old places in Bermondsey and Southwark

Hello Johnoj

My grandparents had a friend called Harry ( he lived in Guinness buildings but I can't remember his surname..sorry) who worked in Barrow Hepburn and Gale.  He had most of the ends of his fingers missing as a result of getting them caught in vatious leather cutting machines in Barrows. No machine guards or elf n safety in those days!

Vossy53

Hi johnoj

My brother Anthony Ebdon worked at Barrow Hepburn and Gales after he left school. He was there from 1954 to 1955 or 56. His job was putting the lineing's in suitcases. This may have been after your time, unfortunately he dosn't remember any of the names of other people there. He went to Tower Bridge Secondary School, we lived at 39 Harold Estate.
 It seems that there are plans to re redevelop the Elephant and Castle, perhaps they won't make such a mess of it this time, lets hope not anyway.

Roderick.

Hi Vossy53 and Rodebdon good to hear from you both, I guess I must be getting old now and a bit forgetfull, it is hard to remember names after 60yrs since I left B.H.G but it is a job I will never forget. The working conditions were pretty bad and it was very hard work, we were on piece work so you had to keep going to earn a Quid. I was working on the Tanning pits dropping the hides and skins into the various Pits and pulling them in and out of different pit every day. We wore wooden clogs with steel hoops tacked on the bottoms to stop you from falling in the wet conditions, the walkways between the pits were very narrow and very slippery, men often used to fall in the pits not a very nice experience. I am seeing lots of names of streets and buildings in and around Bermondsey and have a bit of trouble placing them in my mind, serves me right for being away for so long. So they are going to re-develop the Elephant again, why do they always get things wrong? I think they only do it to confuse people like me who can only remember as it was in the 1940s and 50s but thats life..

I remember the tannery well, it was in Horney Lane.As a kid i lived in buildings opposite called Dix's Place (anyone have photos?) I can still remember the smell of the tannery

Quite often an ambulance would arrive to pick up someone who had fallen in one of the tanning pits. When it closed we used to get inside & have adventures - the dare was to walk across the pit on a plank, it was still full of stuff which we thought was acid  - i remember the enormous acid bottles (carboys i think) packed in straw which were still there then. About this time 63/64 there was an enormous fire there while it was being demolished, we watched it burn as we came out of school (Tower Bridge Sec) it was on the news, biggest fire since the blitz they said.
Fond memories - i doubt today's kids have so much fun!

tingle

Regarding pictures of Dixs Place there are some on Bermondsey Boy but I cant find them But im sure Bermondsy Boy can direct you to them

Joe Foster

The fire your spoke about, tingle, got into the national press. I remember the headline "Inferno SE1". Which has concerned me ever since because I was sure it was SE16, being on the corner of The Grange and Horney Lane.

Paperboy

Helli Paperboy

I think SE16 was further doen towards the Blue.  New Cross/Rotherhithe end of bermondsey. My Nan and Grandad in Keyes Road (opposite the Town Hall) were in SE1

Vossy53

Tingle, you have brought back more memories for me. I had forgotten Horney Lane was where the Tannery was located and only remembered it was off The Grange. You talk about the ambulances taking away people who had fallen into the Pits, it was one of my unfortunate experiences to be one of them. There was a Pit there which was used to throw the empty Tan bags in (heated of course) to extract any remaining bits of Tan.This pit was covered with planks to avoid accidents as you can imagine, at knock off time i was walking out backwards rolling a smoke and because you were not allowed to smoke in the work area I walked backwards to keep an eye out for thr Foreman..I did not know the planks had been removed from that Pit and fell into the hot pit. We used leather leggings held up with string and of course the hot water soon filled up and stayed in the leggings causing severe burns to my legs.. I think I shot out of that Pit at a rate of knots, the Ambulance as called and I was carted off to hospital luckily with no serious damage.. I take it the tannery is no more after that big fire..As to the Carboys of acid my cousin Jimmy Johnson used to control the amount of acid that went into the pits not a very nice job as he got splashed with the acid at times which got him for the water a bit sharpish.. Happy days..

