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New Article: Living in Charlton Village in the 1950/60s

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  • Charlton village is a place  to me that means a lot!
  • SoundAs........I was there as well when Alan got stitched up.......Apparently he also took a hiding at the Cop shop.
    Jimmy Woods was mentioned - is that the guy that used to play for Montagu and is involved with Eltham Golf Club?
  • edited November 2011
    SoundAs........I was there as well when Alan got stitched up.......Apparently he also took a hiding at the Cop shop. Jimmy Woods was mentioned - is that the guy that used to play for Montagu and is involved with Eltham Golf Club?
    Yes..........that's him. Though I don't know him that well myself. (Jimmy that is).
  • SoundAs........I was there as well when Alan got stitched up.......Apparently he also took a hiding at the Cop shop.
    Jimmy Woods was mentioned - is that the guy that used to play for Montagu and is involved with Eltham Golf Club?
    I remember Alan Sanford from Charlton Secondary and If its the same Jimmy Woods he was there too. He had a hair lip and a brilliant personality.
  • I Used to play at Montague with Jimmy......good player and terrific person. His nephew is Sam Woods, the Brentfor player.
  • Same for us at Eltham Green Charlie Wright did some teaching as did Peter Reeves who was really excellent and a nice bloke as well always enjoyed his lessons.
  • What memories this brought back for our family! My husband Ray and his brother John were born in the village and then moved into Springfield House. His parents, Sid & Daphne Wells run the fish shop in the village for many, many years, As mentioned earlier they are very much still alive and living back in the Village. Pop will be 90 in a couple weeks!
    Wonderful memories of growing up around Charlton House, Charlton Park, Maryon Park, Maryon Wilson and the old Valley. School days at Charlton Manor and Charlton Secondary School for Boys. An apprenticeship at woolwich Arsenal, getting married at Charlton Church and getting caught amongst all the supporters leaving the Valley after a home match!
  • edited January 2012
    What memories this brought back for our family! My husband Ray and his brother John were born in the village and then moved into Springfield House. His parents, Sid & Daphne Wells run the fish shop in the village for many, many years, As mentioned earlier they are very much still alive and living back in the Village. Pop will be 90 in a couple weeks!
    Wonderful memories of growing up around Charlton House, Charlton Park, Maryon Park, Maryon Wilson and the old Valley. School days at Charlton Manor and Charlton Secondary School for Boys. An apprenticeship at woolwich Arsenal, getting married at Charlton Church and getting caught amongst all the supporters leaving the Valley after a home match!
    Could you ask Mr Wells if he remembers the children undoing the top of the salt shaker so the next customer covered his chips in salt. And then tell him I'm sorry! : (

  • Mr & Mrs Wells owned the wet fishmongers shop (not the fish and chip shop) While my brother Ray did his apprenticeship at the Arsenal I did mine at A.E.I Ltd which was on the Woolwich Road. My Mum has spent most of her life living in Charlton. We lived at Number 35, The Village before moving to Spingfield Grove in the early 60's. How the village has changed!
  • My Uncle Bob's first wife Sue worked in the shoe shop for many years in the early sixties....I seem to remember her family either owned it or owned another shop in the village....I didnt get to know her that well as they separated mid sixties, I just remember our family saying that her family was quite well off and they never approved of us "Council flat people"

