ring with me, you

Remember a guy named Kenneth Tucker,

Live in those prefabs.

I think the greengrocer you mentioned is Fennett?

I don't remember the butcher either.

I believe Sainsbury's is next door to the baker Jobbins on the corner of Bennett Park???

Hi, Bob. I can't believe you mentioned Ken Tucker, who lives in the prefab house in front of me. My prefab was restored to a healthy state, and Kens was in St. Germans Place. Ken is one of my best friends, I haven't seen him in 35 years. I believe he is a fireman. We both went to Baiyang Technical College. My wife was at Wimbledon about 20 years ago. She heard this sound. She recognized it and looked down at Ken Tucker in a firefighter uniform. At the time, Wimbledon was hiring firefighters as commissioners. Tell me how do you know Ken Tucker.

Hi Norman,

Please send me an email from my private email address:

rgland (mark office) home page (dot) nl

Because other people on this list may not be interested in our memories of Blackheath.

I also work for Mrs. Coultate, and I know her two sons have opened shops. I still work at Fenners on Saturday. I walk the dog at lunch

Photo of Madeleine from the flower shop at the top of the village.

Callens is another shop, and Mr. Finners’ sister also has a tea shop not far away. I went to John Bauer Elementary School and worked as a seaman in Greenwich for a few years. My childhood memory is that I walked through the Greenwich Tunnel to the island in the Dog Park. We used to watch a free movie on TV at 1pm. The back of the truck sitting on the ground. I left to become an apprentice, and my parents moved out of London in 1967. I was born in a house without electricity on a forest hill in 1949, and I moved to Blackheath in 1954 and went to the lawn terrace

Hi Trevor

If you were born in 1949 and attended John Ball school, you might remember my step-brother Alan Kaszubowski

Hi Trevor, I also grew up in Blackheath (Blackheath.), sang at St. Margarets Church (St. Margarets Church), and lived with Charlie Plumb (Charlie Plumb) near the lawn terrace. Become good friends. Maybe you have relatives. -I live in the United States. In the past 50 years.

Hello there.

I forgot how to write and post comments on this website?

I wonder if it is still running? Hope this might appear on your website?

Anyway, I used to live in Kidbrooke, born in 1939, until I left the United States to live

In 1961. (California and now Washington).

I went to Sherington Rd School in Charlton, then Charlton Central, and finally Kidbrooke Comprehensive School.

I love Blackheath Village. My family and I have wonderful memories

The years we grew up there remembered what many critics said Roxy, Pub, Ortons grocery store. Then there is the lovely Blackheath! We used to walk through the grounds of Morden College to reach the wasteland and the village.

Pond, t searching for the market in the wasteland, there are many good memories, and there are more content worth talking about. I also took ballet lessons there, still remember

Bakery and Catholic church.

We have a friend who lives with his parents in The Paragon. If anyone might know him, his name is Colin Campbell?

I don't know where this is, or just lost in cyberspace, so it's over now.

Thanks for all the good memories.

Jennifer BUNN Fowler (Jennifer BUNN Fowler).

Between 1953 and 1956, I boarded with Mr. Gumbleton at 173 Gunner Mountain Road, Mrs. Gilbert at 3 Babe Road, and Mrs. Jocelyn at 11 Glenluth Road.

I was a frequent visitor at St. John’s Church and served as a short-term waiter. It was also at St. John's. I was a member of a group of more than 20 people. They met at the memorial after night service. At this or another meeting place on Vicarage Avenue, the underground train will interrupt the meeting.

I remember going to the "Roxy" and "Gaumont" cinemas.

I used to cycle to and from the dock on the North River on a relatively quiet road, and rode a truck through the tunnel. Even when driving at low speeds, it is a pain to ride uphill in Greenwich Park.

At the beginning of 1956, I crossed the river to Barking and spent the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I have not returned to Blackheath since then, and want to know all the good people I met during my good time here, including the one above, and Shirley at 139 Old Dover Road Shirley Flew, and Monica Williams at 12 Shooting Hill.

