Lordship Lane in the 1930's

[computedshorty]

Goose Green is one of the most used junctions, in past years there have been many changes, as often mentioned there was a busy Horse Trough in the middle of the junction where at times the road was blocked as a horse had its fill of water, disturbed while drinking to move his cart away from the tram track, most dogs had their drink from the lower dog through although come preferred to get it from the top, there was also at the end a place where you could get a drink using the pewter cup secured on a chain.

The Tram Passenger Shelter is to be seen sited on the green, and the Odeon Cinema in the distance.

See three pictures

[Lin Henden]

As I remember - cross the crossing at Northcross Road, turn right and Lockharts was about 3 shops along on the left. Either the shop shop or next door, hairdressers I think.

[eagleken]

Think Lockharts was where Iceland currently located?

[triard]

This is all so interesting to read and has bought back many memories for my Dad when he was a child. Its wonderful to think that you all still remember things from years ago and that we now have the medium to share it with others. Thank you. I will continue to see what anyone else may add. x

[computedshorty]

Cinema at Goose Green East Dulwich.

The site of the first Cinema the Pavilion, was built close to the School keepers Lodge of the adjacent school in Grove Vale SE 22, this had only a small front with two floors above possibly the managers accommodation with four Crittal galvanised window frames with very small panes of glass, it was one of the few that boasted a car park, that was next to the cinema and occupied the space up to the corner shop of Tintergel Crescent. It was sited behind high Advertising Placard Boards, these were supported by a heavy wooden structure of timbers that inclined back and took up a large part of the parking space, this did not matter as there were very few cars then. The back of the simple red bricked cinema backed onto the pavement in Tintergel Crescent, the only clue of what the building was the emergency pairs of exit doors.

In the thirties it was renamed as Odeon taken from Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation, Odeon Cinemas was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch, the colour scheme was light green and cream, of the Art Deco architecture style. Inside the entrance was the central Cash desk to purchase your tickets a long vestibule led to the auditorium in front and the stairs to the upper circle to the right.

The auditorium floor slopped down towards the screen, the cream safety curtains that were always drawn at the end of a show had a display of coloured butterflies on the lower part, to each side of the screen there was a tower on a plinth of three sections high with four green glass panels that reduced in size as they got higher and illuminated light green, and an electric clock to the right.

The cinema was very popular and had two shows a week day, a main film that lasted about an hour and a half, a News Reel, and the 15 minute interval the lights came on and when the sales girl stood under the clock selling ices and sweets, still advertisement slides were shown, the seats were self folding up and when the patrons rose to go to the toilets there was a constant banging. The second half was a B movie and lasted for about an hour, then there was the showing of future films that would be coming soon.

Although there were two separate shows you could come in at any time the film was showing and stay for the rerun and left when you got to the bit when you came in.

Saturdays there was the Children?s Club Matinee in the morning Cowboy films, Mickey Mouse, Buck Jones Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger, Laurel & Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Marx Brothers, all the kids loved it and shouted like mad.

When the very peak of films were available it meant that you had to stand in a queue that was inside to the left of the entrance hall, where you waited until the Commissionair dressed in his green uniform overcoat with gold braid all over it, and a peaked Military style cap with ODEON on it, he would come over and count about dozen then put his arm behind that number and let those go and purchase their ticket, Some times there were so many waiting in the queue that it led in from out side and down the side passageway, I remember waiting there several who had to wait a long time used the Public Phone Box to tell their family they would be home late.

Those who walked home after, some bought chips from the fish shop in Lordship Lane and ate them direct from the broadsheet newspaper as they walked along, getting home to find that their hands were covered in black ink from the print.

During this time there were some horse drawn vehicles, outside the East Dulwich Hotel was a Granite Horse Trough where the horses could get a drink, there were two lower long troughs underneath for the dogs and at one end a drinking push button to get a jet of drinking water direct to your mouth or use the Puter cup on the chain.

The trams passed the Odeon, to Goose Green some went on to Dulwich Library or Forest Hill or terminated at Blackwell Tunnel, there were two branch lines, one that entered Sterling Road to allow the trams to terminate there and stay until their time of return, the other branch was used by a man changing the points for the trams to proceed to Peckham Rye then terminate at Stuart Road.

Goose Green has as far as I can remember been enclosed possibly to prevent the livestock of the early days from roaming onto the roads. The Pointsmans wooden hut also acted as a passengers waiting shelter, the style reminded me of the sea side shelters on the Promenades.

Three Picturs att

[computedshorty]

Lordship Lane finishes at Wood Vale, at one time this tram would pass under the railway bridge of Lordship Lane Railway Station at the foot of Sydenham Hill, where you could take the train to Crystal Palace.

The Station and the Crystal Palece have long gone, the railway at Dr Beechings cutbacks in the early fifties.

The Crysral Palace buened down in 1936, I took the train from here to see the fire.

[Townleygreen]

computedshorty said "The Station and the Crystal Palece have long gone, the railway at Dr Beechings cutbacks in the early fifties."

On a technicality, Beeching's cuts happened in the 1960s. He was still at ICI in the early 50s when this line closed. No one was using it, apparently.

Not sure I can see a station in that photo, CS!

[computedshorty]

My mistake of saying a Dr Beeching Cutback, it was not one of his six hundred and eighteen station closures in England.

It was before.

I placed a picture postcard entitled Lordship Lane Station, (as can be seen ) it showed the view from the road facing away from the station.

These are taken from Records.

Dismantling of the High Level branch proved a slow business occupying much of 1956 and early 1957. Once this had been completed the entire railway land between Nunhead and Crystal Palace was bought by the London County Council who passed it on to local councils for housing and open space development. Although all of the station sites have now been lost under new housing much of the remainder of the route can still be traced forming a five mile railway trail known as ?From the nun?s head to the screaming Alice?. Both portals of the Paxton and Crescent Wood tunnels survive as does the ornate Coxes Walk footbridge which crosses the line south of Lordship Lane station site.

Seeing is Believing

[Katmanify]

As far as I remember Iceland (or whatever it is now) occupies the site that was Lockhart's and Pullens Motors with the latter being closest to Ashbourne Grove. There was a bakery there too. I used to get my matchbox cars in Lockhart's for 1/6d