Does anyone remember the Bermondsey Medical Mission in Crimscott street? As a boy we used to get sent there for all our cuts and bruises and always were treated very well, maybe like many things it has gone..
Do the cans of beans and spaghetti still roll down the outside of Cross and Blackwell factory? They used to make a lot of noise.

Johnoj

I remember the Medical Mission well and as a child, I had my teeth out there drops in my eyes my eyes tested and my first pair of glasses.  My father worked for London Transport and paid into the HSA and the Medical Mission was a nominated place for treatment so any time the family were sick we would go to the Medical Mission for treatment this was before the NHS, it is quite interesting to read how the Medical Mission started it was basically for woman and children and run by women at a very  low basic cost  and is a very interesting subject to read about.

Regarding Crosse and Blackwell as a child our gang as we called it would knock at doors for jam Jars collect then in bulk and take them to C&B as there was a shortage of glass jars at the time and they would give us a penny (Thats Real Money) a jar so in them days it was a way of getting pocket money as asking Mum or Dad for money was unheardof.

So What is the Medical Mission Now?

Joe Foster

Johnoj

The last time I went down Crimscott Street the building was still there, I'm not sure what it's use is now. I used to go to Sunday School there,I remember the people being very kind and genuine. At the back there was a courtyard with the huge Cross and Blackwell Factory backing onto it. They had built a small house in it, made from corrugated iron ( the first corrugated iron was made in Grange Road ) so was this an early house made perhaps before they built the main building,or a pattern for missions to be built in Africa, China, India and other places were the Medical Mission went, I don't know. We would sometimes go in there for Bible readings, it was very peaceful ( Cross and Blackwell being closed on Sunday so no din from from the rolling tins outside ) it felt to me then that I was indeed in Africa or some far flung place and not Crimscott Street.

We did use the medical part, but I have to say I did sometimes find the treatment rough, but at least they did help us.

Rod

I used to go to Sunday school there - it was called Sunshine Corner

i remember the blue and the amazing market. I used to go to st. marys primary school nr rotherhithe tunnel. my great aunt used to be a lollipop lady just op southwark park.
Does anyone remember the puppet shows in southwark park, also pie and mash in tower bridge rd.
I had a great childhood.........

gilly

While you are on about the Blue does anyone remember the shop in the Blue which stood about where Iceland is now, it could have been an Haberdashy shop or clothing shop I cant remember the name Im sure someone will, the most interesting thing that sticks in my mind about this shop was when they served you, your money was put into a tumbler screwd in a cap and transported to the cashier at a central part of the shop on a wire either elctically or by compressed air and all you could hear was these little capsules wizzing backwards and forwards round the shop with peoples payments and coming back with there change.

Next to this shop the  St James Road end was Uden the undertakers where a carpenter stood in the window making coffins and as a child my mates and I would stand watching this man performing his craft before making our way to Southwark Park and the swings in the shadow of St Olaves Hospital.

On the Blue Anchor Lane side of the shop stood  Still and Co the shoe Shop

What can you remember of this?

Joe Foster

gilly
 
You must join in The Great "Pie and Mash" Debate. You will find it in the Forum, it raises deep pashions (well to bermondsey boys and girls it does).
 
I don't think I remember the puppet show but I do remember the fantastic covered slide there with cocconut mats to slide on.
 
Rod.

Rod

I think the slide you are thinking of is the one that was next to St James Church where you had to use a coconut mat to come down it.

Last time I was there some years ago is was in a dilapidated state.

Is it still there I ask?

Joe Foster

Joe

Yes thats the one. I wonder if that was the grand opening, it shows how much civic pride there was then. It seems a great shame that they can't take so much care now. Such a wonderfull structure, what a pity to let it become delapidated.

When I have a chance I shall take a look to see if it's still there.

Thank's for the picture.

Rod.

Rod

Have read on the internet that the slide was dismantled about 1970 for refurbishment  and never put back again how true this is I dont Know?

Perhaps some who still lives near to the church can tell us.

Joe Foster

The shop I am talking about was Hobbs in The Blue Southwark Park Road with the air operated cash system

Joe Foster