    Bob scored a hatrick in a trial match for Charlton with a certain Charlie Wright in goal. However sister Gill was the star football player in the family, she used to run rings around the kids down on the estate at Ogilby Street....we lived in Harding House.
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  • Mr & Mrs Wells owned the wet fishmongers shop (not the fish and chip shop) While my brother Ray did his apprenticeship at the Arsenal I did mine at A.E.I Ltd which was on the Woolwich Road. My Mum has spent most of her life living in Charlton. We lived at Number 35, The Village before moving to Spingfield Grove in the early 60's. How the village has changed!
    Moved into Springfield about the same time, having come from Elliscombe mount ( across the road)
    My mother would have known you father well, as she regularly used to shop there as well as the greengrocers. I used to buy cutlets of cod there, always excellent fresh fish?
  • I noticed the other day that the shoe shop appears not to have changed it's display for about 30 years. They still have Monkey boots, Dr Martins and Hush Puppies in the window.
  • edited July 2012
    I stumbled across this website and this discussion today, and oh what memories have come flooding back! My sister was born in 1940, me in 1946, and we lived in Elliscombe Road, opposite Warren Walk. Our surname then was Morgan. I remember when I was very young, our milkman (or it might have been the baker, or even both) had a horse-drawn van, and I used to run down the road to meet it, and get a ride home on the van. The horse was given a rest and a nosebag when it reached our house, which meant I could stroke it for longer.

    My sister attended Sherrington Road school, and I went to Fossdene. The only teachers I recall are Mr Scotchmore, Miss Harrison and occasionally Mrs Hennicker. I didn't like Miss Harrison, I don't think there were many pupils who did! Some of my fellow pupils were: Janice Blakeley, Brenda Bartlett, Eddie Sloper, Diane Uher, David Dear, Terry Slater, Chris Denman and Keith Williams.

    At some point, Mum used to work in the butchers in Charlton Village. By the way, I believe the greengrocer's name was Harding.

    Some Elliscombe Road surnames I remember: Lawrie (lived in the same house as us), Blinch, Raggett, McRobert, Grundy, Smith (actually Sister Smith, because she was a nursing sister), Bowers, Cotter, Monahan, Ormes, Bateman, Baker, Prideaux, Thorne, Greenslade, Flay.

    Charlie Lawrie, my great-uncle, worked at Stone Manganese Marine. They produced huge propellers. Charlie was just over 6ft tall, and I remember seeing a photo of him standing next to one of these enormous propellers, and he looked so tiny, it towered above him! When a propeller had to be transported, the traffic in Anchor & Hope Lane and part of the lower road, had to be held up while the vast trailer negotiated the junction onto the main road.

    Another aunt and uncle had a flat in Charlton Lane which overlooked The Valley. My sister and my cousin used to go to all Charlton's home games, but they preferred to go into the ground rather than watch the game from the back garden. My sister still has the red and white scarf she had back then, on which she had embroidered the names of all the CAFC players!

    I must stop this post now or I'll be wittering on all night, but I hope my memories are of some interest.


  • Mr & Mrs Wells owned the wet fishmongers shop (not the fish and chip shop) While my brother Ray did his apprenticeship at the Arsenal I did mine at A.E.I Ltd which was on the Woolwich Road. My Mum has spent most of her life living in Charlton. We lived at Number 35, The Village before moving to Spingfield Grove in the early 60's. How the village has changed!
    Moved into Springfield about the same time, having come from Elliscombe mount ( across the road)
    My mother would have known you father well, as she regularly used to shop there as well as the greengrocers. I used to buy cutlets of cod there, always excellent fresh fish?


    Mr & Mrs Wells are still with us - although they retired some years ago, they still live in the Village and despite being in their late 80s are very active, I saw them only the other day. The greengrocer opposite the Bugle was owned by Mr Harding or 'Spud' as he was known. The newsagent a couple of doors up was owned by Mr & Mrs Sandeman, who were very good friends of my Mum and Dad. It used to be a distinctive part of the local community.

