Rodwell Road 1950's

[Wardy]

Hawton: Dulwich Park what memories that brings. I can remember the two lady park keepers: Fatty and Sis. We would un-tie the boats and let them drift across to the island; they would chase us all over the park. You mention the men going out for the day from the Heber Arms I wrote about this in my book, it was called a Beano, probably spelt that wrong. My dad would always come back completely P?ed, but he had a good time. I can remember one year very well. Please enjoy few paragraphs from the book below:

Getting back to the pub, every year all the men who drank at the Heber Arms would go on what was called a Beano. A Beano was a glorified piss-up. They would hire a coach, fill the boot with bottles of beer and go down to the seaside, normally Brighton or Southend. The Beano would always be on a Saturday with everyone meeting outside the Heber Arms at about 9am.

It was traditional for all wives and the kids to congregate with the men outside the pub half an hour or so before departure. Outside of the pub there would be groups of people laughing, talking and generally mucking around. Its funny how things have changed; in today?s modern world a Beano would be outlawed; there is no way wives would wish their husbands a happy piss-up, but they did then.

Beanos for me were a means of making good money. It was another tradition for the men to put loads of copper coins, that?s an old term for money, into a bucket. As the coach pulled away on its journey, the men would throw handfuls of these coins out the windows, and the kids would scramble to pick them up; these scrambles resembled an unruly rugby match. Kids would kick, punch and generally fight their way to the get their hands on the coins and I was no exception. From a very early age I made sure I came away with a pocket full of money.

Beanos were happy times for me; dad would always return absolutely rat-arsed, but happy and full of funny stories from the day.

I remember one particular time, when dad was out on a Beano, being wakened early one Sunday morning by loud noises coming from downstairs. I went to mum?s bedroom and woke her. We slowly crept down the stairs, hearing the noises coming from the front room. Mum went up to the front-room door and turned the handle very slowly and then pushed the door open with speed, running into the darkened room shouting, ?Who?s there?? ?It?s me,? came a reply. ?Who the f--ck do you think it is? I?ve lost my door key.? We turned to face the front-room bay window from where the voice came from, only to see dad half in and half out of a half-opened window and totally pi--ed. One leg was outside, the other inside, but the funniest thing was that in the darkened room he seemed to be struggling with a tree trunk. ?What that?? said mum. ?Turn the bloody light on before it gets broken,? came the reply. I switched on the light to see my dad straddling the window ledge, smiling and holding the biggest sea-side rock I had ever seen or seen since. It was six feet long and about twelve inches across. The look on my face must have said it all. Dad looked at me and said, ?Here you are, son. It?s yours.? At that moment I thought all my birthdays had come at once; ?Wait till the other kids see this,? I thought. I couldn?t sleep that night just dreaming about that rock, but what I didn?t know was, a big problem was about to begin: how to get my teeth around the bastard.

The rock rested against the kitchen wall for what seemed to be weeks, too big to get up the stairs to my bedroom. Every now and then, dad or I would bring someone into the house to admire it. I suppose it became a talking point ? you know, when you run out of conversation with someone you can suddenly turn round and say, ?Have you seen my rock?? and bring them inside the house to gaze at its enormous size. Eventually this all came to an end one day when mum, finally having had enough of sweeping round the thing and continually having to shift it from side to side, went ballistic and told me and dad to get rid of it, or else.

On the Saturday, following mum?s outburst, Dad told me to fetch all the kids playing in the street; there were probably about fifteen kids altogether. Dad moved the rock into the hallway and placed it horizontally on two chairs. He then fetched his tool bag and produced a four-pound hammer and a steel chisel. He shouted to the kids to line up from the pavement outside my house up to the front door. He then sat down, placing the chisel up against the rock, about six inches from the end. Picking up the hammer and raising it up above his head, he brought it down, striking the chisel with an almighty force. I jumped at the thud, as a huge piece of the rock fell to the ground. This memory is vivid in my mind. At the time, in my little head, it was like witnessing the decapitation of an old friend, seeing someone you loved and admired being smashed to pieces by your own dad.

One by one the kids were given a chunk of my rock, a piece of my friend?s body, and each time the hammer fell I couldn?t help but feel the pain of the blow. But like all little boys my memory was short and when I was finally handed my piece, and a big piece it was, I quickly forgot our friendship an enjoyed the taste.

One thing I do remember is that on that day everyone in the street was my friend and I was known for a long time to come as the boy who had the biggest rock ever.

