Rouel road

Just seen this posting - We lived next door to Pearce Duffs in Rouel Road!  Mum and Dad's landlady was a miserable old girl called Mrs Hazard!  She would lock all the doors at 10 p.m. and dad would have to climb up the outside of the house to get in a window and let mum and us kids in some nights :)

My sister went to Alma Street and she was born 1947 -

Sis just emailed me that our house was no. 87 :)

Hi
Thanks for your reply 
 I might be slightly confused did your family move out in 1947 to Alma Street or did you just mean
that your sister went to school there, if I am mistaken please ignore all below.

I lived at 91 right next door to Pearce Duffs, our next door neighbour then was an old man called Nichols. There was an Old lady who had I believe lived in number 87 she had an old motor bike and side car which she stored in a little lean to garage next to our house she regularly went out for trips, with a friend of hers who could ride the bike, her husband having owned the bike previously had died and she still liked going out.  Also can you remember or ask Sis if she remembers the identical girl twins who possible lived on the opposite side of the road to your house just to the left of  the bombed out Rouel Road Tavern.
I was one of boy/girl twins, our names were Baker, I was born in 1944 lived in Rouel Road from
1945, Do you or her remember the Thorogoods who owned furniture shop in the Blue and lived in Rouel Road .
Lastly have you or your sister any photo's of Rouel Road at all, I have just completed a small article in  Wikipedia about the history of Rouel Road, and would love anything that might throw further light on the area.
If you go to Wikipedia type Rouel Road in search box it should appear

Thanks   

Hi, I meant my sister went to Alma Street school :)  She was born 1947 so I though may be you knew her there.  We have both looked at your entry, thanks - great.

I guess the old lady at 87 was Mrs Hazard then :)  Ive got an odd feeling that the twins were may be something to do with our family.  I shall ask my sister.

Sorry, no photos of Rouel Road sadly.  I am sure there must be one somewhere.  I shall ask Stephen Humphrey who is the archivist at Southwark and has produced a number of local history books including Bermondsey and Rotherhithe remembered - do you have a copy?.  He has been extremely helpful in the past with my family history research.  If I get a photo, I will let you know.

Thanks for all your efforts.
Hopefully, I will be update the Wiki site as time goes on,  and I get more information.
 I will let you know

Thanks again

Not much to report taxi.  Seems Stephen must be off at the mo, got an email back from the assistant as follows:

We have two photographs of Rouel Road from the 1950s. The first is from 1951, showing a safety playground laid out by Bermondsey Borough Council on a bombed site. The second is a picture of a block of flats in 1955. There are no houses shown in either but you are welcome to come and view them. The road can also be made out in some of the aerial photographs from 1926.

The London Metropolitan Archives has a large photography collection, and they may be worth a visit:

The London Metropolitan Archives

40 Northampton Road

London

EC1R 0HB

Tel: 020 7332 3820

www.lma.gov.uk

ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Hi Hethmar
Thanks again,
Yes any photograph would be handy, I am trying to remember where the playground was located
I believe it was on a site to the right of the then working Liptons Factory, in Rouel Road there was open space there, I use to cross that space to get to Alma School, the  Alexis Street entrance.
I can remember the flats going up opposite my house at 91.
regards 

Well the above are at Southwark archives if you live nearby or you may persuade them to send you a scan?

I just found by googling that National Archives has the following - if you are near by?

Hi Hethmar
Once again, million thanks, I will have to check the Southwark Archives they did relocate to Peckham for a time, while they refurbished the Borough High Street branch I am not if they are open again in SE1 I will check. As for the  National Monuments Record Archives I will find where they are located ?. I will get back let you know.

Thanks
  

Hi Taxi
I read your forum and request for any pics and wondered if my pic would interest you it was taken around about 1930 and it has 2 of my uncles standing outside Liptons jam factory waiting to go into work.
Milly

What a lovely photo.  My goodness, thats a tall lady in the middle there.  But they all look well dressed dont they.

taxi - the National Archives are at Kew.

Hi Milly
I cannot thank you enough for your generous help, if it is ok I would like to put the photograph in my Wikipedia Article
if you wish you view just type in your search box, Rouel road Bermondsey and it should appear .
I lived in the road and was always facinated as a child by its houses, people and industrial
architecture a busy road with real cross section of bermondsey people living and working
along side of each other, remembering the busy laughter and chatter of office and factory workers both at Liptons and Pearce Duffs, the wonderful smells of Custard Powder and Jam a real treat to the senses of a child.. I thought these scenes should never be lost.
Thank you again
David 

Hi David
Please feel free to use  my photograph.  I remember Rouel Road very well because I lived in Linsey Street which run parallel to Rouel Road and my house no. 12 backed onto the Liptons Jam Factory yard where all the fruit was delivered for the jam. I also  went to Alma School but left in 1948 to go to Bermondsey Central.  The Synagogue you mentioned was, during the war, an ARP Warden Station and my dad was Senior Warden there until the end of the war. Also I remember George Sherwood who owned the shop on the corner of Lucy Road and Rouel Road very well as when I went in there on an errand for my dad, who George knew very well, his nickname for me was  'Little  Dusty' as my surname was Miller,
Milly

Hi Hethmar
Sorry I have not got back sooner, I  have obtained a picture of the original Rouel Tavern before it was bombed, unfortunately I cannot publish to Bermondsey boy or Wikipedia because of copywrite rules applied by English Heritage.
If you wish you can contact them they may send you a copy if you are interested its worth trying

Rouel Tavern 70 Rouel Road Bermondsey
BB 89 /942
English Heritage Archives 

David

Many thanks David

Does anyone recall the night Liptons caught fire.  My husband lived opposite no 45.  Their name was Chambers

I remember Alma school,and the Mr Creswell who also took P.E. classes my god he could put the fear of god into everyone.Always emaculatly dressed,he had ginger hair and freckles I can see him now,and also the head teacher spud he would also tell stories at assembly about his war time he was a tank commander,and smoked a pipe even at assembly,a marvelous character.From Alma I went to Bermondsey Central in 1957.

Fast freddie    dave young

Hi Freddie

Do you have a twin sister Rosie?     I also went to Alma Road with my twin brother David about 1945 we are both in our 60's now.    We were also in Mr. Creswell's class and I was terrified of him so was too scared to mess about!    We lived in Rouel Road next to Pearce & Duffs.

Linnie

Hi Freddie
Do you have a twin sister Rosie?     I also went to Alma Road with my twin brother David about 1945 we are both in our 60's now.    We were also in Mr. Creswell's class and I was terrified of him so was too scared to mess about!    We lived in Rouel Road next to Pearce & Duffs.
Linnie 
-linnie

Just read earlier posts in this thread and now realise you were talking to "fastfreddie" and not me!

Hi Linnie,
No sorry, I'm but a youngster and wasn't at Alma until around 1957 - 1963. Those days I lived in Drappers Road
Regards
freddie