Hi Everyone

Hi Zoe

The Pagoda holds lots of fond memories for me, my Mum and Dad were regulars.
The pub was then run by Kathy White, before your parents took over.
What have they done to it now (The Hartley)? It will always be the Pagoda to me.
We then moved to Ash House, Dunton Road and me and my Dad became regulars in the Alscot, we would play pool in the room above the bar.
As for Webb Street School, I did go there but much earlier than yourself, unfortunatly?
(Making me feel really old)?

Anyway its great to see you here and look forward to any stories about Bermondsey you may write.

Bermondseyboy

Hi Zoe/Bermondsey boy, when did you both go to Grange school. I went there about 64 to 66 then moved to Snowsfields and eventually back to Bacons in Pages Walk (for the 2nd and 3rd year in 72/73). Elsewhere on the site is a great photo of the Guiness buildings in Pages walk. Does anyone have any of the railway buildings that ran between swan Mead and Webb St? I have some aerial shots, but the detail is not too good. They were demolished in the late 60s think.

Crosby34

I will have to get my Abacus out for this calculation?
I think I started at Webb Street Grange in 1954 to about 1960 give or take a year.
So I was 14 or 15 years old when you started I think? (your making me feel really old)
I'm going to throw this Abacus away now. I feel really depressed.
Then went to Paragon Secondary School.
It would be nice to see some old photo's of the Railway Buildings, as living on Harold Estate for many Years, this was my playground.
I'm always searching for old photo's so hopefully one day we may get some of these old buildings.

Bermondseyboy

I sarted in about 64 - I can remember waking up on my first day of school and not really wanting to get out of bed. Nothings changed since then really. We lived in Webb St buildings (a converted house really)which joined Brighton Buildings to Hastings Buildings and faced the entrance to Grange school. I have a few more photos to upload - one of South Bermondsey (pre war) and one of the area around Webb St.

Hi ya,

I left The Grange in about 1985, when we moved to Eastbourne. 

Crosby what were your parents names?  Did they come to The Pagoda when my Mum and Dad run it?  Their names are Alan and Jo Lane.  We did have a lot of regulars both young and old and I really miss it all.  My brother who was very young at the time used to put a bit of Lino outside the pub door to do his breakdancing and would charge people to come into the pub!!!!!  And on a Friday night when Steve used to do the disco me and my brother would come down in our pyjamas and hang around the private door and then Steve would tell us to come in and we used to dance and everyone used to chuck change at us!!!!  They were fantastic times!!!!

xxxxx

Hi All,
My name is Zoe Mitchell and my parents used to run The Pagoda, Tower Bridge Road up until about 1984/1985.  My Brother and I went to The Grange School in Webb Street and I would love to hear from anyone who was at the school the same time as us.  My Aunty and Uncle used to run The Alsot Arms so my brother and I spent quite a bit of time in pubs growing up!!!  I now live in Eastbourne which is overflowing with people from Bermondsey, which is great!!!!
 

-zedmitch

hello zoe
i drank in the pagoda up until about 1985, i remember alan white was the landlord and then another couple took it over, i can`t remember names but we used to go for a drink after the pub shut in southsides next to the wimpey

CROSBY 34-HELLO,I ALSO ATTENDED WEBB ST(62-67)+BACON(68-72),THE RAILWAY BUILDINGS FEATURE IN THE TOMMY STEELE VIDEO,IF U HAVEN'T ALREADY SEEN IT.
WOULD YOU HAVE LIVED NEAR TO THE POOR OLD POLISH WOMAN, WHO,WOULD"CRACK"
ON OCCASSION'S,AND,DEPOSIT HER FLAT'S INTERIOR ONTO THE PAVEMENT IN WEBB ST
OPPO THE SCHOOL.HER MENTAL STATE WAS DUE TO HER "TREATMENT",AT THE HANDS
OF THE NAZI'S IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP,SHE USED TO SCARE THE LIFE OUT OF US(WE
WERE FAR TO YOUNG TO COMPREHEND WHAT SHE HAD SUFFERED)
                                                                                                                         KEN

The Pagoda,happy memories! I was practically bought up in that pub,from the age of 10 I was often found nursing a pint...Of coke and a packet of cheese n onion! I remember taking on allcomers on the pool table.For my 12th birthday,the licensees hid my new bike behind the bar and what a suprise when they told me to go round to get my 'supprise'!..To be honest,I was more chuffed with being the other side of the bar!

Ken,

   Yes, we lived in Webb St buildings,on the floor below the "the Polish woman" as my mum called her. I never knew her name but she was very odd and we just had to try to avoid her. Perhaps the story about her background is true - it would explain a lot 
 I have seen the Tommy Steele video. There are some great views of the old neighbourhood. I've had no luck in getting decent pictures of the railway buildings so it was a stroke of luck that they filmed the programme there.

Hi Popyog29

I went to Grange school 69-76 although my sister who's 10 years older than me would have been there about the same time as you (she was mates with Linda Whitnall, Josie Drury among others). I also remember the poor Polish woman. She used to lean out of her window overlooking  Webb St and shout and make strange (to our young ears) noises. We were also told that she had been in a German concentration camp and was the only surviving member of her family, hence her tortured state of mind so I presume that it must have been true. All the kids used to say that she caught and ate rats (kids can be so cruel), I also recall being told that she had wandered into the school naked (on a day I was off sick) and she seemed to vanish after that so maybe that was also true and she was finally taken somewhere to be looked after. I have often told my husband about her as she made such and impression on my young mind (I was both scared of her and pitied her at the same time), but you are the first person to mention her on this site (to my knowledge). I pray she finally found the peace she was denied in life.  Sorry getting a bit deep there.

Dawn