Hope you like it Wardy

[Farnham]

Hi Wardy, Do you remember Cissie Wheeler, she stayed with Dolly Wheeler and Hilda for a while when her husband was a prisoner of war in a japanese prison camp. We had a great big welcome home party in the street with banners across the road and everybody in party Unfortunately he had suffered so much and was very thin I dont think he was in party mood. He did re

cover but it took him a long time. Did I tell you I went to Joyce Wheelers wedding. I remember having a lace dress but

cant remember if I was a bridesmaid or not. Will keep thinking but my memory is not what it used to be. Joyce x

[Klaus]

Hawton Wrote:

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> ...and remember Princess Margaret coming to Peckham to open Troy Town.

Troy Town... as in the tiny little street by the old people's home? Princess Margeret came to open it!? Care to explain more, or indeed why it's got such a strange name?

[Hawton]

Hello Klaus,

I was only a small child when I was taken to the opening of Troy Town by my older sister, I do know it was a mission youth club but no idea how it got it's name.

[Hawton]

Hello again Klaus,

Been doing some research and this is what I came up with, 'There is further evidence of Trojan influence nearby in Peckham, the modern street name Troy Town, S.E.15 is said to be named after a turf cut maze that used to exist there, which celebrated the ancient 'Walls of Troy' and these were, apparently, quite common'. Hope this helps. By the way, it was the Youth club or the old people's home Princess Margaret opened.

[Hawton]

Hello Eric,

I did enjoy the piece about Dulwich Park, you have got such a good memory! I can't remember being one of the kids that had a piece of your rock, mum and dad must have taken us to Tower Hill that day to see the man get out of chains, we used to go so often, it got really boring. We would have much preferred playing in the street with the rest of you....

[Wardy]

Hawton: my pleasure have a good Easter weekened. Eric

[oldtimemusician]

Hello Folks

I just found this thread and it's of interest because my wife is descended from David Robinson who lived at No 24; in fact he died there in 1938. He was survived by his wife Eliza. Their children were David 1908; Edwin; Esther; Leslie 1915; Sally 1912; Sidney; Joan 1924; Winnie 1926; Jean 1927; Olive

Their son Leslie (1915 - 1993) was my wife's father. He moved from Rodwell Road to Catford, to Loughton in Essex, to Hastings to Highworth in Wiltshire, where he died.

Dave and Edie Robinson whose son was also David, and his sister Shirley, lived there too. David Junior married Pat and now lives in Hampshire.

Jean (Robinson) and Charlie Barnard do indeed live in Sutton at Hone as already stated.

Olive (Robinson) was married to Ron and was my wife's aunt. She had problems, as suggested elsewhere.

Sid and Flo lived somewhere in Rodwell with their son John.

I realise this is a bit out of the scope of this thread (1950s) but whilst my wife is on a roll, I thought you might be interested!!

all the best

andy

[Wardy]

Andy, I know all of the folk you mention David married Pat Green, Olive and Ron lived down the basement below David. David had twin cousins who lived next door. They both live in Norfolk now: one of them lives just around the corner from me, see her most weeks in town. I remember Jean and Charlie very well; broke their window when I was a kid, they had a daughter, can?t remember her name, I think it may have been Jennifer, and Chalie work as a river policeman. All the Robinsons played cricket on a Sunday. Sid and flow lived in Heber Road but their garden came into Rodwell Road. Their son John was a mate of mine, he is a little older them me and will be about 65 now. Their was another relation "Ernie" who also lived in a basement below the twins. He died some years ago in his home in Cambridgeshire. He took me fishing when I was a kid and I met up with him again just before he died about 15 years ago. Now you mention Leslie, he was obviously older then me but the name rings a bell, was he the father of the twins? Did your wife live in Rodwell Road? There was also a relation named Flow who was married to Johnny; they didnt have any children, I would sell mint from the garden to them to make some pocket money. Good old days. Regards Eric Ward

[computedshorty]

Hi Wardy.

I have read your memories of your school days they certainly bring back memories for me.

I went to Heber Road school from 1939, so our generations overlap.

The names that you mention Freddy Stains, Cornwall lived in the shop, Able the one I knew became a Copper, Dons sweet shop one step down as you entered.

The Greengrocers up Crystal Palace Road was called Stalards, you talk of Paraffin oil, the shop on the corner of Goodrich was the called an Oil Shop, where you bought Paraffin oil poured into your own tin or jug, they also sold candles, matches, and carbide crystals for your bicycle lamp, I am told that they sold Petrol in the early days of motoring.

The School Keeper that lived in the small house in the Infants playground was Mr Roberts.

The other side of the Heber Arms was a builders with their yard at the back.

The Heber had a large Beer Garden reaching out into Jennings Road, next to that in Jennings Road was a open space that they built a brick Air Raid Shelter, then Mitchell?s the Builders had a Yard where they kept building material, then a block of lock up garages.

