Walking the Quaggy from Kidbrooke to Lewisham , used to spend my whole summer holidays in Greenwich park Skateboarding in the 70`s , Sam Montagues boys club , Helping take the Donkeys up to Blackheath , they used to keep them on a old bit of waste land where I lived ,Castle & Jack Woods , up the top of Severndroog Castle for Sixpence . Red Bus Rover to see the sights of London , then in the evening sit on the old 108 Bus to the over side of the Blackwall then back on a continual loop until it was time to go home .Over to the Ferrier to meet up with my mates and cause a bit of trouble ( knock down Ginger) Drinking in the Dover Patrol when I was old enough
Hilltop Cafe on the corner of Anglesea and Crescent Roads
I used to live on Anglesea Rd right across from the cafe I used they my tea and Sarnie and hang out With the GreenGrocer next door, if I remember right he guy used to cycle from Erith every day to open up. As I got older we moved to Kidbrooke and we would Caddie at The Royal Blackheath Golf Course at the end of the day we would all head up to the Wimpy Bar in Eltham for Burgers and Finish it off with a Knickerboker Glory Oh Boy Happy Days.
I grew up in Conduit Rd, the GreenGrocer next door from the Hilltop, was Bill, he was a lovely man, he used to rent he's space from the guy who had the café Harold, you are right he used to cycle from Erith every day, if I was passing I used to get him a cup of tea from the café, you must have lived near the Robert Peel pub, where I had my first pint of bitter
I lived four doors down from the Peel the houses I lived in were demolished they were old Victorian shitholes owned by St Peters church. I hung out with. kid who’s dad owned the sweet shop next to the green grocer they were called the Nelsons I remember I had the hots for their daughter she was a looker.
My wife rang me earlier to say that the house was a complete state as the builders had started knocking walls down inside (we’re having an exention built).
She’d taken our daughter bowling at Bexleyheath and asked if I wanted to meet up for something to eat.
Persuaded them to go to Wimpy and it was spot on. Got talking to the bloke in there and he was saying it’s the oldest one in the UK still at the same location.
My wife rang me earlier to say that the house was a complete state as the builders had started knocking walls down inside (we’re having an exention built).
She’d taken our daughter bowling at Bexleyheath and asked if I wanted to meet up for something to eat.
Persuaded them to go to Wimpy and it was spot on. Got talking to the bloke in there and he was saying it’s the oldest one in the UK still at the same location.
And if course the Weekends it was always The Welcome Inn.
You need a bit of WD40 on your Caps Lock key fella...
What are you my English teacher? How about you spray some WD40 up your Kyber Pass and strike a match this way you can close your mouth and give your ASS a chance.
End of the 50’s used to climb down the escarpment on the bridge in St Vincent’s road down to the railway tracks, walk along to Stone crossing halt and the cut across to the pit where Bluewater is now built, hide in the bushes and roll boulders down the cliffs trying to de-rail the small trains charging around the bottom of the pit moving the chalk. Think we might have upset the crews as they started to shot back at us with guns.
Other adventures were the open air baths in Dartford, Dartford Central Park for mass football / cricket punch ups. Wilmington Park for cricket using the cricket square, they got so fed up with chasing us off they cut us our own wicket just off the square.
Had to keep your eyes open when we went across the road from my house to the St Vincent’s bad boy schools, the old priests didn’t like that and were vicious old men to put in politely, they were bad, but the local copper if he caught you gave you what for and then took you home for your parents to finish of the punishment, normally my dads belt got in the act. Learnt a bit of respect.
Looks as if no one this far was from ‘Round my way.’
For me it was mostly summers in Mountsfield Park and Forster Park in Catford. I kind of lived in between them. Peters Pan Paul, the shops on the corner of Muirkirk and Sandhurst Road, specifically the Torbay Fish and Chip shop.
Then the Coppefield and Ram Pubs when I gained a bit of bum fluff.
Hilltop Cafe on the corner of Anglesea and Crescent Roads
I used to live on Anglesea Rd right across from the cafe I used they my tea and Sarnie and hang out With the GreenGrocer next door, if I remember right he guy used to cycle from Erith every day to open up. As I got older we moved to Kidbrooke and we would Caddie at The Royal Blackheath Golf Course at the end of the day we would all head up to the Wimpy Bar in Eltham for Burgers and Finish it off with a Knickerboker Glory Oh Boy Happy Days.
Wimpey was a proper treat when I was a kid, used to love them.
