Tell me about ED in the old days

[snorky]

was it paradise on earth before Bugaboos & ? Did you buy any ostentatious Gold jewellery form the shop that is now G&B ? did anyone ever eat in that resturant that was always empty and offered 8 courses for 9.99 in the old G&B block? was Raylon a happy stationary emporium before fear set in & the clapham masses decamped to this solidly proletarian enclave ?Did you experience the joy of an appointment at the DHSS, or did you have a designated stool of your own & free tea all day so called amusements

tell Snorky

[macroban]

Dulwich Jewellers used to do useful things like repair watches and clocks.

I can't remember a restaurant in the same terrace as Green & Blue, but Bell's chip shop on the corner of Matham Grove was good.

The National Assistance Board office for East Dulwich was at Bournemouth Road, Peckham.

[Eliza.D]

Going back some years I have a vague recollection of a working mens club on Lordship Lane. Very small frontage but it was huge inside and went back along way. My dad took me there a couple of times. Does anyone else remember it?

[Ann]

I remember the old jewellers, was run by an old man and wasn't open very much. There was a second hand shop that sold lots of children's items where the Deli is now. I also remember a second hand shop where the Locksmiths is now on the corner; the locksmith had the tiny shop across the road which now sell jewelley ( I think).Have fond memories of the second hand ' children's ' shop. It was run by a very nice woman. We didn't have internet back in the early 90's ( well I didn't ). I also remember the greengrocers that were where ( I think ) the Black Cherry is now. Could be wrong. At least A J Farmers is still there.

[ontheedge]

Where the Sea Cow is was Gents which was a mens shop I rented the flat above it and John Fisher who owned it & the shop was a real gent.There are some shops around that have been there for decade, but there will always be change as time is not static

[Keef]

The CPT was wicked ;-)

[lilolil]

and foxtons was woolworths!!!!

[Louisa]

I remember 7/11 as it was, and back in the day was pretty much the only shop open til late. I also remember when Woolworths had a store on what is now the Foxtons site. 'Never on a Sunday' was a great steak house where the current incarnation of the mexican restaurant resides. I was also a big fan of the old chap who owned the curious little artists shop whiwch was next door to what was then Yilmaz kebab's. A lovely man so very friendly and he must have been there for at least thirty years or more.

Louisa.

[macroban]

Ralon's was a car show room.

The Greengrocers on the Black Cherry site was Smiths.

Going back further the EDD site used to be the Christian Bookshop.

Headnizm was Follet's record shop, then came the (proper) tobacconists with a vending machine outside for the under-age, then came the old fashioned cobblers.

[Eileen]

I remember eating in Sema Thai in 1980 when it was just the front room part of the shop. Then they extended into the back and built the side extension on. I used to go a lot as it was the only place I could find a tasty vegetarian non dairy meal. I went only once since they turned it into the modern all glass front window, and removed the table cloths and wall coverings and carpet so that it seemed noisy now instead of a place you can eat and hear what your companions are saying. But that is based on only one visit.

My other long standing memory is SMBS. I seem to have been using them for ever, but can't recall when they arrived in Lordship Lane. Can anyone else remember that?

[GSJ57]

I remember Sema Thai like that too Eileen - it was great. Follets was my favourite shop on the lane, always there on a Saturday spending my pocket money! Used to go to Never On Sunday a lot too. There was a hardware shop opposite the Magdala called Beszants. I used to go to school with their son.

[????]

The EDT was The East Dulwich Tavern

[ibilly99]

It was great I was young and you could pick up a 3 bed terrace for 75k so I did !

[KalamityKel]

Macroban are you cheating and looking up past archives?

Oh how I remember B-jams (or however it was spelt) and the sainsburys before that. The co-op used to do wonderful slush puppies and 7/11 offered a similar iced thingy but more tasty. The co-ops video store was always an adventure with stands that were easy to accidentally knock over.

