Druid Street Arch Bombing

Hello Bermondseyboy,

I realize that most of your Forum Members are much younger than me, but I do have an interesting story that is connected with Bermondsey. 

As you can tell from my profile, my wife and I emigrated to Canada in 1957, and are now living in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.

One night about 25 years ago, on my way home on the ferry from work in Halifax, a woman sat next to me who had a distinctive cockney accent.
I started chatting with her and mentioned that I was born in Bermondsey,she said that was where she was born. Then I said that I lived on Abbey Street, blow me down if she didn't say that was where she lived.
I thought that is where the coincidence would end but no, just imagine my surprise when I said that our family lived in the slums of Monarch Buildings. That was also where she lived. I then said we lived in no. 2, and she used to lived directly above us in no. 4.

Well, I bumped into her again the following year in a store near us and she had just returned from a visit to her mother who was still alive and her mother said how she always remembered the Wilcox family, especially those little perishers who made so much noise on the landings.

Hi Roymal

What a coincidence, What a small world.
Perhaps this Lady may find her way to this site, that would be interesting.
You may be a bit older than most on this site, but with age comes experience and lots of memories.
I have been trying to do some research into Monarch Buildings but as yet not found anything.
If you or any of our Members have any info on this ie. photo's would be nice to see.
Thanks for the wonderful storey and keep posting.

Bermondseyboy

Thank you Bermondseyboy for your quick response to my story.

As for the lady whom I met up with on the ferry, I'm afraid that I have lost touch with her.
I did get her maiden name though, which was Hussey.

My wife and I paid a visit to Wales about 10 years ago and once again a chance chat with a group of elderly women and one women said how she remembered Abbey Street and talked about the 'Star' picture house, that us boys always tried to sneak into on a Saturday to watch a cowboy movie.
There was also two pubs, one on the corner of Abbey Street and Jamaica Road and the other called the 'Star and Garter' that my father always frequented. In fact one of your pictures showed a horse drawn cart standing in front of it. I distinctly remember watching with facination the driver unloading barrels of beer into the cellar all by himself with a rope looped around the barrels and slowly roll it down a narrow ladder.
One day he asked me how old I was and I told him "I am 4 years old to-day".

Opposite Monarch Buildings was what we called the 'Drill Hall' and I always played with the caretakers son. I remember that either his name was Gilbert or that was his family name.
I see that the whole street has now completely changed from viewing it on Google virtual map.
We used to walk to St.James school to-gether, which was located opposite the church.
My mother would take me shopping "Down the Blue" sometimes, which was I believe a continuation of Abbey Street through the railway arch.

A picture of monarch Buildings from street level.

A view of Abbey St and Jamaica Rd from the air.

Hi! Crosby34,

I would like to thank you very much for taking the trouble to post the above two pictures of Abbey Street and Monarch Buildings where I lived as a child.
I remember vividly the Sweet Shop now boarded up, to the right of the stairs.
I believe the shop where the car is parked, used to be a shoe shop, with a Kiwi sign in the window.

Thanks again.

Roymal

My mother would take me shopping "Down the Blue" sometimes, which was I believe a continuation of Abbey Street through the railway arch.

-roymal

"The Blue" would refer to the shops and market stalls in Southwark Park Road between the Ancient Forresters (cnr Gallywall Rd) and the Queen Victoria (cnr Monnow Rd). This name derives from SPR's previous name of Blue Anchor Road (pre 1860's). The Blue Anchor pub is still on it's junction with Blue Anchor Lane.

The shops you are talking about at the end of Abbey Street through the railway arch is probably Jamaica Road.  The whole area is different now and that part of Jamaica Road does not exist.

Vossy

I would like to thank both freddie and vossey53 for your contributions to my Drurid Street Arch Bombing topic.

Although it has been many years since I last saw the old place, I guess that we will always retain memories of our birth place.
For example every time I get a smell of certain spices and leather, including fish, it takes me back to my childhood, when my older brothers would take me to a fish market near Tower Bridge, and after loading a box, mounted on roller skate wheels with empty kipper boxes, I would fall asleep lying on top of the pile of wood.
I reckon that it was due to the clicking noise the wheels made, as my brothers pushed the cart over the individual sections of concrete foot path. Something like the mesmerizing sound made by trains.

Again, thank you both for your interest and help.

Roy

My Granddad used to take us over to the fishmarket and we used to make him climb up the Monument..all 311 steps.  We then went home via the Tower of Londo climbing on the cannons by the river.  We always stopped to watch Tower Bridge go up..it was a common occurence then.  Afterwards we would stand on the crack where the bridge opened and look at the river below and wait until the lorries made the road wobble.  It seems like yesterday!

Vossy

Hi
Did you know Fred and Claire (Hook) Conroy they both lived in Abbey Street and both remeber the archway being bombed.  I think Fred was doing his paper round the next day and say his uncle who was one of the people helping.  Fred had a sister rose who lived in devon masions and claire had a sister ellse and brothers wally and ernie.  They would love to here from anyone that knew then in bermondsey

Thank you once again Vossy for your continued interest and thank you Customsign for your comments on the area where I was born in Bermondsey.

Your grandfather must have been very spry to be able to climb the Monument like that.
I vividly remember Tower Bridge as you described it.
I also remember falling in the Thames around the age of 4 or 5 and being taken home where my mother said "Not a word to your father about this". Isn't it funny how I also remember that we had cos lettuce for tea that day.