Still love a Wimpey now. The one round the corner from me is still always packed. Menu is unchanged with Brown Derby, International Grills, and the Lime milkshakes from back in the day. The owner also plays 80s music non stop to add to the throwback vibe. Love it
Bexleyheath one is the bollox, love a milk shake from Wimpey
Will have to try it. Do they still do a bender in a bun?
Riding my grifter down to what i guess we would now call Bexley Hospital but as kids we had a different name for it and throwing our shoes at the trees to collect the best conkers for school
The Court Disco in Welling as a 15 year old. The George pub in Greenwich then down to The Millers in my early 20s.
Eltham and Danson Lidos during my school summer holidays, along with getting up to mischief on Middle Park Estate, playing football in Peak Freens sports ground (now Colfes school sports ground)
I used to go to the Court in Welling every Saturday night. Also Zoom Zoom in Sidcup. Used to drink under age in Ye Olde Black Horse, Sidcup.
Yeah, Zoom Zoom as well, wasn't it Thursday night at Zoom Zoom?
Hilltop Cafe on the corner of Anglesea and Crescent Roads
I used to live on Anglesea Rd right across from the cafe I used they my tea and Sarnie and hang out With the GreenGrocer next door, if I remember right he guy used to cycle from Erith every day to open up. As I got older we moved to Kidbrooke and we would Caddie at The Royal Blackheath Golf Course at the end of the day we would all head up to the Wimpy Bar in Eltham for Burgers and Finish it off with a Knickerboker Glory Oh Boy Happy Days.
My mum and her sisters and brothers were brought up in Anglesea Rd, my nan and grandad lived on the right hand side, about 3/4 of the way up the hill, houses demolished years ago( The Russell family) my aunt use to work in the bakers at the bottom of Anglesea Rd.
Hilltop Cafe on the corner of Anglesea and Crescent Roads
I used to live on Anglesea Rd right across from the cafe I used they my tea and Sarnie and hang out With the GreenGrocer next door, if I remember right he guy used to cycle from Erith every day to open up. As I got older we moved to Kidbrooke and we would Caddie at The Royal Blackheath Golf Course at the end of the day we would all head up to the Wimpy Bar in Eltham for Burgers and Finish it off with a Knickerboker Glory Oh Boy Happy Days.
Wimpey was a proper treat when I was a kid, used to love them.
Still love a Wimpey now. The one round the corner from me is still always packed. Menu is unchanged with Brown Derby, International Grills, and the Lime milkshakes from back in the day. The owner also plays 80s music non stop to add to the throwback vibe. Love it
Bexleyheath one is the bollox, love a milk shake from Wimpey
The family that run the Bexleyheath one have been there for about 35 years. Lovely people and top notch grub.
That’s the one I went to as a kid. I remember their kids went to my Primary school (Upton) and as sub half the class had Wimpey birthday parties at a discount!
It makes it quite weird as when you go in the grandson of the original owner looks just like him, and it seems like a space time continuum where the guy has not aged in 50 years or more.
However, the wimpy burger no longer comes in a small seedy bun. It's one a large bap type thing( see picture above) I do not approve.
Not somewhere we would hang out, but when Bloomfield school for young Gentlemen 1st and 2nd years used the Genesta Rd school we used to get in early and water bomb the other year over wall as the playgrounds were on two levels. You would always find someone would leaning against the wall on the lower level so a stationary target was so easy. One particular break I was scouring the perimeter fence looking for someone not paying attention, some of the kids getting a bit wise to and having someone keep dogeye. This particular day one kid stepped away from the wall and pointing the base as if to say someone was standing there, I ran to the water fountain filling up what was considered a WMD in water bomb terms, a carrier bag. None of those safety holes in those day filling the bastard as quick as I could I got back to the fence, the other lad was still standing there I carefully lifted the bag over the spiked railings as he guided me "Left a bit, Right a bit" with me trying not to laugh my oppo gave me the thumbs up. Away it went, I ran away pissing myself as other lads went to the fence to see my results. Eventually turning back to join them, thinking I could now blend in with the others I peered through the fence and it was if he was looking straight at me, a teacher. I'd been been set up he was soaked to the skin and I was in sh*t street again.
