Immediately prior to Charlton Manor, Miss Charlton taught at my Primary - Lucas Vale in Deptford.
I played my first game for Lucas Vale against Charlton Manor at Charlton Park in September/October 1962. We dropped into Miss Charlton's flat - somewhere near the Standard? - on the way, at which time she made it clear that she wanted us to lose. She got her wish - 7 nil it was!!
I remember that Charlton Manor's "football teacher" at the time was a Mr Gill - George, I think. Seemed a nice bloke.
OMG there's some names on here I'd forgotten......like Tony Swain, and Mick Jackaman.... My brother was friends with a guy called ' Ronnie Chance ' who apparently had a bit of a reputation......perhaps the estates ''hard man'' and I think he had a brother too but can't get my braincell to remember the name.....
Other boys I remember are Roger Parnell, Paul Arnold, Graham and Alan Bayliss plus Mark and Paul Smith.
I def remember the HUGE bonfires and now understand where all the firewood came from... that old spooky house in Church lane probably fueled many Nov 5ths thanks to Ken. The only thing I can't remember was if the bonfires were pre/post garages being built?? probably before.
Remember the hollow oak tree?? had fun with that too AND all the conkers that we used to get from the trees nearby. Also, scrumping the apples from the garden of the house next to the bottom end entrance [opp spooky house].
My mum used to take me to the coop[?] in charlton village and I seem to remember they had their own money, perhaps some sort of paper/cardboard coins?? anyone remember that?
aaaahhh Charlton Manor, those were the days. but absolutely hated the school dinners and the 'vomit' smell of the gym. LOL
Hey........can you imagine what would happen nowadays if a 'female teacher' took young boys back to her flat?? Miss Charlton, yes, one of my all time fav's.I think she was responsible for me having to stand up in front of the whole school and read out a friggin poem...........Oh and Mr Gill, yeh, remember
the name but can't put a face to it.......young chap maybe? broke/twisted his ankle in the playground??
I too played football many moons ago, the estate had a team and we used the 'Bugle' as our watering hole and Charlton House for team meetings. Many times I havd to go down into the cellars of Charlton house to retrieve the pool table and if you've never been under Charlton house then you've no idea how friggin scary it is.
For all the years that I lived on the Springfield estate and time spent in the village / park etc, I NEVER, EVER went into the ''other'' pub opposite the chippy..can't even remember the name. I do know it had a bad rep but don't know why?
Just out of interest, can someone please list all the names of the flats in Springfield? there's about 8 or 9 right?
Got lots more to add here but for now am gonna go off and see if I can find some pics......
Charlton was a typical Kentish village in 1746, with its church, manor house, and village street all adjacent to the green.
From its lofty eminence it had, and still has, a spectacular view over the river. In the 18th century the view north was across large areas of riverside marsh.
Between Charlton and Woolwich was the densely forested and sombre sounding "Hanging Wood".
Charlton Place refers to Charlton House, the impressive Jacobean mansion built by Adam Newton between 1607 and 1612. The house, with its park, still dominate this part of Charlton.
Charlton, although a London suburb retains some of its principal village characteristics. The manor house, parish church, and Bugle Horn pub grouped around the remnants of the village green. The place name in Anglo Saxon means "farmstead of the freemen or peasants".
The earliest traces of a community at Charlton were found in what is now Maryon Park where an Iron Age hillfort was excavated in the 1920s. Within the hill fort was found evidence of earlier stone age people.
The present village is beautifully situated on high ground overlooking the Thames. At the heart of the community is Charlton House, its former manor house. Built in 1607 - 1612 by Adam Newton (died 1630) this Jacobean mansion is a unique survival in London.
Adjacent to the house are the near contemporary parish church, the original stables, the very fine summer house, and Charlton Park the surviving part of the original grounds.
In Charlton Road a weather boarded seventeenth century cottage (Poplar Cottage) remains as a reminder of Charlton�s rural past.
Although there was Victorian suburban development on the slopes from Charlton Road to the Woolwich Road, Charlton retained the appearance of a quiet Kentish village until the 1930s.
Development had also taken place at the bottom of the hill on the marshes where New Charlton grew up around the burgeoning new industries along the riverside in the nineteenth century.
