East Dulwich Nostalgia

[Laur]

Yes Otta that's the one...I wonder if I remember your sister. Girls Brigade was held every Thursday night I think in Honor Oak Baptist Church.

[adonirum]

Just come acros this thread due to the recent posting and being a relative newcomer to the forum (and spending to much time on the "service L.L. thread"!!). What great memories. I realise some of this thread goes back a considerable amount of time but..

1) Does anyboby remember the character at D.H.F.C. known as "Bronco" with his ditinctive white hat and his deafening bellow in shouting his support. I remember him being so incensed at one game that he had a real go at the referee who whistled for the police officer in attendance at the ground to remove him, unaware that he went to said officers house for tea after the game - P.C. Johnson cant remember first name about six and a half foot tall. Remember George Hammond as well, whilst referring to police officer, a true proper gentleman, ex- guardsman mop of blonde hair if I recall correctly. Police Officers , prison officers and his old regiment all queued to give blood for his extensive transfusions.

2) The war memorabilia shop on North Cross once had a dental crown claiming it to be Hitler's front tooth.

3) Joe's furniture shop on the other side of NorthCross

4) The off licence on the corner of North Cross and Ulverscroft

5) I remember Elvis taking over from his father George, so we really all did meet the bloke down the chip shop swears he's Elvis!!

6) Ken's sweet shop was "Ye Olde Tuck Shop" and he moved to Southend-on-Sea to a premises with exactly the same name.

So many wonderful memories to read about and recall on my recent return to E.D. after an absence of more than two decades.

[Otta]

Laur Wrote:

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> Yes Otta that's the one...I wonder if I remember

> your sister. Girls Brigade was held every Thursday

> night I think in Honor Oak Baptist Church.

She would have gone there approx 84-86 at a guess. I just checked and Eastenders started in 85, and for some reason I clearly remember that she was at GB when it was on.

Weird the things you remember.

[adonirum]

Otta Wrote:

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

> Laur Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > the Girls and Boys Brigade in Honor Oak Baptist

> Church

>

> Is that the one on Forest Hill Road? My sister

> went to that girl's brigade. I went to a BB in

> Peckham that my friend's dad took us to.

Hi Otta

There was also the Scouts and Cubs (which I attended) that used to meet at what was then called The Epiphany Hall in Bassano Street and had its connection and ties with St. John's and St. Clement's School in North cross Road.

[Otta]

I know it well, I went to that school, and we used to walk to Epiphany Hall every day for Assemblies and lunch. And Years 1&2 (in modern language, back then it was just Infants) used to be upstairs. I have lovely memories from when I was in that class.

Back then your first year at the school was in the bit of the building on Northcross Road. Then you'd do a year or 2 at Epithany Hall, then you'd move in to "Juniors" (Years 3 - 6) which were in the part of the building down Archdale Road, away from Northcross.

[Jah Lush]

adonirum Wrote:

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> 4) The off licence on the corner of North Cross

> and Ulverscroft.

I think the off licence you're talking about was on the corner of Lacon Road and North Cross Road. I lived practically next door to it in '85/86.

> 5) I remember Elvis taking over from his father

> George, so we really all did meet the bloke down

> the chip shop swears he's Elvis!!

That was a bloody great chish n' fip shop.

[????]

Was (is) Bronco the rotund guy with glasses? If so he was still at DHFC in the mid-90s. I went once last year and didn't see (hear) him.

[AndyC]

I remember Bronco from Dulwich Hamlet in the 70's. He must have been in his 60's/70's then and tall and I believe ex Army, very fit and used to walk to away matches. Also remember the incident with PC Johnson. I also went to St. John's and walking to the Epiphany Hall, St John's church also held their youth club there on Friday nights. Both very handy as I lived in Bassano Street!

[????]

So not the same one....

[steveo]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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

>

> > 5) I remember Elvis taking over from his father

> > George, so we really all did meet the bloke

> down

> > the chip shop swears he's Elvis!!