Nobody else on here grow up on Abbey Wood Estate? Moved there from Woolwich not long after it was built in about 1958. Used to go pond dipping for sticklebacks and newts in the streams and ditches that dissected the fields that stretched from Harrow Manorway to Belvedere gas holders, that later became Thamesmead. Or ride our bikes out to Crossness, then through the cinder tracks across those same fields to the unmanned railway crossing near lower Belvedere. Also would get lost for hours with mates over the sewer bank that divided the estate from the old Arsenal land. Or climbing on the derelict iron railway bridge that spanned Nathan Way, on the old branch line that left the mainline between Plumstead and Abbey Wood and ran to the Arsenal. Long abandoned but the track was still intact in those days. Sometimes used to play in the numerous WW2 defence shelters that were strategically placed at intervals along the sewer bank, although they nearly always reeked of piss and shit! That's when we weren't playing football or cricket on any spare patch of green we could find on the Estate. Later on found the local pubs a bit too rough and ready for my liking, although used to drink in the Harrow Inn occasionally. For a quiet drink with mates that avoided the threat of violence used to quite like the Leather Bottle on Heron Hill, Belvedere. Of course as I got older I ventured further afield.
Hilltop Cafe on the corner of Anglesea and Crescent Roads
I used to live on Anglesea Rd right across from the cafe I used they my tea and Sarnie and hang out With the GreenGrocer next door, if I remember right he guy used to cycle from Erith every day to open up. As I got older we moved to Kidbrooke and we would Caddie at The Royal Blackheath Golf Course at the end of the day we would all head up to the Wimpy Bar in Eltham for Burgers and Finish it off with a Knickerboker Glory Oh Boy Happy Days.
My mum and her sisters and brothers were brought up in Anglesea Rd, my nan and grandad lived on the right hand side, about 3/4 of the way up the hill, houses demolished years ago( The Russell family) my aunt use to work in the bakers at the bottom of Anglesea Rd.
Rickmans? We lived at Number 66 my best friends mum worked at the bakery a Mrs Lee she lived number 11 or 13 my primary school was right over my back fence St Peters was never late for school. The family name rings a bell as well as the Lee's and Barrys.
And if course the Weekends it was always The Welcome Inn.
You need a bit of WD40 on your Caps Lock key fella...
What are you my English teacher? How about you spray some WD40 up your Kyber Pass and strike a match this way you can close your mouth and give your ASS a chance.
Superb trolling @Bedsaddick. You are Olympic Gold standard.
Lamorby residents association disco on burnt oak lane. Swinging rope building or stepping stones across the shuttle river (stream) in goats field or willersley park. The ‘haunted house’ behind willersley park now the hollies. The oval pet shop. Dillons Sidcup station, kings fish and chip shop, the ‘moon’, Prince Albert, bull and Vic, Zens.
my old house on the Hollies backed on to the path to that place ruddy noise from partgoers @suzisausage
@lolwray so did mine. Lived at 6 Rowanwood for a few years.
For official youth centre stuff. Not even from Welling. I trained five nights a week at Bexley swimming so wasn’t allowed to hang out before that.
Never knew you were a swimmer. My daughter swam for Erith & District Swimming Club from age 5 to 14, represented Kent, London and had Team GB trials. I know all about the training nights and early mornings being dads taxi.
I thought she might go on to represent the UK at the Olympics but then she discovered boys and Smirnoff Ice.
I didn't know either @curbit. We must have been at galas together. I swam for Woolwich Training and Swimming Club from 1970-1980. Training schedule was bloody tough looking back now, early morning Eltham small pool Mon, Wed, Fri before school. Tuesdays evenings Eltham main pool, Thursday evenings Plumstead baths (I can still smell that place!) Sunday mornings Woolwich Baths and Galas on Saturday nights. Had some top coaches at WT&SC like Bill Penny and Dave Hicks.
Me too at Bexley @Arsenetatters ! My sisters also swam there, the Lamonts, they are a few years older than me.
Lamorbey Monday's, Crook Log Tuesdays, Abbey Wood school Wednesdays, Erith Riverside Thursdays, Abbey Wood Fridays... what a slog. I didnt do the mornings as was never that high up the field. Freda Ross was our swimming star at the time. Was late 70's to early 80s. I decided then too i wanted to hang out at the youth club with my friends.
@Curb_It@Arsenetatters My brother and I also swam for Bexley. I used to dance at Bird’s/Rohan’s at the same time which was my first love and priority 3-17, so only swam a couple of times a week at Lamorby but my brother swam more inc the Thames polytechnic pool. This would have been the 90s. I think B, we discussed before and had the same coach?
And if course the Weekends it was always The Welcome Inn.
You need a bit of WD40 on your Caps Lock key fella...
What are you my English teacher? How about you spray some WD40 up your Kyber Pass and strike a match this way you can close your mouth and give your ASS a chance.
And if course the Weekends it was always The Welcome Inn.
You need a bit of WD40 on your Caps Lock key fella...
