Did you move into East Dulwich after 1945?

[BARA]

The Barry Area Residents' Association in conjunction with the East Dulwich Community Centre are holding a local history event on Saturday 16th October and are seeking contributions from local residents.

Did you move from abroad to East Dulwich post 1945? Can you recall how you felt?, what were your neighbours like?, what surprised you about the area and/or the people?. How easy was it to follow your culture/religion? Any problems with the language?

Equally - did you move to ED from another part of the UK? the reason for your move - employment? family? etc.

We are interested in hearing your stories, whether you would be willing to take part on the day in oral story telling, sharing your experiences with others

Would you like to write to us about your life in ED post 1945?.Or to send copies of photos of your home or family or local shops buildings etc.

We are also exploring the history of celebrations in the East Dulwich Community - there are a few of us who still recall the Queen's Coronation Street Parties, also her Silver Jubilee Street parties, other street parties which have taken place post 1945 - do you have memories/photos/funny stories to tell? Other community parties celebrating Eid, Diwali,St. Patrick and St Andrew's Days, also not forgetting St. George. I vaguely recollect celebrating a United Nations Day at primary school!

Local shops and business in East Dulwich - especially those in and around Lordship Lane. Who recalls Goslings and Mesant the men's outfitters? Can anyone recall a Kennedys in LL? Anyone any photos of the the original North Cross Road market?

Did you work in the Lordship Lane Woolworth's in the 1950s/60s?

Please send any written stories, copies of photos etc to The BARA Committee, c/o East Dulwich Community Centre, Darrell Road, East Dulwich SE22 7ND or pop them through the letter box of the centre on the Darrell Road side.

Finally - those of you are interested in visiting the centre to partiipate in a Multi Cultural evening on 18th September please pm me. The event is free to everyone who makes a dish of food of their choice to share.

Many thanks.

BARA Committee

[EDmummy]

Will definitely tell my neighbour about this. He arrived after being demobbed to the house his father in-law and grand father in-law lived in. He said the street was closed off as dangerous after being bombed and the house he arrived to meet his sweetheart in had its windows smashed and doors blown out. He'd be a great story teller if I could encourage him.

[Chener Books]

There was at least one article about the Lordship Lane Woolworth's published in "The New Bond" (the Woolworth's staff magazine). Unfortunately I've temporarily mislaid the reference(s).

These people should be able to help.

John K

[computedshorty]

Slightly earlier. This was just along the road from me when this dropped. Twenty three people were killed.

05/08/1944

This was a very serious V1 incident, one of the worst in South London. The V1 hit the co-op store at the corner of Northross Road in Lordship Lane. The Co-op and 6 other shops were demolished and 20 houses damaged in Lordship land and 40 in Shawbury Road. A Salvation army hall was also damaged. It is stated in ARP reports held in the public records office that damage extended across a 700 yard radius, greater than the normal blast area. This is probably due to the fact that later V1's were packed with a heavier, more deadly warhead. It was also reported that Anderson shelters in the area stood up well to the blast. Bulldozers were called in to clear the debris and one tram track was cleared by 20.30 of the same day. The whole block where the Coop stood has been re-developed with post war shops. The opposite side of Lordship Lane also shows significant signs of re-building as do houses up Shawbury Road

Did you know this about Woolworts? see Att.

[Sue]

London bomb damage map

[martin]

there actually is a whole family in camberwell graveyard on underhill road (parents and 3 kids) which seems like they perished in a bombing raid.

also

lord haw haw lived on underhill road!

his father died from a heart attack brought on by a bombing raid apparently...

m

[Chener Books]

Sue,

I've put up a copy of the real thing in the shop window:

The London County Council War Damage maps 117 and 127 that cover East Dulwich.

I can only leave them up a couple of days as the sun will fade them.

John K

[Alex K]

The bomb damage map is fascinating -- in large part because so many gaps in the streetscape, filled with post-war buildings, do not appear to correspond to recorded strikes.

On the right-hand side of Grove Lane heading down toward Camberwell Green, for example, I had thought that the blocks of flats marked a loss of Georgian housing stock. Not the case, it seems.

[Sue]

Chener Books Wrote:

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

> Sue,

>

> I've put up a copy of the real thing in the shop

> window:

>

> The London County Council War Damage maps 117 and

> 127 that cover East Dulwich.

>

> I can only leave them up a couple of days as the

> sun will fade them.

>

> John K

xxxxxx

Hey thanks John, please leave them up till tomorrow morning if you can :)

[Pugwash]

Who remembers the grocery store on the corner of Goddrich and CP Road opp. The Castle PH and the Hardware shop on the other corner?