My great-great-grandparents lived in Shooters Hill and later Point Hill. Great-grandfather Cecil was a local copper mine. His "bullet" once housed all the bars, including a bar on the wasteland, and they rushed to the standard , And then returned to a bar. After a quick sniff in the park, my ears ash. Obviously my late great-grandmother was famous for being a tyrant, but I miss her. She once told me stories about the area and the navy.

Hi Bob, it’s nice to read your memories of Blackheath, although ypou left only one year after I was born on the Wemyss Highway in 1957, which is almost the same as my early memories there. I went to John Ball Elementary School and spent a lot of time sitting at the marshalling yard next to Blackheath station, watching the old steam engine on the shunting locomotive instead of listening to the class! My brother and I and a few friends also had a paper round with Mrs. Coultate. I also thought of my son Frank, who opened a shop opposite the shop. I also get along well with a family (now I forgot their name), this family runs a non-operating license next to his store, which used to cater for banquets. Some of us also work with milkman at Express Dairy on Wemyss Road. Later, I worked with Holmes Plate in Blackheath Grove, which is located at the far end, close to the railway line. It is mainly located down the street. Someone told me that it used to be a theater and ice rink, although I never found anything when I searched the Internet. Would love to know more about this building. Lloyd

Hello. I remember that you are a student at John Ball School. Don’t you have Brother Lane and Sister Sue? I still keep in touch with Su. We reconnected in Amsterdam where I lived for 30 years. I have a younger brother, Steve. It's great to read all the reviews here. I have such wonderful memories! Kem

Hello there

Does anyone know the history of 1 Lawn Terrace in Locale Restaurant now? Did you hear that it used to be a toothpaste factory?

Ollie

When checking in at Neil Rhind’s Blackheath Village & Environs, there was no mention of the toothpaste factory. It seemed that they were all domestic servants’ cabins.

Thank you Bob.

Don't know where I heard it from. It must be individual, because it is an independent building and it is very large. The house next door or even further away may be what you call a domestic servant’s cabin.

I will ask further.

Thank you

Maybe the taste of the food? I have only eaten there once, but the toothpaste is much better than the meal I ate...

ing! I used to work here (for two months in 2006) and the food was substandard, so they stole all our tips. I hope they leave the village.

Lloyd Rich said: "Holmes plating in Blackheath Grove...I was told that it used to be a theater and an ice rink"

Neil Rheind’s book says that there is a skating rink in Blackheath Grove, where the sorting office of the Royal Post is located, and (I think—I don’t have Neil’s book yet) built on the railway prior to. It has a history of 160 years.

He said in Neil's book: "It's an ice rink, narrow

Land between the grove and the railway line

It became a house electroplating project and a post office sorting center"

I must admit, I thought it was an ice rink, not an ice rink.

Thanks to all the information provided on the old Holmes electroplating website. I heard that this is a theater/skating rink, but I am not sure if it is an ice rink or an ice rink. I don't know if it is also in the old post office warehouse, although it makes sense because the ice rink needs to be a fairly large building. I will have to get a book by Neil Rhinds and would like to find out the date of this building and that of Sherlock Holmes. I was told that the Holmes building is actually part of the ice rink/theatre, and what I can remember from working there is that I can easily see the theater there.

Highly recommend his book. The main (light green) is usually sold in Heath's bookstore. The yellow one is out of print and the price is higher, but I once bought one from the Cancer Research store! More information

I think the horns and fans need to persuade Neal to republish the book.

I read the above article with great interest in finding Holmes Plating Ltd. This is because my father worked as a silver finish painter in Holmes in 1930/39, and I was a metal polisher there in the 50s. Reading the reviews triggered some distant memories, and maybe someone could even jog further. I think in all Saint’s schools that I went to a school that was supposed to be 1936/8. Is there a way to check this? Is the damage to V2 the death of a child? Like some readers, I also experienced the beginning of a lightning strike. I lived on the Glengall Terrace across from Old Kent Road. I only walked twice with the soggy and musty smell of Anderson, and the damp mattress in England! I was lucky to be evacuated to Ventry North for 4.5 years

I now live in California, just like the past 31 years

Former British David

Blackheath Grove was named Avenue before 1947. In 1940, the basement of the former gentlemen's club was converted into a bomb shelter in 1940. You can still see the wartime "3" and the cast iron staircase leading to the entrance. Therefore, this should have been an emergency shelter for Holmes employees, as it could easily accommodate 50 people and was well protected by the still standing high-blast wall. Can people outside remember this building before 1960?