What are you my English teacher? How about you spray some WD40 up your Kyber Pass and strike a match this way you can close your mouth and give your ASS a chance.
Superb trolling @Bedsaddick. You are Olympic Gold standard.
Coming from you Chirpy . I’ll take that as a compliment. By the way - we all want to know who you support . Are you really a Nigel ?
The strand in Gillingham Elliots derelict recreation ground behind Rochester airport Chatham pool & snooker club Von Alton - "take your beers and fuck off" beautiful attitude towards under age drinking, didn't want any Inbetweeners style chat, just for us to pay and behave Prince of Wales - As above but more of a lottery who got served at 15
Hilltop Cafe on the corner of Anglesea and Crescent Roads
I used to live on Anglesea Rd right across from the cafe I used they my tea and Sarnie and hang out With the GreenGrocer next door, if I remember right he guy used to cycle from Erith every day to open up. As I got older we moved to Kidbrooke and we would Caddie at The Royal Blackheath Golf Course at the end of the day we would all head up to the Wimpy Bar in Eltham for Burgers and Finish it off with a Knickerboker Glory Oh Boy Happy Days.
I grew up in Conduit Rd, the GreenGrocer next door from the Hilltop, was Bill, he was a lovely man, he used to rent he's space from the guy who had the café Harold, you are right he used to cycle from Erith every day, if I was passing I used to get him a cup of tea from the café, you must have lived near the Robert Peel pub, where I had my first pint of bitter
I lived four doors down from the Peel the houses I lived in were demolished they were old Victorian shitholes owned by St Peters church. I hung out with. kid who’s dad owned the sweet shop next to the green grocer they were called the Nelsons I remember I had the hots for their daughter she was a looker.
I also went to St Peters school, I guess I maybe a bit older than you, I left St Peters in 1955 when I was 11 and went to Bloomfield Rd school, when I was a boy a family called Gittings had the sweet shop, when they left, II never went in there much as I was going to work by then, do you remember the school caretaker at St Peters, Jack Curtis?
Loved that place and used to jump on the train at Woolwich Arsenal with a combined rail and entry ticket for Bembom Bros. The Looping Star, Mary Rose, hot donuts and the amusements. Happy memories.
Comments
Although I think you are a lot younger than I am.
Drinking in the Dover Patrol when I was old enough
This is why we have the best site by far
Other adventures were the open air baths in Dartford, Dartford Central Park for mass football / cricket punch ups. Wilmington Park for cricket using the cricket square, they got so fed up with chasing us off they cut us our own wicket just off the square.
Had to keep your eyes open when we went across the road from my house to the St Vincent’s bad boy schools, the old priests didn’t like that and were vicious old men to put in politely, they were bad, but the local copper if he caught you gave you what for and then took you home for your parents to finish of the punishment, normally my dads belt got in the act. Learnt a bit of respect.
However, the wimpy burger no longer comes in a small seedy bun. It's one a large bap type thing( see picture above) I do not approve.
Moved there from Woolwich not long after it was built in about 1958.
Used to go pond dipping for sticklebacks and newts in the streams and ditches that dissected the fields that stretched from Harrow Manorway to Belvedere gas holders, that later became Thamesmead.
Or ride our bikes out to Crossness, then through the cinder tracks across those same fields to the unmanned railway crossing near lower Belvedere.
Also would get lost for hours with mates over the sewer bank that divided the estate from the old Arsenal land.
Or climbing on the derelict iron railway bridge that spanned Nathan Way, on the old branch line that left the mainline between Plumstead and Abbey Wood and ran to the Arsenal. Long abandoned but the track was still intact in those days.
Sometimes used to play in the numerous WW2 defence shelters that were strategically placed at intervals along the sewer bank, although they nearly always reeked of piss and shit!
That's when we weren't playing football or cricket on any spare patch of green we could find on the Estate.
Later on found the local pubs a bit too rough and ready for my liking, although used to drink in the Harrow Inn occasionally.
For a quiet drink with mates that avoided the threat of violence used to quite like the Leather Bottle on Heron Hill, Belvedere.
Of course as I got older I ventured further afield.
Remember cows and WW2 bunkers on the marshes @Six-a-bag-of-nuts
By the way - we all want to know who you support . Are you really a Nigel ?
Elliots derelict recreation ground behind Rochester airport
Chatham pool & snooker club
Von Alton - "take your beers and fuck off" beautiful attitude towards under age drinking, didn't want any Inbetweeners style chat, just for us to pay and behave
Prince of Wales - As above but more of a lottery who got served at 15