There is so much about the war years and it would be good to get pictures and stories post 1945. I was a child in the 60s when the first Black family in the street moved next door to us. I grew up knowing the eldest boy and his little brother, there is a photo somewhere of us both cutting his birthday cake together and I recall a speech by a family member along the lines that friendship transends race and colour. Even though we both moved to other roads in ED - 40 years on I am still in touch with the older members of the family. I recall with fondness, my neighbour teaching me Caibbean cookery and how to get the best yams in Choumert Road market.

[computedshorty]

I remember that Grocery store, and the Oil/hardwear shop on the other corner and Noeths the Bakers shop, and the Castle pub, two shops up from it the family of Sidney Pitman came from Jersey in a small boat to get away from the island as the Germans had occupied it.

I have an old picture of that place about 1948 of me Computedshorty on my bike on the right. note the Bomb site facing Jennings Road with the Emergency Water Supply brick built water Tank the bricks were used from the damaged houses.

See att. Pictures Then and Now.

[BARA]

Many thanks for the photo of CPRd and Goodrich - have taken copies.

Please keep them coming everyone.

Can anyone tell me a good internet site for post 1945 photos of ED?

I hope to be going down to the local studies library shortly to do some more research.

[val]

John Beasley's books in Chener books have some good pictures

[kford]

computedshorty Wrote:

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

> I remember that Grocery store, and the

> Oil/hardwear shop on the other corner and Noeths

> the Bakers shop, and the Castle pub, two shops up

> from it the family of Sidney Pitman came from

> Jersey in a small boat to get away from the island

> as the Germans had occupied it.

> I have an old picture of that place about 1948 of

> me Computedshorty on my bike on the right. note

> the Bomb site facing Jennings Road with the

> Emergency Water Supply brick built water Tank the

> bricks were used from the damaged houses.

>

> See att. Pictures Then and Now.

That bombsite today: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=jennings+road+se22&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=14.327693,39.506836&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Jennings+Rd,+London+SE22+9JU,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.45283,-0.074651&spn=0.007368,0.01929&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.452565,-0.072984&panoid=Hs9jfcSoYK3wpzoNfSz0VQ&cbp=12,115.09,,0,5

[jaytyger]

As a youngster I remember the cinema next to Grove Vale School closing, then being taking over by a religious group who I believe were squatting there, Guru somebody was quite young looking and full faced. In Tintagel there was an old routemaster which belonged to this sect.On both corners of Hindmans, there was I believe a David Griegs and one along Upland Road, opposite was a large hardware store, when Criegs closed I remember, it becoming the Grain store, staffed by those from the cinema, there was also a squat in Hindmans. In Hindmans there was also a boat yard, site of Regs garage with power boats parked up the street on trailers. At the top end of the street, I believe it was Banfields, there was a coach company with a corrugated iron fence that took up the top of the road, Hindmans/Darrel.

Woolworths was a pretty poor comparison to the Peckham Branch, ie it was virtually devoid of stock.

I remember a large toyshop near Icelands.

best wishes

Jaytyger.

[BARA]

i lived in Ondine Road at the time and everyone was fed up with the hoards of cars that came each week to listen to the Guru - this was around 1971/2

Toy shop was probably Binisters.

Reseaching in the local studies library last week - the number of butcher's shops in LL in the 1950s and 60s - about 6 of them. Plus David Greigs, Co Op, Home and Colonial and United Dairies. I have a photo of the war damage in the stretch of land where the old co op was (Woolwich BS area) and United Dairies seem to be on the corner of Shawbury.

Does anyone remember Mr and Mrs JOnes and their son who ran a dairy in the late 1950s opp the EDT - roughly where Just Williams is now? Mrs. Jones died and Mr. Jones followed her a few months later haveing died of a 'broken heart' Son had the local milk round.

[diwhy]

Jaytyger -

The Odeon got turned into the "Palace of Peace" jumping on the George Harrison maharishi bandwagon.

The coach staion on Hindmans was Viola Coaches (I think) - Banfields was in Nunhead Lane.

The boatyard was Alf Bullens, he and his son used to race a couple of the boats, I seem to remember a Chelsea footballer buying a boat from him in the 70s. One of the huge boats usually parked outside was named Cigarillo.

I think the toy shop next to Iceland (formerly Pullins) was Marriots

[BARA]

looking for memories of those in the 'Baby Boom' eras who attended the Heber School Annexe in CP Rd/Darrell Road.

Building now houses the east Dulwich Community Centre. The annexe housed 3 classes ( may have been infants) in the 1960s when there was a population explosion in Dulwich.

Also photos of community events held in the community centre from 1980 onwards run by BARA, NARA (North Cross Area), PARA (Pellatt Area) i.e Chinese New Year, Diwali ( especially those run by George and Lily Narula of the CP Rd Post Office)

Events at the centre would have been put on by Billy Stone and his family, Bob and Joan Blackwell, Elsie and Arthur Headley, Lil Bragg.