As a refection of its changing identity the newly developing suburb acquired its own professional football club, Charlton Athletic F.C. Its proud and committed supporters were first rewarded in 1947 when they won the FA Cup and, very much later, the club gained the distinction of being promoted to the Premier League.
Large housing developments, both private and municipal like the Guild Estate, Springfield, and Cherry Orchard, joined the small, attractive Kentish village to its larger neighbours, Blackheath and Woolwich.
TotalAddicktion said: "My mum used to take me to the coop[?] in charlton village and I seem to remember they had their own money, perhaps some sort of paper/cardboard coins?? anyone remember that?"
I didn't grow up in Charlton but remember the RACS co-ops (Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society or the "Races", as we used to call it) in Welling. Back in the mid-60s, they didn't have stamps or points or anything like today, but ......they gave you back thin metal tokens, shaped like coins, with a money value embossed on the surface; eg 1d, 6d, 1/-.
All pre-decimalisation, of course. You exchanged these tokens for cash or the value taken off your bill, when you paid for your shopping.
As tiny children, my sister and me used them as toy money. Anybody still have any?
Great reading about the charlton area , i didn't grow up in charlton but my sister lived in victoria way and i spent many a day there in the 70s , maryon wilson park , the little tuck shop there , also wasn't there some sort of adventure playground at the top of charlton lane ? i recall spending most of my school holidays and weekends there .
Charlton Village, The Co-op, the chip shop, Victoria Way, the classifieds, Fossdene School,Maryon Wilson park, Charlton House, Fetes, Charlton Park, The Lido, names of people that were distant memories........................You,ve just done my whole childhood in one thread. Thanks.
I went to Bloomfield with Tony Swain who had an older brother.
Roger Parnell, lived next door to me with his sister Rosemary.
Mick Jackaman was a year older than me and went to Woolwich poly.
My wife went to school with Mick McCarthy at Eltham Green. I went with my best friend at the time Martin Chamberlin who lived across the road in Elliscombe Mount.
I had a hair cut like Steve Marriott, but grew it longer as he did for the later years at Bloomfield when I stayed in the 6th form, as did Martin.
There were several lads older than me that we hanged about with, and introduced us to fags, beer, and larking about!.
A typical weekend was, game of football Saturday morning, Charlton, deliver standard, out for a drink at the standard/ Valley/Fox under the hill.
Sunday football on the lower playground, lunch/ homework/ hang around Marr House. We also went to Sunday pictures at the Roxy and at Woolwich.
One of the lads got an escort van, and we stopped using the bus's.
I wish I had kept in contact with my mates, they were a good bunch of lads, I have forgotten most of there names like eddie, and there like.
When I went back to see my mother they seemed to have moved! The Parnells were still there though.
Kids were safe in those days providing they stayed on the estate, amazingly no one ever seemed to get badly hurt despite all the larking about, perhaps we were less brittle!
The times I fell of my bike was ridiculous!. I was a regular customer in the bike shop in the village, getting spokes sorted!
Roger Parnell, Tony Swain and Mick McCarthy there's some names from the past. Roger must have about 17' 6" tall huge bloke had many a run in with him (mainy on the football pitch) I also played for the team that met in Charlton House and drank in the Bugle................Heathway Fc, I believe they were called after a few years joined Springcourt who ran out of The Valley pub with the likes of Paul Arnold (whose hobby was putting me into the radiators at football training at Fossdene) , Chris Amastoy (sp) amongst many others who's name escape me ( run by Ted Ruby who I know died last year, that would have been when the pub was run by Phil Marriott.
Grew up climbing in the 'Hollow Oak' used to hide from my Mum at "Get indoors time" did anyone ever light a fire inside the tree after one of their mates had climbed to the top !! ( Bloody madness) I also remember the Adventure playground behind St Lukes, dread to think what the HSE would say to that these days what with arial runways, rope swings the only thing that broke your fall was the ground.
Riding your bike down the hill outside Wilson House (crazy) mind you its a good job shopping trolleys wern't about those days, someone would have died......................Ken...
Roger was a couple of years younger than me, he worked for BT doing installations, or the company that became BT.
So many lads there, Sorry I have a bit of a blank about names to be honest, but never forget a face.