>

> That was a bloody great chish n' fip shop.

Elvis's dad George used to run the chip shop on the corner of Matham Grove. He had a Rolls Royce that stunk like a fish and shop

[adonirum]

Otta

Don't recall actually being based at the hall for classes just going there for the gym-type sessions with the old apparatus that used to be pulled away from the wall, with its climbing ropes etc.

Jah Lush

You're quite right, it was Lacon Road, that is the one I was referring to, just got names of roads mixed up after all these years.

????

As AndyC said, the character Bronco, whom I was referring to, was in his 60's/70's back in the 1970's so chances are not the same person.

Steveo

You're quite right, forgot all about George having that "roller"

[adonirum]

I have just remembered another "blast from the past" in that part of E.D. Anyone recall the sweet shop/newsagents on the corner of CPR and Upland, later a wood yard/merchants and now home to a bookies. Mr. & Mrs. Beattie. His name was Gordon and he was a gentle, quiet man. Mrs. Beattie was called Bessie, can't recall if that was her actual name or a nick-name due to the fact she was quite a large lady. A very indomitable character, used to give the police officers from the old station on the opposite corner a piece of her mind (and then some), and, even though they were proper hardened men in the force in those days, they daren't answer back!!!

[Otta]

adonirum, when were you at St John's? I left in 89, so guess I must have been based upstairs at Epiphany Hall around 84/85. Guess it was because the school was growing, and indeed only a few years later they moved to the bigger site (I think around 94ish).

Upstairs was cool, it had a big stage just like the hall downstairs. I remember doing a project on ancient egypt whilst in that class.

[AndyC]

I left St John's in 1967 and the upstairs at the Epiphany Hall was used then a classroom.

[adonirum]

Otta, sadly have to admit it was tad before yourself, I left in 1971, but at least not as long ago as AndyC - sorry AndyC !! Is the school now based in Adys Road ? I have not checked it out for myself, but seem to recall being told in the distant past that it occupied the site of the old Thomas Carlton secondary school.

[AndyC]

Yes andonirum, St John's school took over the Thomas Carlton school in Adys road, opposite St John's church.

[adonirum]

Thanks for that confirmation AndyC. I have already alluded to this on another thread on this forum, but have you seen the asking price for the (converted) flats at the North Cross Rd site? I appreciate that it is an old characterful building and they are probably very well appointed, but a million pounds!, for some quintessentially redundant classrooms!Crazy London and crazy E.D. property prices. However, good luck to the owners if they realise that sort of money. Wish I'd kept my old house in Thompson Road. Makes me wonder what that might fetch these days.

[jimbo1964]

I went to St Johns in Archdale Rd too (1970-76). I loved my time there. And the two years at the Epiphany Hall. It was a bit like a village school.

[Otta]

Our old next door neighbours moved in there when it first became flats, so they have done VERY well!

[jimbo1964]

I didn't live here when it was converted, I'd love to have had one last walk around the old building before it was converted. I've taken my six year old into the car park and showed him the painted goal we used to use.

[AndyC]

Andonirum I did not realise the price of the flats on the old school site, however I am not surprised as the house next door to the one in Bassano St where I lived with my parents sold for ?520k last year! Whilst in ED at the weekend I was told it would cost a lot more now!

[Fee163]

I have been asked by Dad (who grew up in West Dulwich) if anyone remembers what happened to the Claud Butler shop on Lordship Lane? He was a keen cyclist in his youth and used to go to the shop on a regular basis? Thanks.

[jimbo1964]

I remember a dusty old bike shop that sold Peugeot racing bikes (I think on the William Rose site). Not sure if it was Claude Butler. We were a Ron Cooper family.

[diwhy]

The bike shop on the corner of Blackwater Street was Melbourne Cycles (William Rose site)

I seem to remember another bike shop somewhere near Streamline Motorcycles.

[Laur]

Is that why there is a bike exhibited above William Rose?