Myth Busters

[brum]

The patriotic war-time anthem, 'Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs Of Dover', sung so passionately by Dame Vera Lynn, is actually not a British song. It was written in America. Bluebirds are native to North America and have never flown over those famous white cliffs.

[mockney piers]

Are you tying to tell us that they have White cliffs in a place called Dover in the States or that the song was commissioned from an American with a paucity of knowledge of the fauna in Blighty?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Radio 4 did a whole half hour programme on this a while ago. You could probably download it from their site if you are interested.

[brum]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Are you tying to tell us that they have White

> cliffs in a place called Dover in the States or

> that the song was commissioned from an American

> with a paucity of knowledge of the fauna in

> Blighty?

I don't really know the answer to that.... I may have heard a bit of that Radio 4 programme, PGC, which is probably why it stuck in my head!

[katie1997]

Computedshorty is NOT an old man who has lived in East Dulwich since 1927 or thereabouts...

[Keef]

I always enjoyed this site, for reading about myths and urban legends.

[computedshorty]

?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Do you know the Muffin Man?

[????]

There's the big hated local football rivals being down to a strikes in the docks in the early 1900s where the other lot 'scabbed' (and it's always the other lot) - I've heard this of

West Ham v Millwall

Pompey V Saints

Newcastle V Sunderland

Bristol Rovers V Bristol City

etc, etc

[giggirl]

Can we stretch this to include famous words that were never actually spoken:

"Elementary, my dear Watson"

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well."

"Play it again, Sam"

"Kiss me Hardy"

I bet PGC could fill a page.

[computedshorty]

rememberwhen.

In reply to your Request.

for the erea around Magdala.

I remember the Magdala opposite was the car Show room and shop, and Garage that repaired cars at the back, there was one of those wind the handle Petrol Pumps with a glass top, and if you wanted oil he would pump it out of a 45 gallon drum.

On the other corner was the hardware shop sold Paraffin and pots and pans, I went to Heber School with the son.

A few houses up the hill was an alleyway that led to a couple of houses behind those in Lordship Lane.

There was an Insurance shop next to St Anthony?s Hall nears the South London Steam Laundry. I used them for years they moved to Streatham then Norbury.

In Pellett Road there was a row of shops the all belonged to one company I think they were Plumbers or Heating a passage under the first one led to the back yard. On the corner of Landcroft and Pellett where there are flats was a house that was Doctor Hunters Surgery, they moved to Lordship Lane just a few houses from Townley Road but It was bombed , so they moved to the corner of Townley Road. Where the zebra crossing is lived the Britain & Colman families, on the corner of Heber Road was the Dentist, just behind that in Heber was Colmans the Builders, The works was under the arch of the house to the workshops. On the other side corner of the road lived Lionel Place the Baker, there was a Tin Dance Hall in the rear Garden, next house up Lordship lane was Greenaway & Sons Builders, who I worked for four years, there was then a gap where the houses were bombed, then the Church on Goodrich Corner. Nearly opposite was Milo Road the first part on the left was the Council dust cart depot where a dozen road sweepers kept their carts there was a little hut there, later it got added to the house next door as part of their garden.

Milo Garage on the left had work shops that did car repairs, as well as letting out lock up garages, they had a Petrol pump with the handle I think it had one of those Glass Shell shape that lighted up. The owners lived in one of the three houses opposite.

In Lordship Lane up from Goodrich Road were some four story houses facing Milo these had the typical Tilts look although the houses were built of yellow Stock Bricks they always used the Red Fletton Brick, you can see they cut through the side of the landing of the first floor to build the most unsightly outside steps going up to the fourth floor, two of my school mates lived up there I can tell you everybody was scarred stiff of using theses in icy weather. Next door lived the Wallace?s, Phillis was my age we used to leave home at the same time for school so walked together. Her brother slightly older than us was due to be called into the Services, but he joined the Air Raid Wardens based in Dulwich Library with my father. There was an enormous amount of shells being fired into the sky at the German Aircraft overhead the shells breaking to steel fragments with the parts of the destroyed aircraft dropped around us all the time smashing the Roofs of houses. One such large part fell through the roof of his top floor bedroom smashing his head killing him, my dad the nearest Warden had to deal with it. He did not tell me for days what had happened.

Other families along there were the Smith?s / Hardley?s / Ellerthorp / Rodgers / Longs / Thomas / Tooks / Tonks.

On the corner of Bawdale was the Tyre Shop & Off Licence I think it was called the Victory, at the back was the School of Motoring Wilsons kept their cars there, and the entrance to Places Bake House my mates brother worked there for years named Peter Morgan.

The corner of Whatley road was a second hand car showroom, then a sweet shop, then a gap where some houses had got bombed the houses each side were supported by Flying timber braces to keep them up, a few houses up 197 Lordship Lane was the pets shop in the basement of a house that had cemented the front garden over and displayed rabbits and cats in cages, all bales of hay and straw sawdust, and birds though they were in the room down the steps, if you go by there now the iron railings are still there, They did not get taken in the war because of the pets there.

My mate worked for the Metropolitan Gas Board in Old Kent Road he had to repair a gas leak in the cellar of the Magdala repairing the gas pipe the barman got blown up with the escape of gas. Blew the Flaps up in the front of the pub, where they used to lower the barrels down a ladder with a rope tied onto the Brewers Dray to slowly lower the barrel, I remember that row of shops, the front pavement or rather the frontage was at all levels some parts a steep slope other steps.

[computedshorty]

rememberwhen.