There used to be a swing on the Hollow Oak, I remember a lad falling off of it, letting go, how he did not break his neck I do not know!
I remember a lad called Eddy getting thrown off the garage roofs, by some lads from one of the estates. There were about thirty lads in about 10 minutes who marched over to the Valley Pub and started a ruck in the car park!
One of the opposition took out a knife , and his brother remarked, 'you had better use it, because I will'...... he did.
I'm so pleased everyone enjoyed my trip down memory lane.
Forget riding bikes down hill. Thats for girls and wimps. Try going down Bramhope Lane or Victoria Way sitting on a thick book or board laid on top of a skate or a soapbox made from old pram wheels and bits of wood. Now that excitement and do it your pants stuff. The tension is he same as Sunderland v Charlton penalty shoot out. WOW
This post might not be as worthy as some of the great posts above but might raise a smile. I moved to Charlton in 1960 and lived in Kinveachy Gardens, a short walk from Charlton Village. There used to be a wet fish shop there at that time and my mum used it to buy my dad his Saturday night meal as he liked a piece of skate. According to my mum the woman that served there was a right miserable cow and on one particular Saturday afternoon when my mum asked for a middle cut of skate the woman got very snotty and embarrassed my mum saying that she was not prepared to cut the fish just so my mum could have a middle piece. She had done this self same thing many times before. She said this in front of a large queue of people and my mum felt awful. On reflection my mum went back the following week and queued and when got to the woman serving asked for a large piece of cod, some kippers and half a dozen other items which all smiles the woman wrapped and bagged. My mum then told her to stick it up her arse and marched off. I often wondered what other people must of thought of this. I might add this was very uncharacteristic of my mum. She bought her fish on the square at Woolwich from then on.
As a little off shoot of this, as is well known Springfield used to have the odd dust up with Cherry Orchard. One of the main faces from the Orchard was a certain Mr Garvey who went on to be more famed for playing the original drum in The Covered End. We was at QPR when he had the drum confiscated despite having the relevant permission, when he returned to his seat he was handed the drumsticks he then preceded to play out the same rhythm on the walls of the away end. Needlessly to say he was removed and missing his lift home blagged a lift on Betty's coach on which myself and my son who would have been 8 years old were passengers. My boy imediately recognised MG as the drummer despite looking a little battered after a misunderstanding with the stewards.
Well after a break of some 15 years I met MG again to speak too, my son had met his daughter at a club and starting courting. Three years ago they gave us a beautiful Grandaughter Sarah and are also very happily married. We still get all emotional after a few beers about the old days, but neither of us can remember if we actually whacked each other as kids.
Its a small world, but its the world of Charlton...........................
Immediately prior to Charlton Manor, Miss Charlton taught at my Primary - Lucas Vale in Deptford.
I played my first game for Lucas Vale against Charlton Manor at Charlton Park in September/October 1962. We dropped into Miss Charlton's flat - somewhere near the Standard? - on the way, at which time she made it clear that she wanted us to lose. She got her wish - 7 nil it was!!
I remember that Charlton Manor's "football teacher" at the time was a Mr Gill - George, I think. Seemed a nice bloke.
Mr Gill - yes he was a decent bloke - did football in the winter and cricket in summer. I nearly took his head off with a straight drive in Charlton Park once when he was umpiring and all he said was 'good shot!'
OMG there's some names on here I'd forgotten......like Tony Swain, and Mick Jackaman.... My brother was friends with a guy called ' Ronnie Chance ' who apparently had a bit of a reputation......perhaps the estates ''hard man'' and I think he had a brother too but can't get my braincell to remember the name.....
Other boys I remember are Roger Parnell, Paul Arnold, Graham and Alan Bayliss plus Mark and Paul Smith.
I def remember the HUGE bonfires and now understand where all the firewood came from... that old spooky house in Church lane probably fueled many Nov 5ths thanks to Ken. The only thing I can't remember was if the bonfires were pre/post garages being built?? probably before.
Remember the hollow oak tree?? had fun with that too AND all the conkers that we used to get from the trees nearby. Also, scrumping the apples from the garden of the house next to the bottom end entrance [opp spooky house].
