I live in the Royal Arsenal Development (I know, I know....) and as far as I can tell Im the only Charlton fan. Seen more than a few Millwall milling around.
I do see the odd Charlton shirt in the main town every now and then, but it's dominated by Man U/Arse/Spurs etc.... shirts. Yeah kinda annoying with the Valley a 5 min bus ride up the road.
I live in the Royal Arsenal Development (I know, I know....) and as far as I can tell Im the only Charlton fan. Seen more than a few Millwall milling around.
I do see the odd Charlton shirt in the main town every now and then, but it's dominated by Man U/Arse/Spurs etc.... shirts. Yeah kinda annoying with the Valley a 5 min bus ride up the road.
I live in the Royal Arsenal Development (I know, I know....) and as far as I can tell Im the only Charlton fan. Seen more than a few Millwall milling around.
I do see the odd Charlton shirt in the main town every now and then, but it's dominated by Man U/Arse/Spurs etc.... shirts. Yeah kinda annoying with the Valley a 5 min bus ride up the road.
The Royal Arsenal development is good, couple of decent pubs there. Gets a bit dicey once you exit the gates but that’s just the charm of SE London!
Planning a visit as I heard its a hotbed of Charlton support. Any landmarks or sightseeing the hive mind of CL could recommend?
Are you visiting Woolwich to see the hotbed of Charlton support, or fancy something in particular? A Thames walk or just a few pints, a bit of Powis street to relive the 80s!
I remember Woolwich of my childhood, being vibrant and full of characters.
I delivered newspapers into the Arsenal as kid, and worked as a barrow boy a veg stall in the market. I can remember getting up to do my round and seeing lights on as people got ready for work now people drop children off to school in pyjamas or swigging from at best energy drinks or worse cans of Stella.
I was culturally enriched one morning as approaching the DLR entrance by the market. An African woman had a child strapped to her. The child had a very snotty nose. This charmer of a lady went on to wrap her lips around child’s nose, suck then spit. A very welcoming site, may I say, and a fair summary of Woolwich.
I worked in Woolwich for a year to save money for uni and when we had breaks. There was always something to see in the high street at lunch time!
I remember once watching the police handling an argument outside the McDonald's. It seemed a man in a wheelchair had a little Jack Russell who had nipped this woman's kid. She had gone absolutely mental and spat at the bloke, effing and jeffing. The whole high street had gathered round. She was talking to the police (very loudly) and admitted to also kicking the guy's dog. One dog-lover standing in the nearby crowd overheard, and he went over and started lecturing the woman about how she shouldn't kick a dog. She told him to f@#k off, they got into a big row, and in the ruckus, the dog bit him as well!
Visit the barracks. It was the Olympic shooting venue in 2012 and if you’re lucky stupid enough to visit after dark, you can close your eyes and listen for the gun fire on nearby Woolwich Common Estate to get a real feel of what it was like.
Planning a visit as I heard its a hotbed of Charlton support. Any landmarks or sightseeing the hive mind of CL could recommend?
If you are a thrillseeker join a bus queue in the town centre.
Agreed - I have that pleasure on train strike days - trying to guess where your bus will pull up followed by a ‘bundle’ - a bit like Mike Reid’s runaround
I worked in Woolwich, at the Woolwich Building Society Head Office in General Gordon Square. I was there about 3 years. That’s over 40 years ago, it was pwoper South London then. No it’s like South Mogadishu….
My family has a long history with Woolwich. My Mum's family moved there in 1935, first to Warren Lane, then Greenlaw Place and finally Rideout Street where I was born in 1953. As a 9 year old my Mum stood in the grounds of St. Mary Magdalene on the first day of the blitz and watched as North Woolwich and Silvertown was set ablaze. Nan ran all the way from the Market to grab her and head for the shelter. Mum says the unmoored barges were drifting ablaze downstream. With the morning tide they were swept back up again still smouldering. Mum remembers 6 cinemas and a Theatre, although only the 3 cinemas remained in my day; The Odeon, The Granada and the ABC Regal. Now there are none. As a kid I remember being taken to the Barracks Parade ground, just around the corner from us, and watching the military parades. Taking the ferry to North Woolwich and Victoria Park was a cheap day out as a kid. Mum told me that when she was a kid her and her mates would often stay on the ferry and just across and back until they got bored. On the old boats you could get close to the generators and stay warm, in the days when houses had no central heating and just one open fire in the front room. Grandad was a drinker and alternated between the Kings Arms, The Village Blacksmith, The Navy and Army, The Admiral and one of two others, all now gone. As a kid I remember being taken to see the xmas lights in town centre. Seemed impressive at the time. Apparently they came a couple of years before the famous ones in Oxford Street. I was born too late for the Trams but I do remember the Trolleybuses, which terminated in Parson's Hill, outside the Odeon. Parson's Hill disappeared when the new ferry approach was constructed and John Wilson Street widened to a dual carriageway. I remember the 3 Department Stores; Garretts, Cuffs and RACS. Very posh was our Woolwich They have all gone, as have Marks and Spencer, BHS and Woolworths amongst many others. Woolwich is not the town I remember, but I have some really good memories. When I visited in around 2012 I thought the place was the absolute pits, with Powis Street and Hare Street full of derelict vandalised buildings and a lot of charity shops. Sorry, I realise none of this is helping you @CAFCTrev It seems that plans are afoot to regenerate and lots of very expensive Riverside luxury flats are already up. When I briefly visited last year I quite liked what they have done to General Gordon Square. I know some have spoken positively about modern Woolwich @Leuth ? If I win the lottery I am going to buy myself one of those luxury penthouse suites overlooking the river
My in laws were married at St. Mary Magdalene and lived in St Mary Street for about 50 years. My girlfriend, now wife, lived there for about 20 years. I spent most of my time round her house from 81-87.