In reply to your Request.

for the erea around Magdala.

I remember the Magdala opposite was the car Show room and shop, and Garage that repaired cars at the back, there was one of those wind the handle Petrol Pumps with a glass top, and if you wanted oil he would pump it out of a 45 gallon drum.

On the other corner was the hardware shop sold Paraffin and pots and pans, I went to Heber School with the son.

A few houses up the hill was an alleyway that led to a couple of houses behind those in Lordship Lane.

There was an Insurance shop next to St Anthony?s Hall nears the South London Steam Laundry. I used them for years they moved to Streatham then Norbury.

In Pellett Road there was a row of shops the all belonged to one company I think they were Plumbers or Heating a passage under the first one led to the back yard. On the corner of Landcroft and Pellett where there are flats was a house that was Doctor Hunters Surgery, they moved to Lordship Lane just a few houses from Townley Road but It was bombed , so they moved to the corner of Townley Road. Where the zebra crossing is lived the Britain & Colman families, on the corner of Heber Road was the Dentist, just behind that in Heber was Colmans the Builders, The works was under the arch of the house to the workshops. On the other side corner of the road lived Lionel Place the Baker, there was a Tin Dance Hall in the rear Garden, next house up Lordship lane was Greenaway & Sons Builders, who I worked for four years, there was then a gap where the houses were bombed, then the Church on Goodrich Corner. Nearly opposite was Milo Road the first part on the left was the Council dust cart depot where a dozen road sweepers kept their carts there was a little hut there, later it got added to the house next door as part of their garden.

Milo Garage on the left had work shops that did car repairs, as well as letting out lock up garages, they had a Petrol pump with the handle I think it had one of those Glass Shell shape that lighted up. The owners lived in one of the three houses opposite.

In Lordship Lane up from Goodrich Road were some four story houses facing Milo these had the typical Tilts look although the houses were built of yellow Stock Bricks they always used the Red Fletton Brick, you can see they cut through the side of the landing of the first floor to build the most unsightly outside steps going up to the fourth floor, two of my school mates lived up there I can tell you everybody was scarred stiff of using theses in icy weather. Next door lived the Wallace?s, Phillis was my age we used to leave home at the same time for school so walked together. Her brother slightly older than us was due to be called into the Services, but he joined the Air Raid Wardens based in Dulwich Library with my father. There was an enormous amount of shells being fired into the sky at the German Aircraft overhead the shells breaking to steel fragments with the parts of the destroyed aircraft dropped around us all the time smashing the Roofs of houses. One such large part fell through the roof of his top floor bedroom smashing his head killing and him, my dad the nearest Warden had to deal with it. He did not tell me for days what had happened.

Other families along there were the Smith?s / Hardley?s / Ellerthorp / Rodgers / Longs / Thomas / Tooks / Tonks.

On the corner of Bawdale was the Tyre Shop & Off Licence I think it was called the Victory, at the back was the School of Motoring Wilsons kept their cars there, and the entrance to Places Bake House my mates brother worked there for years named Peter Morgan.

The corner of Whatley road was a second hand car showroom, then a sweet shop, then a gap where some houses had got bombed the houses each side were supported by Flying timber braces to keep them up, a few houses up 197 Lordship Lane was the pets shop in the basement of a house that had cemented the front garden over and displayed rabbits and cats in cages, all bales of hay and straw sawdust, and birds though they were in the room down the steps, if you go by there now the iron railings are still there, They did not get taken in the war because of the pets there.

My mate worked for the Metropolitan Gas Board in Old Kent Road he had to repair a gas leak in the cellar of the Magdala repairing the gas pipe the barman got blown up with the escape of gas. Blew the Flaps up in the front of the pub, where they used to lower the barrels down a ladder with a rope tied onto the Brewers Dray to slowly lower the barrel, I remember that row of shops, the front pavement or rather the frontage was at all levels some parts a steep slope other steps.

[katie1997]

computedshorty Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Katie. You are correct in your statement.

>

> Computedshorty is NOT an old man who has lived in

> East Dulwich since 1927 or thereabouts...

>

> But it is true that; Is a man that had lived in

> East Dulwich since 1931.

>

Computedshorty - really? you lived in East Dulwich since 1931? Amazing. Well I stand corrected. Were there steam engines at East Dulwich station during the war years?

> Give me an address or person from my time and if I

> know of that place or person will answer your

> question.

[computedshorty]

katie1997

There were Steam Trains in the war serving East Dulwich and Lordship Lane Stations along side the East Dulwich one was a goods yard all Goods including coal, it came by steam Engine pulled wagons and the rear of Dulwich Hospital had a side line to bring wounded soldeirs for treatment. Their secondary covelecence was through the tunnel under the railway lines to Saint Francis Hospital that has now been demolished it was the other side of the railway at the foot of Dog Kennel Hill.

Steam Trains were fazed out from 1951. The same time as the Trams using Lordship Lane.

I used to ride my penny Farthing Cycle down there but could not ride it back up the hill, that is of course after my Dark Rum and Milk. Have you bought your cycle yet?(tu)

[katie1997]

Hahahaha - you are SO funny!:))

I think I know who you are.

I have to say this...you're good but you don't spell like an older person.....

And no, I haven't gotten around to buying the bike yet...due to horrible flu. However...I have decided that I would LOVE to own a BeOne (but can't test ride them as they are via internet order only). Reckon the mission one would be a prime target for thieves.

Maybe I will get a penny farthing too if you recommend them ;-)