My mum used to take me to the coop[?] in charlton village and I seem to remember they had their own money, perhaps some sort of paper/cardboard coins?? anyone remember that?
aaaahhh Charlton Manor, those were the days. but absolutely hated the school dinners and the 'vomit' smell of the gym. LOL
Hey........can you imagine what would happen nowadays if a 'female teacher' took young boys back to her flat?? Miss Charlton, yes, one of my all time fav's.I think she was responsible for me having to stand up in front of the whole school and read out a friggin poem...........Oh and Mr Gill, yeh, remember
the name but can't put a face to it.......young chap maybe? broke/twisted his ankle in the playground??
I too played football many moons ago, the estate had a team and we used the 'Bugle' as our watering hole and Charlton House for team meetings. Many times I havd to go down into the cellars of Charlton house to retrieve the pool table and if you've never been under Charlton house then you've no idea how friggin scary it is.
For all the years that I lived on the Springfield estate and time spent in the village / park etc, I NEVER, EVER went into the ''other'' pub opposite the chippy..can't even remember the name. I do know it had a bad rep but don't know why?
Just out of interest, can someone please list all the names of the flats in Springfield? there's about 8 or 9 right?
Got lots more to add here but for now am gonna go off and see if I can find some pics......
Mr Gill was an older (to me at the time )bloke, balding, quite a laugh. Don't remember him breaking his ankle but may be before or after my time.
Names of the buildings in Springfield - can't remember 'em all but there was Langhorne House (where Ken from Bexley lived), Games House, Ducie House, Downe House, Bayeux House, Wilson House, Priory House amongst them.
Yeh... I remember Roger Parnell as being rather tall and got kicked a few times by him when playing footy. Now, Terry Watson yes, remember him and I think another guy who lived in the same block was Ray Bates.
Now, back in the day when shoes were shoes and the leathers came out like loafers [is that correct spelling?] I'd take them to the cobblers in the village which I think was near the chippy and get the metal tips put on, heels and toes, and thought I was the dogs bollocks. Only thing is they were rather noisy when walking and nearly slipped ass over tit a few times which quite amused my friends. I can smell that shoe shop right now..........
Thanks for the list of flat names [above] wow.......I'd forgotten most of them ... I think it was Marr house that we used to 'hang out'....?? fun times indeed.
Another event which brings back a flood of memories was the day of the first Who concert. The village was bulging and quite annoying coz it took friggin ages to get a pint at the Bugle once you'd negotiated the 'hippies' and that 'smokey dopey' ....I can't ever remember a time when there were so many people smoking sooooo much 'grass' all in the same place.
Not sure of course if many of you managed to get into the concert but I did, without having a ticket. If I remember correctly it all kicked off about Midday and you could hear the music in the village. About 2pm a few friends and I walked thru the village and down Charlton Lane and just happened to see a woman letting a few people thru her house into her back garden....... it was just a matter of climbing her back fence and 'voila' we were in at the top of the east terrace. Although really crowded, we managed to squeeze into a small gap and that was it, could'nt move even if we wanted to.
We must know each other! do you remember Susan Smith and a girl with the name Wale, good looking with black hair.
I had better be careful about mentioning 'bunking in'
I would have been one of those 'smokey dopey' lot, although it was greatly exaggeratted, as most peoples drug was drink and fags...... how times have changed?
It may well have developed, but dope smoking and other exotic mixtures, went into another sphere when I went to art college, and in those days of course there was no restriction on smoking, you could smoke in the lectures!
Seems rather strange now, but I would buy fags before lunch, or drinking, it was part of the 'scene' .
I mainly drinked back in Charlton/Bexley with my school buddies and friends.
Some of my art college friends became highly dependant on drink/drugs! Several students got 'strung out' they probably became investment bankers in the families extended social network.
Yeh... I remember Roger Parnell as being rather tall and got kicked a few times by him when playing footy. Now, Terry Watson yes, remember him and I think another guy who lived in the same block was Ray Bates.
Now, back in the day when shoes were shoes and the leathers came out like loafers [is that correct spelling?] I'd take them to the cobblers in the village which I think was near the chippy and get the metal tips put on, heels and toes, and thought I was the dogs bollocks. Only thing is they were rather noisy when walking and nearly slipped ass over tit a few times which quite amused my friends. I can smell that shoe shop right now..........
