Question for long-term ED residents.

[Cassius]

I've read a lot on the forum from people who have lived in ED for a long time, saying how much it has changed from a rather run down Saarf London suburb (I hope that is a correct reading of life here about 25 years ago), and yet even in those days (and before) it housed some of the best private schools such as Alleyns and JAGS.

How did the juxtaposition of 'posh' schools and 'rough' area work?

[macroban]

LCC scholarships.

[KalamityKel]

There were many wars, lots of blood shed etc...

[karter]

Posh people obviously likes it rough.

[KalamityKel]

Southwark closed William Penn...

[Cassius]

KalamityKel Wrote:

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

> There were many wars, lots of blood shed etc...

Obviously you would remember it well........ otherwise why comment!

[KalamityKel]

I certainly do remember it well!

I remember attending Orchestral courses during the holidays where I was forced to mix with the "posh" lot. For some reason they seemed to think they were better than everyone else... have standards been lowered these days?

[MelbourneGr]

The 'posh' schools are situated near Dulwich Village. The 'posh lot' usually came from far and wide. The locals from Herne Hill went to William Penn. I've always remembered DV to be a nice area.

I don't remember ED being all that rough, just a bit cheap with Binnister toys, Gateways and 7-11. You could say ED was 'poorer' than it is now.

[jimbo1964]

I lived here from the mid 60s to 1990 and recently moved back. I don't exactly remember being being rundown (any more than anywhere else was in the 1970s). I think under Thatcher the parks suffered badly and it's nice to see them looking nice again.

[Bookworm]

It may have been less affluent but it wasn't a "rough area". There was always a nice community atmosphere because families had lived in ED for years. Now, I would say there are more young people who have moved into the area. There are certainly more commuters now but the trains were not as frequent when BR were in charge. I used to get the bus or a train from Denmark Hill to work when I first started working in central London. Nowadays it is more trendy. I don't think places like Caffe Nero or White Stuff (or the 80s equivalent) would have been interested in the area back then. The pubs were not really for young people either. I remember bar billiards at the back of the Lord Palmerston and The Magdala seemed to lack windows so always seemed dark and dingy.

[????]

So a working class area = rough does it?......

[Cassius]

???? Wrote:

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

> So a working class area = rough does it?......

Well I certainly remember quite a lot of trouble at the East Dulwich Tavern in its pre EDT days - the old Uplands was hardly pleasant, nor was the Palmerston.

What I was trying to get at was why is there such a prevalence of private schools (and well known ones at that) in this area - there aren't the equivalent in Forest Hill, Brixton, Streatham etc etc and I found it interesting. I think that MelborneGr has given me the best idea.

It was not a veiled attack on old ED.

[snorky]

Why ?

the Dulwich estate, thats why.

[Cassius]

snorky Wrote:

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

> Why ?

>

>

> the Dulwich estate, thats why.

Can you expand please?

[snorky]

teh Dulwich estate

[macroban]

> I think that MelborneGr has given me the best idea.

????

William Penn was a Secondary Modern school for boys. When it opened its technical training facilities were amongst the best in South East London.

The LCC paid for scholarships for East Dulwich boys and girls to go to the 'posh' schools.

50 years ago where you went to school depended less upon the wealth of your family.

[Cassius]

MelborneGr pointed out that they were in the area closer to the Village - that seemed to make sense. The Dulwich Estate also makes sense.

I was asking because I was interested - I don't have children and so I don't know much about or have much interest in schools, but walking down Townley Road it occurred to me just HOW many private schools there are in the area and was interested. I've lived in Maida Vale, Kensington High Street and Chiswick all of which could be said to be 'posher' than ED without the cluster of private schools.

[macroban]

> MelborneGr pointed out that they were in the area closer to the Village - that seemed to make sense.

All are within the old Camberwell Bourough Council boundary. Access to education worked very differently in pre-ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) days. East Dulwich children ~were~ funded by the LCC (London County Council) to attend the "posh" Dulwich schools. Dulwich College now quaintly refers to this period as "The Dulwich Experiment".

[Cassius]

macroban Wrote:

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

Dulwich College now quaintly refers to this period as "The Dulwich

> Experiment".

Fascinating . I must try and get that book on local history to read more about such stuff. It would be interesting to know if any forumites were part of this 'experiment' and what impact it's had on them.

[????]

They may not have been your cup of tea but the Palmerston and East dulwich Tavern were both generally fine in my experience, crikey, try drinking in Camberwell in the 1980s

[Cassius]

???? Wrote:

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

crikey, try

> drinking in Camberwell in the 1980s

Sadly or not that was a pleasure that I missed out on........

[jimbo1964]

The Grove House Tavern was great in the 80s

[macroban]

The Dulwich Experiment.

[????]

Indeed - many a saturday night spent in their (the Grove) waiting for the nod for that night's M25 location....ACIEEEEEEED

[Cassius]

Thanks macroban.

I knew Eton was originally founded for the poor....