An air-raid shelter for the plating workers in Holmes.

When the raid got worse, a concrete shelter was built, but the old joy

Jack Holmes really likes us to use it, because stopping work cost him money, so

He bought us all tin hats so that we can continue working in the raid

Dear David,

My senior lived in Glengall Terrace, but it was earlier than before the Blitz. I currently live in Australia, but before I sold my house and left southeast London, I visited Glengall Terrace in particular to see that the house survived the destruction of the terrace when V2 hit Waite Street. Do you remember which number in Glengall Terrace?

I remember one thing, when you came within a few yards,

In the vicinity of the works, there is always a harsh chemical smell in the air, and I often wonder what kind of people are working inside.

The smell you are referring to is nitric acid, which is used to clean brass and emits yellow smoke. Sometimes the train has to stop after leaving the station, they will smell very good. But it’s scary to get them into the eyes, and the only way to remove it is to fill your partner’s mouth with water and spit.

From 1972 to 1974, I worked at Holmes Plate and then worked again around 76/77. This is a smelly workplace, but you are used to it, and the situation is worse in summer because there are a lot of hot water tanks available for flushing work. But we also have a lot of protective clothing, gloves, masks and rubber aprons, clothes, which can be very uncomfortable in summer. But I really enjoy this job. The process of learning electroplating is very interesting. I work in a union most of the time, where I specialize in gold, silver and platinum electroplating. During my tenure, the staff and management were very friendly. When I was there, there was another man working in a famous murder case, and he did commit suicide in a work using cyanide.

Bob

What a wonderful memory!

I moved to Blackheath in 1950 and attended All Saint's School before going to Cartford Central School. (75 buses were taken outside Sainsburys for the entire journey). My father is the station master at Greenwich Station, and we live in the apartment above Blackheath Station. There is a small green door between the butcher shop (Tuckers?) and the flower shop. This passage leads to the front door of the apartment. Because of our name, our mail is often mistakenly delivered to the department store on the way.

I remember most stores mentioned by others. In addition, there is a philatelic shop, and I spent a lot of pocket money. There is a barber shop in the house maze behind the Royal Parade, where many engine drivers used to cut hair. I remember talking to them about the performance of various locomotives working off-site. In the Royal Parade, there was an electrician Schofield, and I played with Rene and Philip Schofield. They also went to all Saints' schools. Somewhere in the highest village, is there no British restaurant that can provide economical Chinese food?

After looking for the fallen copper coins, we often walked the wasteland with others. Another way to make money is to collect soda for the Victoria Wine Company store? Opposite Hinds store.

It reminds people of letting a light and light wooden boat row across the Prince of Wales Pond. I have a friendly Micheal Jones who lives in a "shed" next to a hare and billet pond. His father owns a pre-war Talbot 75 supercar. There were few people driving at that time, and cycling was a special enjoyment.

Kenneth Tucker’s name is ringing, and I remember Ronnie Charlesworth, Ann Blackman, Derek Pegram and Eric Pegram in "All Saints" Foss?

In 1953, my father was promoted and we moved to an apartment at Catford Bridge Station, so I slowly lost contact with Blackheath.

I have just started "bank surfing" and Blackheathbugle is a super discovery-thank you.

Other memories of trawl gray matter. There is a second-hand bookstore at the end of the Royal Parade Ground. When the Greenwich Council Timber Store on the edge of the Maze Mountain was burned down, a fire broke out for miles around. Before joining All Saints' Church, the teacher (Mr. Rhodes?) bought a delicate brown Harris Tweed suit. When he joined the school, he was embarrassed to find that it was the same warning as the ranger who took care of the wasteland. In addition, there is a large cylindrical cast iron fireplace in the room where the school’s top classroom is located, which sometimes glows red​​.