Thanks for the list of flat names [above] wow.......I'd forgotten most of them ... I think it was Marr house that we used to 'hang out'....?? fun times indeed.
Another event which brings back a flood of memories was the day of the first Who concert. The village was bulging and quite annoying coz it took friggin ages to get a pint at the Bugle once you'd negotiated the 'hippies' and that 'smokey dopey' ....I can't ever remember a time when there were so many people smoking sooooo much 'grass' all in the same place.
Not sure of course if many of you managed to get into the concert but I did, without having a ticket. If I remember correctly it all kicked off about Midday and you could hear the music in the village. About 2pm a few friends and I walked thru the village and down Charlton Lane and just happened to see a woman letting a few people thru her house into her back garden....... it was just a matter of climbing her back fence and 'voila' we were in at the top of the east terrace. Although really crowded, we managed to squeeze into a small gap and that was it, could'nt move even if we wanted to.
Anyone else manage to get in???
Ray Bates ................. he's probably in prison now. Lol
Try going down Bramhope Lane or Victoria Way sitting on a thick book or board laid on top of a skate or a soapbox made from old pram wheels and bits of wood. Now that excitement and do it your pants stuff.
Book and skate down Victoria Way ... now that used to be fun ... regularly had badly scraped fingers though
Re Charlton Manor School - I remember Mr Gill & Mr Stead & the legionary story of how he broke the table in two with his bare hands - actually he thumped it one with his fist & it broke in half - we were deeply impressed & didn't piss him off any more!
Strangely, for some reason I cannot remember, I went round to his house once (near Well Hall) with another kid from the class. When he opened the door he was wearing an apron & had a wiping up cloth in his hand & was doing the washing for his wife while listening to the cricket. The domestic Mr Stead was a very different figure from the one in the classroom.
I also remember an Asian teacher named Mr Pasha who when we played cricket in the playground regularly wacked the ball over the roof into the infants playground.
Try going down Bramhope Lane or Victoria Way sitting on a thick book or board laid on top of a skate or a soapbox made from old pram wheels and bits of wood. Now that excitement and do it your pants stuff.
Book and skate down Victoria Way ... now that used to be fun ... regularly had badly scraped fingers though
1st game off the season, fancy doing it again? ; )
The fact that 'Vicky way' is now a Bus Route merely adds to the excitement.
I built a cart from an old pram and was able, with a clear run to freewheel from the top of Elliscombe road to my Nans in Valley Grove without stopping, with just a bit of traction- hands and feet- along Wellington gardens. Towing it home was always a bit of a pain though!
Talking about the dangers of the buses up Victoria Way, today. I ended up in some trouble, after an Charlton mid-week, afternoon kick-off game-before floodlights. Me and a mate Leslie Barham, who now lives in Australia, had wagged off school to watch the game, he managed to step out infront of a car in Victoria Way,and ended up in hospital. I ended up in front of Mr Kemp, the Headmaster of Fossedene, the next day, and a sore backside!
Rob: The incident that I referred to, was 1959, against Fulham. I'm not sure when he took over though. I left the school in the spring of 1961.
The one Teacher who has stuck in my memory, is: Mr Wakeman, he used to run the school Football team and Cricket teams. Do you remember any of the Following? Terry Rabbit- his Mum and Dad, ran a News Agents on the Woolwich Road. Mark Sowerby, he lived in Floyd Road. His father was a sport photographer and I've bumped into him since-now lives in Petts Wood. Brian Clay, lived in Mascals Court. These all played in the School teams with me.
Yes - I think I remember Mr Wakeman, but I was not especially sporty & didn't play in any of the teams. The teacher I remember most of all was Mr Neale the English teacher who really did change my life - in the old cliche, you never forget a good teacher. Did you know Johnny Prideux who lived in Elliscombe. We must have been contemporaries at Fossedene & I think I do remember you & Les.
Terry Rabbit rings a bell, but its strange what & who you remember & what & who you don't!
The one who gave us all great pleasure was the art teacher in the Sherrington Rd annex - Reg Langford who was reported in the Mercury as being found unconscious one night on Blackheath - obviously after a heavy night at the Three Tuns - said he bumped into a tree in the dark.
