My Life in Bermondsey

Hi Tony, I was reading your post. "Life in Bermodsey", it was not much different in Preston. Only difference we talk with a Lancashire accent. I was interested with your school days at English Martyr's. You left in 1953, can you give me any names of teachers that were there a long time. If you read some of my posts you will see I am tracing my family tree and Edward Wilson was Head Master there up to the 2nd World War in 1939.  

                    Cheers John Wilson

Hi George,  well I was replying to the post from autofyrsto who was trying to find out about this man :)  I hope he returns to the board as Im sure he would love to hear from you.

I could spend hours on here just reading the stories. They are fascinating. "Real Life". Proper stuff. I'm off to watch Spurs book their place in the last 16. (Hopefully). 

      Happy Day's................ John Wilson

Hello hethmar!

I did see your post, and George61 and I have followed up in the thread called Short Back and Sides, in the Photo's category. I did track down that naturalisation record that you posted. I found it to be very helpful indeed, and I would recommend it to anyone tracing immigrants to Britain.

I'm just now looking into your suggestion of e-mailing the Southwark Archives. I found these sites to be potentially helpful, and I would not have found them if not for your suggestion:

Southwark Council | Local History Library, with a section dedicated to Family History Research
Southwark Council | Southwark Register Offices

If anyone has anymore info on Harry Anflick, I'd love to see it in the thread Short Back and Sides, in which members are discussing barbers, dentists, and the like. Any information that would be of general interest to pretty much anybody, such as the newspaper obituary and cemetery information that I was curious about, could be posted here in this general interest thread....

Thanks for your help!

What a coincidence I lived at No 78 Lucey Road in 1959.

you would go to the synogogue in Rouel Road. Bermondsey

Thanks to Bermondsey Boy I have had contact from Mary the seniorsurfer she said her mum was a teacher at English Martyr's in Walworth during the 20s,30s and WWII years. I have sent Mary some letters from 1896 and 1925, Written by Edward Wilson who was the Headmaster there at this time. Waiting now for Mary to come back to me hopefully with some photo's or information. 
Thanks to Mary...

Regards John

Hello Thetwit.

I remembver your family when they lived round Bermondsey wall.Lou married a Freddie Honeywood? /Honeyman and Kathy married a ? Steel.and also Joe married I forgot her name Joe was friends with a few of us in Brownlow House, when we were all about 18/20 years old,         
George Hammond,Wally Rogers.How is Joe.

Hi Esther,Thetwit is Eileen,Sister of Lou,Joe and John....Lou did marry Terry Honeman(Ex Sailor,served on The Warspite).Kaths Husband was Ernie Steele,Joe Married Phylis Iverson.Brother John married Betty ? and moved to Eastbourne.They have a Son that is on Facebook,he is a London Cabby,you could probably get more info from him .I am related to the family by My Mother,who was Aunt Dollys Sister.They moved from the old House along Bermondsey Wall, to Alexis Street,and Uncle Joe carried on his Business with a Yard in Lucy Road....Joe is still living in Bermondsey,with his Daughter at present,as he hasnt been too well,...Joe and i used to have great times in the Fifties,fishing at Marden,in one of Joes other uncles Lake.Joe is a great bloke,and never stops laffin.I am Billy Killick.We lived in Major Road,as did Joe and Phylis...I had a sister June,a brother Ray and a younger brother Jim...Best wishes  Bill Killick

Hello Bilko.

Many thanks for replying, My grey matter is still working well glad to see
sorry to hear about Joe please give him my regards we are the same age.I also lived in Lucey Road when I was married,I remember old Joe doing the barrels round the old place at East Lane I will have a look at facebook

I grew up in the 60s on the Old Kent rd..My folks owned the corner shop. Ossory rd/ Old Kent rg..I went to Coburg rd School...Have fond memorys of playing on the bomb sites ( and their was a lot of them ). My best friends at the time were,, Tony Sparks from coopers rd..Colin Warwick from the prefabs down Glengal rd. Pat and Danny Gillingham..Still see Tony from time to time..Although i now live in California i still follow Millwall and bump into Tony in Budapset,,Anyone remember the Avondale youth club and the ruff tuff and tumble club..Remember our yearly camping holiday,,we thought we were in another country,,we actualy went to Sidcup..Lol  Sidcup for two weeks camping...Bermondsey in my heart..
Andy Hewitt/ California USA

