Little Joke Shop in 1960s East Dulwich

[Charley Farley]

Hello. I'm wondering if anyone here can remember a little Joke Shop in East Dulwich (think it might've been on Lordship Lane?) that was operating in the early 1960s... I was at school then in Dulwich (circa 1961 / 66) and used to spend much of my spare pocket money down there on scary latex masks and fake spiders to terrify my family. I remember the store being run by an old lady...

[edhistory]

North Cross Road adjacent to what is now Emily's.

[se22cat]

Yup, iirc it was painted yellow and had a clown's face over the door. Think it stayed closed for a while, re-opened as something else, then turned into Strans, which was a great place to have a haircut until he won so many awards his prices shot up.

[Charley Farley]

Ah thanks ~ I think I've narrowed it down to 52 Grove Vale (which is now Blackbird Bakery) ~ be very interested to find any photos of that particular premises circa 1961 - 1966...

[edhistory]

52 Grove Vale was as launderette.

[Orange owl]

Before that it was a joke shop,old lady seen in her chair for many years after. apparently

[DulwichFox]

Wasn't it once a Military shop selling army stuff... badges, medals etc.

DulwichFox

[se22cat]

I remember that shop, wasn't that also on North Cross Road? Guy with a beard ran it, used to have archaeological stuff like arrow heads, etc as well as the Military gear?

There must have been a different joke shop on Grove Vale as the one I remember in 1980 was the one on North Cross Road..

[rememberwhen]

52 Grove Vale now Blackbird Bakery.

Was a book shop, before that a drycleaners, before that a Launderette.

Before that it was Rogers the joke shop.

[Charley Farley]

Many thanks, all of you. Yes it does seem like we are talking two different joke shops here. I'm pretty sure that "Rogers the joke shop" (which definitely rings a distant bell) had ceased trading by the time I'd left school (1966) ~ so Grove Vale (now the bakery) is the one ~ and the military stuff & the guy with a beard would be a different shop on North Cross Road (particularly if it was still going in the 1980s). Many thanks for all the feedback ~ brilliant ~ if anyone unearths any old images of "Rogers the Joke Shop" from the sixties, that would be the unholy grail. Thanks again...

[Penguin68]

Wasn't it once a Military shop selling army stuff... badges, medals etc.

I can only remember Target Arms, On Lordship Lane in the block next to the police station. Was there another?

[solar]

Hi Penguin

Showing my age here, but the military shop was at 1 North Cross Rd next to what was then Ossies fish and chip shop. The shop is now flats. I remember it around the early 60s when I was at St. John's school.

[EDOldie]

Yes the military memorabilia shop in North Cross Road was to the left of the fish & chip shop almost directly opposite the Actress (in those days the Uplands Tavern). It was converted to a house or flats some years ago. I seem to remember they had some pretty unpleasant Nazi stuff in there such as medals and other regalia. All a bit creepy. That was probably around 1975?

[adonirum]

Quite right,EDOldie. I remember way back in the 70's the shop had loads of publicity over a particular artefact, a gold crown, that the owner claimed to be "Hitler's front tooth".

[EDOldie]

Sure it was his front tooth, not another part of his anatomy?