I believe this is enough!

My father, Keith Watson, was a disaster relief signalman along Gravesend and Cuxton, and a crossing goalkeeper in Charlton Lane. There was a period of time from the beginning to the middle of the decade. Arriving in the disaster of St Johns Wood and being arrested for assaulting a person who robbed his body but was never prosecuted, this troubled him for many years.

My late grandfather, Bob (Walter) Watson, was as famous as his father Cecil when he was around Blackheath, and I remember him walking in with him in the early 70s In many shops in the village, everyone seems to know him

Cecil and his wife own many properties at the top of Point Hill. As far as I know, the Luftwaffe did a lot of work to reduce the portfolio during the Second World War.

Ian

I still remember the night when the Lewisham train crashed on December 4, 1957. It was a terrible night, with dense fog, causing the driver of the British Battle-class locomotive "Spitfire" to send a red signal at St. John's Railway Station. That night, my father was on duty at the Ladywell station not far from the crash site. After the crash, many "pedestrian injured" passengers boarded the car.

There is no doubt that our fathers know each other from the nature of their profession.

I do hope this is not far from the Blackheath thread.

David, look at Google Street View. You can see the rural flower shop next door to the butcher's shop. There is an alley between them, although there is no green door, no flat signs, and no above the train station. Good hunting!

Thank you for your attention. On the street view, the door between the butcher shop and the flower shop is now black with a white notice on it. The plants in the flower shop hinder the whole thing. If you walked through the gate in the 50s, there will be an alley in the courtyard between the shops. Then, you enter the garden of the Station House and walk down a few steps on the right side until you reach the platform level, where there are waiting rooms, toilets, etc. Behind these facilities, there is a front door leading to the corridor of the station house. When entering the passage, there is a staircase that leads directly to the apartment above the station "up" platform facilities. This is a very spacious residence. Some rooms look out from above the platform, and you can look down at the passengers on the platform below.

Look at the street scene, there are obviously big trees in the garden now

The chimney of the apartment can be seen above and behind the flower shop. The satellite view also shows the trees and the vertices and ridges of the roof above the roof.

Does the email address you gave Norman in 2009 still exist? I may be able to browse some photos in some places to scan for you.

Hello david

Yes, I still have the same email address.

Express Dairy’s conversation brought me memories – in 1958, when I was a baby, we moved into a new house in The Keep. I think when I was about 2 years old, I was walking around with the milkman, Palmer, and he told me the story of using some kind of carriage to transport milk to the big house that Span was there before building The Keep.

Raggitty Anne is the current residence of Oddbins. When I was about 15 or 16 years old, I worked on Florian's sliced ​​sausage on Saturday, so it was about 1973/4. The Polish mother and aunt of Florian ran this place. There is a Scandinavian shop on the hill, which is now a bathroom shop. Remember the original Cave Austin? I want some kind of grocery store. Hext, Fenners and maybe the butcher are still nearby and have maintained a 50-year history-or am I forgetting some?

If you are using Google, enter "Express Dairy Horse Drawn Milk Float" in the search box and click the "Photo" box, which has a black and white photo.

Hello everyone, I noticed while reading some of the latest topics that David and Ian mentioned the terrible train accident in St. John's in December 1957. Just wanted to let you know that there is a book about this disaster that I read recently, and it covers the accident from all angles. Called

. Very sad, but very interesting.

As soon as I discovered this wonderful attraction, I was immersed in the memories of Blackheath. My history can be traced back to the early 1930s, through wars and adulthood.

I recently published my memoir "A Chronicle of a Timid Lover" for family and friends.

I am referring to the Mitchell farm opposite the St. James Church, where we raced in the loft. On the basement window of Kidbrook Park Road Apartments, I often see "Old Mitchell" walking past our house, leading a majestic Sharma, Mick or Toby, to the horseshoe.

I like to watch the carriage at work. I still remember the ding of the hammer on the anvil and the pungent smell of the hot horseshoe burning into the bones. charming!