Comments
Immediately prior to Charlton Manor, Miss Charlton taught at my Primary - Lucas Vale in Deptford.
I played my first game for Lucas Vale against Charlton Manor at Charlton Park in September/October 1962. We dropped into Miss Charlton's flat - somewhere near the Standard? - on the way, at which time she made it clear that she wanted us to lose. She got her wish - 7 nil it was!!
I remember that Charlton Manor's "football teacher" at the time was a Mr Gill - George, I think. Seemed a nice bloke.
My brother was friends with a guy called ' Ronnie Chance ' who apparently had a bit of a
reputation......perhaps the estates ''hard man'' and I think he had a brother too but can't
get my braincell to remember the name.....
Other boys I remember are Roger Parnell, Paul Arnold, Graham and Alan Bayliss plus
Mark and Paul Smith.
I def remember the HUGE bonfires and now understand where all the firewood came from...
that old spooky house in Church lane probably fueled many Nov 5ths thanks to Ken. The only
thing I can't remember was if the bonfires were pre/post garages being built?? probably before.
Remember the hollow oak tree?? had fun with that too AND all the conkers that we used to
get from the trees nearby. Also, scrumping the apples from the garden of the house next to
the bottom end entrance [opp spooky house].
My mum used to take me to the coop[?] in charlton village and I seem to remember they had
their own money, perhaps some sort of paper/cardboard coins?? anyone remember that?
aaaahhh Charlton Manor, those were the days. but absolutely hated the school dinners and the
'vomit' smell of the gym. LOL
Hey........can you imagine what would happen nowadays if a 'female teacher' took young boys
back to her flat?? Miss Charlton, yes, one of my all time fav's.I think she was responsible for me having to
stand up in front of the whole school and read out a friggin poem...........Oh and Mr Gill, yeh, remember
the name but can't put a face to it.......young chap maybe? broke/twisted his ankle in the playground??
I too played football many moons ago, the estate had a team and we used the 'Bugle' as our watering hole
and Charlton House for team meetings. Many times I havd to go down into the cellars of Charlton house to
retrieve the pool table and if you've never been under Charlton house then you've no idea how friggin scary
it is.
For all the years that I lived on the Springfield estate and time spent in the village / park etc, I NEVER, EVER
went into the ''other'' pub opposite the chippy..can't even remember the name. I do know it had a bad rep but
don't know why?
Just out of interest, can someone please list all the names of the flats in Springfield? there's about 8 or 9
right?
Got lots more to add here but for now am gonna go off and see if I can find some pics......
Click Here - Opens In A New Window
or copy/paste this link into a new window
http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/greenwich/assets/historic-maps/charlton/1746
Quote/
Charlton was a typical Kentish village in 1746, with its church, manor house, and village street all adjacent to the green.
From its lofty eminence it had, and still has, a
spectacular view over the river. In the 18th century the view north was
across large areas of riverside marsh.
Between Charlton and Woolwich was the densely forested and sombre sounding "Hanging Wood".
Charlton Place refers to Charlton House, the
/Unquoteimpressive Jacobean mansion built by Adam Newton between 1607 and 1612.
The house, with its park, still dominate this part of Charlton.
Following on from above website :-
copy and paste link in a new windowhttp://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/greenwich/assets/histories/charlton
Quote/
History of Charlton
Charlton, although a London suburb retains some of its principal
village characteristics. The manor house, parish church, and Bugle Horn
pub grouped around the remnants of the village green. The place name in
Anglo Saxon means "farmstead of the freemen or peasants".
The
earliest traces of a community at Charlton were found in what is now
Maryon Park where an Iron Age hillfort was excavated in the 1920s.
Within the hill fort was found evidence of earlier stone age people.
The present village is beautifully situated on high ground
overlooking the Thames. At the heart of the community is Charlton
House, its former manor house. Built in 1607 - 1612 by Adam Newton
(died 1630) this Jacobean mansion is a unique survival in
London.
Adjacent to the house are the near contemporary parish church,
the original stables, the very fine summer house, and Charlton Park the
surviving part of the original grounds.
In Charlton Road a weather boarded seventeenth century cottage
(Poplar Cottage) remains as a reminder of Charlton�s rural
past.