Comments
If you are a thrillseeker join a bus queue in the town centre.
I do see the odd Charlton shirt in the main town every now and then, but it's dominated by Man U/Arse/Spurs etc.... shirts. Yeah kinda annoying with the Valley a 5 min bus ride up the road.
and worked as a barrow boy a veg stall in the market.
I can remember getting up to do my round and seeing lights on as people got ready for work now people drop children off to school in pyjamas or swigging from at best energy drinks or worse cans of Stella.
Nearby Plumstead, is now easily confused with Shoreditch according to this bus shelter.
An African woman had a child strapped to her. The child had a very snotty nose.
This charmer of a lady went on to wrap her lips around child’s nose, suck then spit.
A very welcoming site, may I say, and a fair summary of Woolwich.
There use to be an Army surplus store where I bought me jungle greens can’t remember the name of the shop or what street it was in, Is it still there?
I remember once watching the police handling an argument outside the McDonald's. It seemed a man in a wheelchair had a little Jack Russell who had nipped this woman's kid. She had gone absolutely mental and spat at the bloke, effing and jeffing. The whole high street had gathered round. She was talking to the police (very loudly) and admitted to also kicking the guy's dog. One dog-lover standing in the nearby crowd overheard, and he went over and started lecturing the woman about how she shouldn't kick a dog. She told him to f@#k off, they got into a big row, and in the ruckus, the dog bit him as well!
It was the Olympic shooting venue in 2012 and if you’re lucky stupid enough to visit after dark, you can close your eyes and listen for the gun fire on nearby Woolwich Common Estate to get a real feel of what it was like.
Never did me any harm.
My Mum's family moved there in 1935, first to Warren Lane, then Greenlaw Place and finally Rideout Street where I was born in 1953.
As a 9 year old my Mum stood in the grounds of St. Mary Magdalene on the first day of the blitz and watched as North Woolwich and Silvertown was set ablaze. Nan ran all the way from the Market to grab her and head for the shelter.
Mum says the unmoored barges were drifting ablaze downstream. With the morning tide they were swept back up again still smouldering.
Mum remembers 6 cinemas and a Theatre, although only the 3 cinemas remained in my day; The Odeon, The Granada and the ABC Regal. Now there are none.
As a kid I remember being taken to the Barracks Parade ground, just around the corner from us, and watching the military parades.
Taking the ferry to North Woolwich and Victoria Park was a cheap day out as a kid.
Mum told me that when she was a kid her and her mates would often stay on the ferry and just across and back until they got bored. On the old boats you could get close to the generators and stay warm, in the days when houses had no central heating and just one open fire in the front room.
Grandad was a drinker and alternated between the Kings Arms, The Village Blacksmith, The Navy and Army, The Admiral and one of two others, all now gone.
As a kid I remember being taken to see the xmas lights in town centre. Seemed impressive at the time.
Apparently they came a couple of years before the famous ones in Oxford Street.
I was born too late for the Trams but I do remember the Trolleybuses, which terminated in Parson's Hill, outside the Odeon.
Parson's Hill disappeared when the new ferry approach was constructed and John Wilson Street widened to a dual carriageway.
I remember the 3 Department Stores; Garretts, Cuffs and RACS. Very posh was our Woolwich
They have all gone, as have Marks and Spencer, BHS and Woolworths amongst many others.
Woolwich is not the town I remember, but I have some really good memories.
When I visited in around 2012 I thought the place was the absolute pits, with Powis Street and Hare Street full of derelict vandalised buildings and a lot of charity shops.
Sorry, I realise none of this is helping you @CAFCTrev
It seems that plans are afoot to regenerate and lots of very expensive Riverside luxury flats are already up.
When I briefly visited last year I quite liked what they have done to General Gordon Square.
I know some have spoken positively about modern Woolwich @Leuth ?
If I win the lottery I am going to buy myself one of those luxury penthouse suites overlooking the river
My girlfriend, now wife, lived there for about 20 years.
I spent most of my time round her house from 81-87.