I want to know if any of your readers remember that smithy. I'm pretty sure it is located at the corner of Old Dover Road and Sunfields Place, although my brother Frank (just turned 89) thinks it is Bowater Place. Who is right?

BB promised to include my memoir soon. I hope they have a pleasant day in Blackheath and its surrounding area.

Stanley Lover

Looking forward to reading your "Memoirs of Blackheath".

Bob Land

Hi Stanley,

Just read your wonderful article. My name is Linda Faulkner and I was the daughter of Danchy Faulkner of Express Dairy Farm Kidbrooke. Mom was very excited when I read what you said to her. If you want to send by email:

We would love to hear from you.

Kindest regards

Linda

I grew up in Blackheath in the 1940s. I left here in 1958. Reeves and Jones were in Dragut before moving to Blackheath Village. Road (Delacourt Road). I still miss Blackheath, it will always be my home.

Please don't let them change it.

Hello Stanley, I live near Bowater Square from the 1940s to the 1950s.

On the corner of Bowater Place is The British Oak Tavern, on the opposite corner is the chimney sweep, on the corner of Sunfield is the private Drakes News Agency, and in my time, opposite the Gilberts builder’s backyard was a bomb. Website", it seems that the "blacksmith's shop" could have been there, and you are right. I still remember that I thought these county horses were taken somewhere near Lnagton Road.

Greetings

Sheila

Just saw your comment on the blacksmith shop on the corner of Sunfields Place and Old Dover Road. I lived in Sunfields Place before being destroyed by a V2 rocket on November 30, 1944. The name of the smithy was Mr. McKechnie. Pat Craig

My grandfather once talked about the blacksmith shop because he used to repair parts for Austin 7 there until he had to go to someone who could continue working in Westerham, and he transported the car well until the early 70s. At that time he replaced it with one. 2 liters victory Vitesse.

Hi! Who can remember the prefab houses built after the war? I lived there when I was a child and moved when I was about 5 years old. I know that I started school in Halloween in 1950 and moved around 1951. I went looking for them in 2006, and no one told me they would do that. My address is 70 Hollyhedge Bungalows Blackheath se3, I hope someone can help me. Vanessa Kells (Vanessa Kells).

The Holly Hedge Bungalow is obviously on Wat Tyler Road.

Thank you again, Bob.

I have seen Wat Tyler Road on Google and I did take that road and followed that road because I did say to my husband that I might be a prefab. The funny thing is that even though I was only 5 years old when I left Blackheath, these things have been rippling in my mind all these years. I am glad to finally find where they are.

Hi, Vanessa, my residence and I think this is Hollyhedge Bunglows No. 9 and they are all on St. Oste Road, Mount Pond Road, Taylor Road (Wat Tyler Road) and Hare & Billet Road (Hare & Billet Road) Surrounded by a piece of land. You can see Hollyhedge House and what we used to call the "bottom line" on Google Earth, which is the slanted green area we used to play. I think we moved there after you left around 1953. I have a picture of me and my sister in the snow. It was published in the Facebook group "Growing in Blackheath and Greenwich in the 1950s and 1960s".

Hi, I used to live in Hollyhedge House where all the prefabs are still nearby.

What you call "inclination" is called "large inclination". In summer, we usually slide it onto a polished hard board. They are called "big dipping sauces" to distinguish them from the "small dipping sauces" beside Greenwich Park where we used to ride bicycles.

Hello Brenda and Vanessa,

please enter

St. Germans Place on Google Blackheath and click on the image

You should find a picture of a painting, click on it at the beginning, and it should bring up two paintings, one of which is a prefab of St. Deutsches Square, and the other is a work I think is Hollyhedge.

Does anyone remember the old riding school on the corner of Baisdon Road? I remember that house was dilapidated

In the early 1950s.

Hello, my name is Irene. I lived at 29 Hollyhedge Bulgalows Street in the early 1950s. My family and family lived there until 1960. My brother and I attended John Bauer School. I would love to hear about anyone living in the bungalow at the time.

I left a message a few days ago (February 10, 2013).