I recollect that one of the lads in Rodwell road was nicknamed Gongee was living in one of the houses with the erie.

We lived in Lordship Lane, so we might have had the same Doctor on the corner of Townley Road.

I have just found a picture of us on the corner of Goodrich & Cryatal Palace Roads, on our home made bikes.

[diwhy]

Hi all - Just filling in a couple of gaps

Gillian was the daughter of Jean and Charlie Barnard

Ernie Weston lived in the basement below the twins - He used to work for Molins in Deptford

The Pat Green that married David jr. is my cousin

computedshorty - The Yorkshire Fisheries shop in your pic, is that the fish and chip shop or a wet fish shop?

[JOHNNYBOY]

Hi

I know you posted this message back in 2009 but I have just come across it, and found it so interesting,your memories are fantastic, you list some of the people who lived in Rodwell Road but stopped at no 10..... Did you know my Nan & Grandad Fred & Martha Chinery, they had 3 sons, Fred jnr (my Dad), Frank & Ronnie, they lived at no 8, Martha was known as Patsy, her sister Lily lived at no 14..... My Mum was Joan Stacey, she lived with Joanie Stringer for a while, when my Mum married my Dad they moved into the basement flat of no 36 where I was born....Freddie Staines was a friend of my Dad's, I think he married Joanie Stringer but not sure, don't know what number Joanie lived at..........I think Roy & Derek still live in Rodwell Road............I have created a website about Camberwell, East Dulwich, etc, the website address if you are interested is camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk the only reason I named it camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk was because my Dad was a foreman on the council, so was I and my brother - I have uploaded a few cine film clips of Rodwell Road in the 1960s on my website one of shows my Nan standing on the doorstep of no 8, there are many photos & memories on there - when I was about 6 months old we moved to 198 Underhill Road, one of the Prefabs, we stayed there for 17 years until the damp started to appear, we then moved to a newly built house in Greendale close

Best Wishes

John

[OPTIC1]

Hi, my dad is Wardy he was born in Rodwell Road. He has just wrote a book called "Wardy The Kid From the Rough End Of The Street" Tells of many people who lived in Rodwell Road and East Dulwich, well worth a read, on Amazon. :-)

[OPTIC1]

Hi, I said some time ago, my dad had written a book called "Wardy The Kid From the Rough End Of The Street" Tells of him growing up in the 50's and many of the people who lived in Rodwell Road and East Dulwich during that time.

The book has sold well in the UK and for some reason America also. However, dad believes their are many who would like to read it but haven't had the opportunity for what ever reason. With these dark days of "Lockdown" he would like to, chapter by chapter, post the book on this thread for everyone to read and enjoy. The idea to post 1 chapter each Sunday, Monday Wednesday and Friday at 3pm. This way those who wish to, could sit back with a nice cup of tea and enjoy the read while others who may be struggling with the lockdown would have something to look forward to.

The start date for this would be Sunday 31st January, about a weeks time.

If you think this is a good idea please let me know, seemingly, if you feel there are some restrictions please let me know.

Thanks

[KidKruger]

Sounds great - if he interested in local stories from before my time !

[geh]

great idea

[OPTIC1]

Thanks for the response so far. You will find the stories funny as well as sad, it does contain some language but I thing those words will be blocked out. Its truthful and gives you a good idea how things were compared with today.

Please keep the response coming in and if you know anyone who may be interested, particularly those who may be at home alone, let them know.

Thanks

[KidKruger]

Optic - don?t bother editing language out - the forum process puts special character combos over all banned expletives like fuck, cunt, wanker, twat, but allows words like shit and piss.

ETA: yep, looks like I?m bang-on there !

[Sue]

I'd be really interested in this, OPTIC1.

And KK, ha ha 🤣

[OPTIC1]

I think when it comes to language you will guess the real word.

BTW Does anyone know if there is a maximum word count on here, if there is I will need to do each chapter in several boxes, if that makes sense.

[Sue]

OPTIC1 Wrote:

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> I think when it comes to language you will guess

> the real word.

> BTW Does anyone know if there is a maximum word

> count on here, if there is I will need to do each

> chapter in several boxes, if that makes sense.

I guess you will find out when you start to do it!

Or (no idea) can you attach PDFs to a post?

[ianr]

> BTW Does anyone know if there is a maximum

> word count on here, if there is I will

> need to do each chapter in several boxes,

> if that makes sense.

I think you should be asking the forum owner/admin about publication here.

[OPTIC1]

ianr, I have sent admin a email with my request.

Thank you