  • when l went to fossedene mr lister was the head a great bloke,he sacked one teacher a brute called Halford but the worst was mallanophy the irish assistant. head.he hould have been locked up.Decent teachers were mr whitcome,drake&neale.when we played fulham in a midweek cup replay l was allowed to go as l played for the school team .fellow members were willy amos who lived in mascalls court&brians kinseys younger brother.The head also let us watch the cup semi final replay on the school television (he was a fulham fan). My cousin peter oliver went to charlton manor and was still in contact with george gill up until georges death last year..The main charlton. village article is brilliant the author must have gone to the roan! not fossedene or charlton central. well l must dash me and my cousin peter are going to the shops on the shooters hill road for a frozen jubbly and a nielsons canada bar then over to cherry orchard estate to join mousey white & 30. OTHERS FOR A GAME HOPE THIS NEW FRIDO BALL DON'T GET PUNCTURED IN THE BUSHES.
  • is this the same alan sanford who played centre forward for charlton manor.He seemed to be twice as big as any other kid on the pitch and bundled quite a few goalkeepers into the net. mr gill used to bring his son (howard? ) to Saturday school games and had no control over him,he could control a classroom but not howard.
  • Jeez - just found this thread and it brought back loads of memories like those of Dave Rudd and DaveAddick.

    I lived in Phipps House on the corner of Victoria Road and Woolwich Road from 1958 to 1966, when we went up-market to Eltham. Me and my brother John (Davis) with mates such as Freddie Warner, John Parker and Brian Dawson used to play football on the green next to News the grocers. I used to help build the bonfire on the dump too.

    I went to Fossdene Infants and have few memories of the teachers there but then went to Sherington 1962-1966. My first teacher was Miss Morgan who was very pretty, and I remember Mr Harris, Mr Skinner and Mr Charman. I also learned to swim in the school swimming pool - which was an amazing innovation in those days.

    I went to Eltham Green 1966-1971, and my favourite teacher was Mr Topliss, in English. Great bloke.

    I wasn't a great footballer though I played in Sunday league teams. My brother John played for Greenwich Borough (as did my uncle Nobby Foster in the early 60s) on a saturday afternoon and then Eltham Hill on a sunday.

  • hi, i played for charlton manor school football team in the mid/late 50's early 60's.my name is john aitken and got 68 goals one year and thought i was good till mr gill told me the year before a lad called sanford had got 116 in one year.i can see why is was has big as some of the teachers.i lived in a prefab on charlton park with 12 football pitches outside my back door.does anyone have photos of the prefabs on the park?i got a game with charlton colts once and the great charlie hall said i was knock of the ball too much so i did not get the chance to join my cafc.thou later i went onto playing in the army troop,sqn,regt and then a referee.charlton manor football team in1959/60 was capt by keith thomas and i also played with glyn watkins who lived in a prefab like me.i still have the team photo.
  • Born in 67, first home was on Victoria Way, Christened in St Lukes, summer of 68.
  • I have just been sent this article from a Charlton friend who now lives Texas. I was born in 1947 and moved to Charlton in about 1951 and can therefore recall much of what has been printed above (although I had forgotten much of it, as old age advances!). I lived in Springfield Estate, first in Downe House for a couple of years and then in Langhorne House until I got married at the age of 23, in 1970. They were great times, poverty didn't seem to matter, one just got on with life. The whole of Springfield Estate was bought from a farmer to develop as flats. This farmer allegedly had a son killed in the RAF during the second world war, and he kept a Spitfire, as a memorial, on his farm (perhaps somebody else can confirm?). We kids used to think that the grounds were haunted by the deceased son and sometimes saw imaginary things to strengthen the belief! In the early days, there were two playgrounds in the grounds of the flats (car parks now I believe) and football/cricket was played on them regularly - happy days.

    Names such as Mick McCarthy and Roger Parnell come back to me.

    Heathway FC was mentioned in an early posting, and I played for them for many years, and my late brother (Lawrie) managed them for a couple of successful years (1966/68). We Heathway players would drink in The Valley pub, run initially by an ex-Charlton player, Harold Hobbis; Harold's career apparently ended prematurely, following a broken leg: he was a miserable sod! A number of the ex-Heathway players still meet up about once per year in Charlton for a drink, although some of us moved away from the area many years ago (in my case, to North Buckinghamshire).

    I also recall the large house at the top of Victoria Way, where a bunch of us would go scrumping, by scaling the large outer wall to the ripe apple and Pear trees - happy times.