Does anyone remember wolsely buildings in Dockhead. It was one building with nine blocks to it ,five in wolsely street.one in farthing ally.one in george row. and two in mill street.
They were built in 188?.it had two shops on the corners one being lals and lizzie crisp
the othe one was lizzie hills,
It must have been very modern for the year there were four flats on a landing with two toilets and a dustchute
they were only one and two bedrooms .on the roof was a washing area with coppers and clothes lines.
I think it had 5/6 storeys,one of my friends lived on the fourth it was quite a walk.
can you imagine the familys that lived there quite a few were very large 6/8kids and the girls slept in one bed top and bottom the boys ditto.
Saturday night was the best with the punchups after they came out of the ship.things would come flying out of the window,that was life then.nobody had a lot in those days ,and they got on with it
there was always the pawnshop on a monday at harveys and thompsons.
They all grew up to be lovely families plenty of aunts and uncles all around and everyone knew everyone by name because we all went to dockhead school.it was a catholic area.

esther

Have a look at photos -Yesterday and Today page 16 Wolsely Buildings

Hello Esther
My mother grew up in Wolsley Buildings, Her parents were Irish Catholics, the Byron family, and she went to St Josephs School along with Max Bygraves mother.
My mother said you learned to be tough when shared a lavatory with 4/5 other families. My Grandfather worked as a deal porter at Surrey Docks and had four daughters. My Grandfather used to box at the Ring at Blackfriars to earn money to suppliment the family income. One night on his way home he was stabbed in Hickmans Folley and robbed of his winnings, he recognised the man as one he had beaten in earlier rounds but just said he must have needed the money more than me. These are the sort of stories that made me a life long Socialist

Born in Bermondsey in 1946 I saw the last of the coupons used after the war, and remembered going to the local sweet shop with my sisters with our ration book to get our quota of sweets.

I can remember playing on Bomb Sites and due to the almost car free roads, playing
on the side roads to the shopping high street, No television so very fit kids playing out
at every opportunity,

Southwark Park was not too far away so easy to nip along there, where you had to have very tough knees as no child friendly asphalt.

The school we went to was Galleywall Road School and then on to Trinity,

We often went to Spa Road Swimming Pool and also the Library there.

Mum and Dad ran a local Hardware Shop. Last time I visited the site of where the shop was it had been demolished so quite a sad time.

We weren't too far from South Bermondsey Station, so to get to London Bridge or surrounding areas was easily.

I can remember going to the Manor Methodist Club, quite ironic as we all liked a drink.  The main attraction was the Youth Club where we could all getogether, 

I spent quite alot of my time in the Old Kent Road, Duke of Wellington and the Thomas O Beckett
pub.

I moved away in my teens and only go back to visit family.

I have very fond memories

Bermondsey Girl  

Hi Bermondseyboy - I was born near LongLane in 1943 - moved to Lorrimore Rd when my Dad came home from ww2 and managed to get us a prefab erected on a bombsite there.  Both my Mother and Fathers family lived off long lane (Strood House). There were 10 children in each family (Taylor and Phillips). I dont know how they all managed to live under one roof!  We moved to Clapham rd in the 50s - But I still went to Mina Rd/Walworth School.  I had to take 2 buses - changing at the 'Elephant' - or, to keep the bus fare to spend on breadpudding or Palm toffee bars, I walked - cutting through east lane or Albany rd.  I found your blog from googling Pete Medways blog on Walworth School.  I've been glued to the 'pooter ever since! Thankyou for starting this wonderful journey down memory lane.  I had my first 'saturday' job at an electrical shop owned by a friend of my dad (I refilled parafin cans and could never get rid of the smell from my hands) I did learn to rewire old lamps though. I think this shop was on a corner near Tower Bridge Rd - memory lapse - but it was near quite a few shops - with a great fish and chip across the road. My next 'saturday' job was at woolworths in the same area - failed miserably! We all needed pocket money for dancing at the Lyceum or pictures at the Troc (oh those choc ice bars after the B movie!). Does anyone remember the 'bohemian' store front at the beginning of the Old Kent Rd? My friends were Doreen Westacott,Carol McAteer,Pat Simmonds and Chrissy Ellis - does anyone remember skinny Leni Taylor with red ringlets??

Hi, I'm a new member. I'm surprised that the Queen Vic wasn't included in the Bermonsey Photos of pubs video, or is it there but used to be called something else? Thanks, Rebecca

hi rebecca
                  do you mean the queen victoria on the corner of monnow rd and southwark park rd if you are there is a photo of the pub in the photos of pubs hope this helps      sue .

Hi Rebecca

I did the Video but alas could not put every Pub on there.
Sue is correct, there is The Queen Victoria-Southwark Park Road on site (click here)
and many many more.
I do understand that the site may take some time to navigate around, but that adds to the fun and you will discover lots more facts about Bermondsey and get to know all the very friendly and helpful Members.

Bermondseyboy
Steve