Although there was Victorian suburban development on the
slopes from Charlton Road to the Woolwich Road, Charlton retained the
appearance of a quiet Kentish village until the 1930s.
Development had also taken place at the bottom of the hill on
the marshes where New Charlton grew up around the burgeoning new
industries along the riverside in the nineteenth century.
As a refection of its changing identity the newly developing
suburb acquired its own professional football club, Charlton Athletic
F.C. Its proud and committed supporters were first rewarded in 1947
when they won the FA Cup and, very much later, the club gained the
distinction of being promoted to the Premier League.
Large housing developments, both private and municipal like
the Guild Estate, Springfield, and Cherry Orchard, joined the small,
attractive Kentish village to its larger neighbours, Blackheath and
Woolwich.
"My mum used to take me to the coop[?] in charlton village and I seem to remember they had
their own money, perhaps some sort of paper/cardboard coins?? anyone remember that?"
I didn't grow up in Charlton but remember the RACS co-ops (Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society or the "Races", as we used to call it) in Welling. Back in the mid-60s, they didn't have stamps or points or anything like today, but ......they gave you back thin metal tokens, shaped like coins, with a money value embossed on the surface; eg 1d, 6d, 1/-.
All pre-decimalisation, of course. You exchanged these tokens for cash or the value taken off your bill, when you paid for your shopping.
As tiny children, my sister and me used them as toy money.
Anybody still have any?
Great reading about the charlton area , i didn't grow up in charlton but my sister lived in victoria way and i spent many a day there in the 70s , maryon wilson park , the little tuck shop there , also wasn't there some sort of adventure playground at the top of charlton lane ? i recall spending most of my school holidays and weekends there .
nostalgia s not what it used to be though !
Roger Parnell, Tony Swain and Mick McCarthy there's some names from the past. Roger must have about 17' 6" tall huge bloke had many a run in with him (mainy on the football pitch) I also played for the team that met in Charlton House and drank in the Bugle................Heathway Fc, I believe they were called after a few years joined Springcourt who ran out of The Valley pub with the likes of Paul Arnold (whose hobby was putting me into the radiators at football training at Fossdene) , Chris Amastoy (sp) amongst many others who's name escape me ( run by Ted Ruby who I know died last year, that would have been when the pub was run by Phil Marriott.
Grew up climbing in the 'Hollow Oak' used to hide from my Mum at "Get indoors time" did anyone ever light a fire inside the tree after one of their mates had climbed to the top !! ( Bloody madness) I also remember the Adventure playground behind St Lukes, dread to think what the HSE would say to that these days what with arial runways, rope swings the only thing that broke your fall was the ground.
Riding your bike down the hill outside Wilson House (crazy) mind you its a good job shopping trolleys wern't about those days, someone would have died......................Ken...
Do you remember Terry Watson??.
Forget riding bikes down hill. Thats for girls and wimps.
Try going down Bramhope Lane or Victoria Way sitting on a thick book or board laid on top of a skate or a soapbox made from old pram wheels and bits of wood. Now that excitement and do it your pants stuff. The tension is he same as Sunderland v Charlton penalty shoot out. WOW
As a little off shoot of this, as is well known Springfield used to have the odd dust up with Cherry Orchard. One of the main faces from the Orchard was a certain Mr Garvey who went on to be more famed for playing the original drum in The Covered End. We was at QPR when he had the drum confiscated despite having the relevant permission, when he returned to his seat he was handed the drumsticks he then preceded to play out the same rhythm on the walls of the away end. Needlessly to say he was removed and missing his lift home blagged a lift on Betty's coach on which myself and my son who would have been 8 years old were passengers. My boy imediately recognised MG as the drummer despite looking a little battered after a misunderstanding with the stewards.
Well after a break of some 15 years I met MG again to speak too, my son had met his daughter at a club and starting courting. Three years ago they gave us a beautiful Grandaughter Sarah and are also very happily married. We still get all emotional after a few beers about the old days, but neither of us can remember if we actually whacked each other as kids.
Its a small world, but its the world of Charlton...........................
Names of the buildings in Springfield - can't remember 'em all but there was Langhorne House (where Ken from Bexley lived), Games House, Ducie House, Downe House, Bayeux House, Wilson House, Priory House amongst them.
him when playing footy. Now, Terry Watson yes, remember him and I think another
guy who lived in the same block was Ray Bates.