    The Saturday evening pink papers, with the football results and match reports, were the highlight of late Saturdays. It was always a race between the rival paper delivery vans (Evening News/Evening Standard) to deliver first. I picked mine up from the paper seller at the top of Victoria Way and the papers were consistently there at 5.55pm. As somebody else said, I don't know how they managed that whole process so quickly, barely one and quarter hours after the finish of the games- amazing.

    I also recall the quality of the Sunday morning football in Charlton Park in the late fifties. Valley Celtic were the top team and crowds lined the pitch to watch the games.

    These are my initial thoughts, but I will pen more later as memories return (hopefully).

    Peter Gage
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  • Wasn't the large house the vicars house in the village? we used to climb over the wall from Lansdowne lane and go scrumping there.
  • More thoughts....I recall bunking into Charlton FC via a "blind spot" in Floyd Road, taking my turn in a line of kids to scamper over the wall (sorry Charlton!). I now enter the ground by official means!

    Heathway FC held a weekly meeting in Charlton House. The place was spooky, particularly the basement. I recall some of us holding a seance one night in the basement; it frightened the life out of me! Even walking past the house in Charlton Park at night was scary.

    Off now, to travel to see Charlton v Wolves.

    Peter Gage

  • Great thread...more old pics please.
  • Hiya @Peter Gage. There's a name from my youth ;) along with "Big" Roger Parnell, Mick McCarthy, Mick and Peter Smith, Robbie Walker and Wayne Manners all played for Heathway.
    As you said the meetings at Charlton House were certainly spooky, I remember 3 or 4 of us used to arrive two or three hours early and play table tennis. As for the scrumping, I think I mentioned earlier in the thread, we found an easier method of picking fruit via the small orchard into the yard of the greengrocer's, none of that horrible climbing trees.
  • I'm new to the sight so I had better say a big warm HELLO! to all.....I'd like to ask if anyone knows, or can remember the Ball family who used to live at 67 Elliscombe Road from the 1940's until the late 1960's. There was Jack and May....They had six children John, Douglas, Tony, Albert, Doreen and Roy. They were quite a well known family with a Greengocer/Florist background and spent a lot of time during the summer months in Kent "Hopping". Any memories or stories etc, would be much appreciated.
  • Great memories of Valley Celtic in the 60,s. Patsy Meagan,Ray Hutchins,Terry Carter,Bobby Dack.Johnny Rolls,Mickey Coughlan,Teddy Saunders.Peter Bonner and many others. Sunday afternoons in Charlton Park were something else.
    Charlie Hall was a regular on the touchline.
  • I was at home the other afternoon and switched the tele on and there was a game show called Perfection on. Who was one of the contestants? Mick McCarthy couldn't believe my eyes. Looks older naturally but still has the same voice.
  • Great memories of Valley Celtic in the 60,s. Patsy Meagan,Ray Hutchins,Terry Carter,Bobby Dack.Johnny Rolls,Mickey Coughlan,Teddy Saunders.Peter Bonner and many others. Sunday afternoons in Charlton Park were something else.
    Charlie Hall was a regular on the touchline.


    Did anyone here play in Charlton park sunday mornings in the 60's, jumpers for goalposts with a few dads in attendance?
  • I was at home the other afternoon and switched the tele on and there was a game show called Perfection on. Who was one of the contestants? Mick McCarthy couldn't believe my eyes. Looks older naturally but still has the same voice.

    Well done Dave, tracked down the episode it is number 30 on the 'i player', said he was a 'piermaster'..... one call to Woolwich ferry and left a message to a very nice helpful lady.
    Mick 'introduced' , (well that sounds a bit formal) to Mrs Ken, as they went to Eltham green, which will be 40 years ago come September when we married, be great to meet up with him all these years later.
    Rather made my day.....
  • Glad to help Ken I went to Cherry Orchard, Sherrington and then Eltham Green with Mick so probably know Mrs. Ken as well.....it is a small world!
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