I was born in Hollyhedge bungalow in 1958. My mother is Pam, and his parents are Ada and Arthur.

Does anyone know why there are some traces (cinder?) on the wasteland near the Ranger's hut? My father misled me and took me there to practice cycling skills (more like grazing leg skills!)

Hi Victor.

Scroll back to 2 posts, one of which is from David Hinds, December 25, 2011

The other is myself, on December 26, 2011. We talked about the cinder loop circuit.

Hi, my name is Adrian. Is your brother Jeffrey? I have two brothers Kevin and Patrick. We live in Holly Bungalow 22

Hello Irene

I think you and I are at John Bauer School at the same time

What's the last name of you and your brother

kind regards

Roland Evans

I must add that this is a great website. I have been looking for something like this for a long time. It brings back great memories. Thank you everyone who commented!

Vanessa Kells (Vanessa Kells).

I remember that man was on the grass side of Heath, along the length of St. Deutsches Square.

"Thank you" Bob.

I will search on the map of Blackheath again and try to pick up St Germans Place.

I now live in Australia, and since I started working in 1957, I was only ten years old when my parents immigrated here.

I have a picture of my sister and I was taken outside the bungalow where we lived. When I came to England in 2006, I tried to find out where they were built, but no one could help me. So thank you again.

Your excellent history of running in Blackheath prompted me to wonder, from 1925 to the war years since I was a child, and then as an adult, I took a train to London through Blackheath Station every day, give me Leave some memories.

My autobiography "Timid Lover" (limited edition) narrates all aspects of life and may expand the interesting stories provided by readers.

The center of my vivid memory is Mitchell’s Farm next to St. James’ Church; the terrible alley behind Heath Church; playing in and around the pond; the rise and fall of THE ROXY cinema; the bonfire party and the fair in the former mine Full of broken rocks from bombs; Carol sings to raise a penny for the gas meter; arrested as 7 years old. A member of a thief gang; those huge steam locomotives went in and out of the station vigorously before the electric train took the scene. Billboard and sledding on snow slopes on hot days in Greenwich Park; school days in Blackheath and Kidbrooke C of E on Old Dover Rd; Rectory Field in the heyday of Blackheath Rugby Club, and Kent and Surrey The battle of cricket between and among other places.

But where do you start? My memoir is too long to quote, but one or two of the above may be particularly interesting.

Hi Bob, you just checked out Google Earth and found St German's Place. I can't believe this is the only part of the blackheath I haven't seen! Does anyone know the sales year of the prefabs?

Obviously, there are also Prefabs in The Wat Tyler Road near Hollyhedge House, so they are called bungalows.

Take a look at these two websites:

Thank you Bob.

I checked these sites "very good", thank you! Bring back many memories. It is definitely the location of Holly's hedge bungalow. I remember telling me when I went to find my husband that it was where I thought they would go, and it felt right. Think about it, I should have gone to school when I was in the UK 55 years ago. This made me feel so much better that my trip was not in vain. It has been in my mind for all these years, I need to find out whether I am growing up or my life has started. I just like this website and keep working hard. Regards Vanessa Kells

Hi Vanessa

Can you visit both websites (see below)

Readers who watch movies at THE ROXY CINEMA on Old Dover Road may wonder what 9y.o is. The boy felt the birth of a palace of dreams and drama. This is his story.

Excerpts from Chronicle of Timid Lovers: Chapter 7

Music

In 1934, we read a notice fixed on the wall opposite the Royal Standard Bar. Our life became better. The wall was the intersection of Old Dover Road and Charlton Road;

coming soon!

ROXY CINEMA will

Build on this website

We have never seen a photo, but the older partner who was taken to watch silent movies by our parents gave us some expectations. The new entertainment sounds more exciting than the slideshow lectures on the African villages we endured at school, when football was rejected in the afternoon due to bad weather.

In the next few months, we will visit the site regularly to check progress. When the bright modern cinema emerged from the demolished ruins, we counted almost all the bricks laid and urged the builders to act quickly.