Now, back in the day when shoes were shoes and the leathers came out like loafers
[is that correct spelling?] I'd take them to the cobblers in the village which I think was
near the chippy and get the metal tips put on, heels and toes, and thought I was the
dogs bollocks. Only thing is they were rather noisy when walking and nearly slipped
ass over tit a few times which quite amused my friends. I can smell that shoe shop
right now..........
Thanks for the list of flat names [above] wow.......I'd forgotten most of them ... I think it
was Marr house that we used to 'hang out'....?? fun times indeed.
Another event which brings back a flood of memories was the day of the first Who concert.
The village was bulging and quite annoying coz it took friggin ages to get a pint at the Bugle
once you'd negotiated the 'hippies' and that 'smokey dopey' ....I can't ever remember a time
when there were so many people smoking sooooo much 'grass' all in the same place.
Not sure of course if many of you managed to get into the concert but I did, without having
a ticket. If I remember correctly it all kicked off about Midday and you could hear the music
in the village. About 2pm a few friends and I walked thru the village and down Charlton Lane
and just happened to see a woman letting a few people thru her house into her back garden.......
it was just a matter of climbing her back fence and 'voila' we were in at the top of the east
terrace. Although really crowded, we managed to squeeze into a small gap and that was it,
could'nt move even if we wanted to.
Anyone else manage to get in???
Ray Bates ................. he's probably in prison now. Lol
Book and skate down Victoria Way ... now that used to be fun ... regularly had badly scraped fingers though
Springfield never stood a chance ... Cherry Orchard had 'em on the run many times ;-)
Strangely, for some reason I cannot remember, I went round to his house once (near Well Hall) with another kid from the class. When he opened the door he was wearing an apron & had a wiping up cloth in his hand & was doing the washing for his wife while listening to the cricket. The domestic Mr Stead was a very different figure from the one in the classroom.
I also remember an Asian teacher named Mr Pasha who when we played cricket in the playground regularly wacked the ball over the roof into the infants playground.
Cheers,
Fossdene Rob
1st game off the season, fancy doing it again? ; )
The fact that 'Vicky way' is now a Bus Route merely adds to the excitement.
I built a cart from an old pram and was able, with a clear run to freewheel from the top of Elliscombe road to my Nans in Valley Grove without stopping, with just a bit of traction- hands and feet- along Wellington gardens. Towing it home was always a bit of a pain though!
Talking about the dangers of the buses up Victoria Way, today. I ended up in some trouble, after an Charlton mid-week, afternoon kick-off game-before floodlights. Me and a mate Leslie Barham, who now lives in Australia, had wagged off school to watch the game, he managed to step out infront of a car in Victoria Way,and ended up in hospital. I ended up in front of Mr Kemp, the Headmaster of Fossedene, the next day, and a sore backside!
When did Mr Kemp take over from Mr Simpson as head at Fossedene? You have reminded me of him, but I can only really remember Mr Simpson.
Cheers,
Rob
Rob: The incident that I referred to, was 1959, against Fulham. I'm not sure when he took over though. I left the school in the spring of 1961.
The one Teacher who has stuck in my memory, is: Mr Wakeman, he used to run the school Football team and Cricket teams. Do you remember any of the Following? Terry Rabbit- his Mum and Dad, ran a News Agents on the Woolwich Road. Mark Sowerby, he lived in Floyd Road. His father was a sport photographer and I've bumped into him since-now lives in Petts Wood. Brian Clay, lived in Mascals Court. These all played in the School teams with me.
Terry Rabbit rings a bell, but its strange what & who you remember & what & who you don't!
The one who gave us all great pleasure was the art teacher in the Sherrington Rd annex - Reg Langford who was reported in the Mercury as being found unconscious one night on Blackheath - obviously after a heavy night at the Three Tuns - said he bumped into a tree in the dark.
linky: http://charltonchampion.co.uk/2010/10/18/10-great-things-to-discover-in-charlton/
Make sure you read through all the responses, including one from a Katie Jackson who lived in Fairfield Grove in the 50s.
Some interesting reading.