And my street was so quiet one could play rounders/skating/bike jumping (dont ask about the latter) all day/afternoon with out ever having to move out of the road. Oh and the neighbour were much nicer about accidentally smashing the odd window

[Brendan]

Well I?ll tell you what. Back in my day the CPT was purple and the Magnolia was called the Magdala and was painted yellow. Hard to believe I know but back in those days people thought nothing of painting a pub yellow or purple. There was a dingy little bar full of oddly dressed people where that current bastion of our community, That Adventure Place now stands, people used to drink in one of the shops on Northcross Road and the Plough was called the Goose and Granite and was run by Delboy Trotter.

Oh and you could get your tires changed at the Franklins shop.

[JetSetWilly]

It were full of gangsters but they only ever armed their own, little ruffians the lot of them, but they loved their mums. And you could always leave your front door open.

[KidKruger]

CPT had a front bar where the caribbean chaps used to play dominoes all day and in the back bar there were some odd characters back in the early 1990's when they had live music quite a lot, i remember distinctly some chaps who I and my flatmate coined names for :

Cardigan Man - guy in his late 50's always wore 1970's brown/orange/cream combo cardigans that zipped-up with big ring-pull zippers.

Astaire - Older little guy who used to get carried away when the live music was on, pulling all sortsof crazy moves as the alcohol and music drove him wild.

Hit Man - A guy in his 50's who said he was a car salesman but his real job wass a spy for the Govt. and he'd even had to kill his own wife and daughter to prove to the Govt he was 'true' to the cause of the country.

Where the ED Deli is there was a (Cypriot I think) couple who had the entire premises, half was a greasy cafe and the other half was eventually given over to secondhand childrens/baby stuff, great brekkys there.

Dave The Butcher - somewhere near where Cheese Block is now, Dave was a right card who fiercely opposed and generated a lot of support against the impending new Sainsbury's at Dog kennel Hill which, if I'm not mistaken, dstroyed a lot of the butcher/fishmonger/grocer commerec around Lordship Lane when it finally did open.

Maria's cafe opposite CPT - Greasy cafe which also did Caribbean food like jerk, rice n peas and goat curry, lovely lady she was.

EDT was a quiet miserable pub.

Forresters pub - where bishop is now. pool tables and attitude form barman. No posers in there.

[Jeremy]

Brendan Wrote:

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

> the Magnolia was called the Magdala and was painted yellow.

What year did the Magdala turn yellow? I can't quite figure it out, but I don't think it was that long ago. I was never a fan of the yellow incarnation, I wasn't too upset when it didn't last that long. It's actually one of the few places I preferred in it's original scummy state, mainly because I have fond memories of the quiz and the comedy.

[Brendan]

It was back in the olden days Jeremy. About 2005 I think.

[DrDom]

once the germans bombed the 7/11 the place went down hill.

[Keef]

The co-op used to do wonderful slush puppies and 7/11 offered a similar iced thingy but more tasty.

Ahh the Slurpies, class!!! :)-D

Cardigan Man - guy in his late 50's always wore 1970's brown/orange/cream combo cardigans that zipped-up with big ring-pull zippers.

I remember all the things you mention (good memories), but this one in particular, because he's my God Father! I was born in 1978, and he's had that cardigan for as long as I can remember.

I think Brendan is about right about the Mag, '04/'05 seems about right for the yellow. Before then it had the best fake bookshelf wallpaper ever!

[macroban]

DrDom:

> once the germans bombed the 7/11 the place went down hill.

The flying bomb that destroyed that block exploded on 5 August 1944. It was Saturday morning and East Dulwich folk were out shopping. 23 were killed and 59 seriously injured.

I assume that DrDom posted out of ignorance rather than bad taste.

[lilolil]

In Underhill Road it was always very busy along the parade of shops. There were two greengrocers, Harry Hastings and George and Mary's, (they later opened as a Freemans catalogue shop). There was a barbers which became a wet fish shop and then later DEE DEE'S. A butchers, ironmongers (he was sadly deported), Georginas (wools and baby clothes),two sweet shops one run by Don and Peg. Bolding and rudder (electricals).

It was a great atmosphere in those days....sigh.

[bob]

Magdala

Befor the white artex inside, high and gas heaters that hung down, owned by Reg and played heavy Rock ramed every week end.

Bob S

[Keef]

I loved Dee Dee's when I was a kid!