Until the opening day, stories in local newspapers aroused more and more excitement. We learned that the architect is Mr. Bertie Crewe. 1,300 jack-up seats (750 downstairs and 550 on the balcony) are waiting to be paid. The large-scale Werlitzer pipe organ imported from the United States will accompany the audience to sing with the brilliant notes from dozens of pipes.

On the grand opening day of February 11, 1935, hundreds of excited people milled around the stylish front door of our luxurious new cinema. When I was nine years old, there was a long line that stretched from the gate of Old Dover Road to the corner and along the entire length of the building to the parking lot behind.

The moment I crossed the threshold, I walked into another world. I stared at the magnificent decoration-bright cream walls, sparkling chandeliers, and crimson carpet in the foyer, leading the large staircase to the balcony. The long Burgundy red velvet curtains draped down, creating a warm and luxurious atmosphere.

Excited anticipation echoed in the crowded hall. Inside, the auditorium glows red from the comfortable plush seats and ceiling to the curtains on the stage.

I hurriedly asked to be in the middle of the front row. When the curtain slid open, I stared at the huge white screen. This is the canvas I used to shoot spectacular animated pictures. My gateway to a new world-a lifetime.

Until that day, my knowledge of the situation beyond the tiny cocoons that existed was limited to hoarse sounds and music heard through battery-powered wireless devices. One or two cartoon boys; in family conversations, some vague mentions of war, famine and disasters seem to be serious, but they are beyond my understanding.

My front row view blocked the crowded audience behind me, allowing me to concentrate. Just me, the screen and my imagination-nothing, no one else. My thoughts are empty, but I am willing and eager to discover new sights and sounds. Absorb outside knowledge. Due to inner conspiracy, violence, tenderness, and love, virtual participation intensified my inner openness to strange emotions. I am going to absorb everything displayed on that huge white canvas.

In a half-squatting posture, with my feet sitting on the seat, arms hugging my legs, and my chin exposed on my knees, I was drawn into the wonderland like Alice and wandered in another universe. I was fascinated by the first appearance of the characters from the opening bar of pop music and the twenty-foot-high dynamic, talking, and singing characters.

For four years, until we left Kidbrooke, Roxy was a vital part of my life. I learned a lot from the outside world; what is right and wrong; a series of roles and situations that I might face as an adult. I feel that the reaction to people and the environment has long been deep.

Roxy became the ABC cinema in 1963; it closed in February 1974 and reduced to rubble in April 1981. At the time I wrote this letter, this was a modern shop by Marks & Spencers.

The tragic ending of a glorious era.

Article about Holmes Electroplating Company. Valle Blackheath Village. I worked here from 1941 until I was 14 and until I was called in 1944. The working conditions were shocking. The salary was 4p per hour, including all known acids and poisons. , No protective clothing is just a pair of wooden logs.

Not many people in the village know that this is a war factory that makes parts for aircraft

Work with other governments.

If v2 drops a little on the road, there will be a lot

casualties. I remember I have seen the pilot of a plane that dropped a bomb

When it passed through the black wasteland, it killed all the children in Sandhurst School

During our dinner time. If you are interested, there are more stories.

In my 85 years now, but there is much more about Blackheath after the war

My father was "digging with Mrs. Donovan at No. 7 St. Deutsches Square" and recorded the day in his diary on Wednesday, July 5, 1944. Drones raid all day long. explosion. Fortunately still alive. In the air raid cellar about 40 yards from the crater. "

Hi Reg, it’s nice to read your memories of working on Holmes plating. It sounds like a really bad place back then. When I worked there in the early 1970s, things were just a little better, even though we did have some Protective clothing, but it's not that it is very helpful to prevent acid from flowing to the arms, etc.! In summer, this is also a very hot and dirty place. It’s nice to read that it was also involved in the war, but I never knew it, although of course I knew that many such companies did such work during the war. I used to live on Wemyss Road on No. 10. I was not born in that house until 1957, but I know that No. 1-9 were destroyed in the Blackheath explosion, and the side of No. 10 still shows that today’s scars had to be rebuilt Side wall. Once again, I do thank yo