No I didn't remember any names of people living on Abbey Street Customsign, as I was only 7 years old when we left for evacuation, but I will ask my elder brothers if they can remember the name.

All the best.

Roy Wilcox

                                                            

Hi roymal,

My father was in the ARP and he never told us much about the air raids apart from some of the funny things that happened. But a few years before he died in 2007 he told me about the bombing of the arch and said that the big doors across the front of the arch had been blown through the arch and so many people had died. He did go into some more details but it effected him so much at the time.

Tom.

HI Tom
Just seen your post about ARP.  My dad was in the ARP as well and he was a Senior Warden at the Rouel Road station what was a syngogue before the war and also my aunt Frances [his sister] was a Warden too.  As you say they saw some terrible things but lucky for me, my mum and my sister because he was so close he was able to dig us out of our Anderson Shelter when a bomb fell somewhere near and all the debris covered our shelter.  There was also a public shelter in Linsey Street up by the arches which was bombed and he won a medal for his bravery in saving so many lives.
Milly

When I was quite small I was walking with my brother John and his friend along Linsey St when suddenly the air raid siren started up. They both took my arms, lifted me off the ground, and dashed to the shelter.
I remember looking down the stairs into the entrance of the Synagogue every time I walked up Rouel Rd.
During the war my dad was a look-out and I remember after the war he took me up the tower at Courage's Brewery next to Tower Bridge where he worked and showed me his binoculars, tin helmet, and waterproof cape, they were all black and I think marked " ARP. " 
I can remember playing in the ruins of the " ROUEL TAVERN " it still had the beer pumps ( no beer! ) and we explored from the cellar right up to and onto the roof.
All around was bombed ruins that we called " The debris " and was a geat " Adventure world "
I could " waffle on " about our ball bearing scooters up & down Linsey St ( clickety-click sounds over the pavement cracks!) and yelling under Linsey St arch ( remember the fruity smell of the barrels stored under the arches? I think they were for Lipton's jam factory.).
I know what you mean about nostalgic smells, remember  " Rowe's fishmongers " in Jamaica Rd not far from St James' Church with the covered wooden slide?

Years later walking to work up Shad Thames you would smell coffee, coconut, mustard, hops,tea, plus all the aromas from the different cafes,
We can remember climbing on the cannons and doing the " standing on the joint on Tower Bridge " thing!  When the boats went under the bridge we used look down the funnels.

Just as a side note my Birthday is  October 25th 1939....when that bomb hit the arch I was 1 year old.

Lonny. 

Hi Lonny
So what street did you live in when you came charging down Linsey Street on you scooter you must have past my house to get to The Debris via Eldridge Street which linked Linsey Street with Rouel Road and in Eldridge Street the side which was alongside Liptons jam factory had stacks of barrels from the jam factory which we used to play on.  Did you ever go to Liptons on the day they had their 'charabang' day out to the coast.  All the kids in the know would gather there and wait for the workers who would throw all their loose change out of the windows as they left and then there was a free for all to collect as much money as you could. 

Like you I stil remember Shad Thames also Tower Bridge  beach {how did we survive playing in the river} also standing on the joint when the traffic went over and getting shaken up and down. I have watched the bridge go up many times but next month I am going on a trip to Southend by paddle steamer from Tower Pier and the bridge is going to be raised so I will be going under it, something I have always wanted to do but just taken over 70 years to achieve.

Millie

Hi there would you remeber any of the dales lived in monarch buildings ? thanks max

Hi Lonny
next month I am going on a trip to Southend by paddle steamer from Tower Pier and the bridge is going to be raised so I will be going under it, something I have always wanted to do but just taken over 70 years to achieve.
Millie

-millylinseyst

That must be on the Waverley, has better viewing decks than the Balmoral that sails in July/August. Hope the weather is fine for you and don't forget your camera. The river is not quite as busy as it was when I took a trip as a kid with mum & dad, spotting the different funnel markings in my guide book. Although with Tower Bridge, the riverside pubs, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, the Dome, Thames Barrier, Queen Elizabeth Bridge and more, there's still plenty to see. Enjoy yourself

Hello Milly,

I remember Eldridge St very well as I used to go to Parnells on the corner. The shop opposite known as Chicks was once known as Redfords and before that it was Goodburns. We used to mark the road in Eldrige St. with chalk and make a simple Tennis court and play using  home made bats. 
I remember Lipton's barrels all stacked up and before that the row of houses that were there completely bombed out and after playing in there getting smothered in dust. I lived at 130 Southwark Park Rd  that was almost opposite Linsey St. I can remember the prefabs being built at Linsey St. and Alexis St. Do you remember the water tank ( E.W.S. ) on the corner of Linsey St. that was made out of a large bomb crater and had a concrete lining? We used to slide down the sides  on anything metal ( old shop signs that would be worth a  fortune today )  accompanied with hot friction smells.
Years later working for Courage's brewery I got to delivering to most of their pubs in the area  one being " The Lord Palmerston ." We also delivered to Southend .After the water tank was filled in and levelled as a building site for the flats that are now there we used to have our bonfires there. Do you remember Brian Hanson or the three Hennesey boys Michael, Peter, and Bernard? One afternoon walking home from work there was a huge fire at Lipton's were you there then? That little  picture of me is a Racoon cub that was on my brother Jim's shed in U.S.A. I was in the Air Training Corps based in Weston St ( 504 Sqn.)  and on weekends they had us rowing on the Thames using boats from Redriffe Rowing Club.

lonny.