Jamaica Road

Photo's sent in by Johnh

Taken 1961 and showed a procession
and think it was in the Jamaica Road/ area.

It was to do with the kids' first communion.

The girls were dressed in kind of bridesmaids dresses and the boys in crisp white shirts and shorts.

PS I'm the kid in the blue shorts.
 
Johnh.

Interesting to see the plans for the Bermondsey Spa development on Jamaica Road 
http://www.bermondseyspa.co.uk/  More of the same style apartments, but at least the name has a local link.

Hi john .

I went to St Jospehs school at Dock head

i remeber attending the pocession and making my holy communion around that time

What church did you make your communion in? .is there anyone you remember making it with?

kind regards, Sue Sheen

Yours for £300. Although as it has been on display for years perhaps they'd accept an offer.

Hiya all

I did send a direct message to Sue Sheen and have sent some more pics to Steve of the same event but note that the pics are no longer there!!  What the hell is photobucket!

Best wishes John

Thanks they are back on now!!

A big thanks to Freddie for discovering Michael Holland's brilliant Facebook page on Bermondsey & Rotherhithe from the 50's-70's http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150749721120898&set=o.259003334110863&type=1&permPage=1 .

I'm sure Michael won't mind me posting these two; 
1. This shows the western part of the Dickens Estate & St Joseph's Primary school in 1975.
2. I love this one of Llewellyn Street from 1963. It's taken from the former sheds inbetween Rudge and Tupman House - looking north to Chambers Wharf with the Prince of Wales on the left & Micawber House on the right.

Hi Deegs,

The Bermondsey group you are talking about is not Michael Hollands, although he does contribute quite a lot to it. Most of the photo's are posted by the members themselves. There is another one: Bermondsey and Rotherhite 80's. They are both really good groups, with members sharing lots of memories. Have you joined the one you mentioned? (50's,60's and 70,s) If you go onto members you will see the admin.

Kind regards Anita.

Hi Deegs,The Bermondsey group you are talking about is not Michael Hollands, although he does contribute quite a lot to it. Most of the photo's are posted by the members themselves. There is another one: Bermondsey and Rotherhite 80's. They are both really good groups, with members sharing lots of memories. Have you joined the one you mentioned? (50's,60's and 70,s) If you go onto members you will see the admin.Kind regards Anita.

-anitawilson62

Hi Deegs,

Facebook gets to us all in the end! They are good groups though, think you will enjoy them. You might even catch up with a few old faces from the past!
 Anita.

As explained by Anita, facebook groups are not owned by anyone but are set up and administered by someone and group members make their own contributions. This usually includes their own photo's, although if truth be told, mainly images that are copyright elsewhere! I mentioned Michael Holland as the specific pictures of Paradise Street referred to, appear to be from his or his families personal collection. Maybe my previous post wasn't really clear enough and mislead you!

Regards
freddie

Further to Freddie’s link to the City of London archive/Collage website (http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/collage/app?service=external/SearchResults&sp=I%3ABermondsey%2C+Metropolitan+Borough+of+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++%3A%3A), these thumbnails show part of the Dickens Estate before construction from the early 50’s (I’m not sure how much it costs to buy each image, but the City of London archive might let us reproduce some of the larger images here if the copyright is protected and a link to their shop provided).

The first four photo’s are all from 1954. The first seems as though it’s looking towards the Bermondsey Settlement on Farncombe Street, with the second lower down on the ground.

I think the third is looking back in the opposite direction towards Llewllyn Street.  I’m not sure which new block is under construction – possibly Tupman House.  The fourth one is of Scott Lidgett Cresent looking west – from the houses on Farncombe Street.

The subsequent five photo’s are all from1953 and apparently of Llewllyn Street (front & back) – what an amazing transformation from the photo above from 1963. It’s easy to forget the incredible changes the post-war years saw.

Hi Deegs

I too spent hours on 'Collage' and was totally absorbed!! I was particularly interested in the first 4 pics on your post (I copied those too!!) because my folks lived in Martin Crescent during and after the war, and although I have old pics of them indoors etc, I have never seen any photographic evidence (apart from crosby34 arial shots) of that area! Until now that is! So, have I got this right? In no1 the 3 parallel roads are (nearest) Bevington, then Farncombe, then (now I know on Collage they refer to it as Scott Lidgett, when did the name change occur?) Martin Crescent, with Jamaica Rd in the distance, where the bus is. I'm guessing the large block in the middle is Spenlow (when was that built?), similar view but lower down as you say in no2, no3 looks as if it was taken from upstairs on the far side of Spenlow, and no4 similar but at street level, the older houses in the foreground opposite Spenlow must be what was finally left of Martin Crescent (Street, Scott Lidgett, call it what you like), and yes I think that is Tupman, there were a few more pics of this area that I copied too, but looking at the old maps etc for the 1954 survey, it all fits. It would be lovely to discover if anyone else has any old pics of this area? Fascinating!!

All the best

Ian

Two more fascinating photographs to add to this little collection, I can't wait to show these to my Mum! In the first we appear to be looking west, so on the right, if we think the 'new-build' would appear to be Tupman, the pitched roof block over on the left in the distance must be Carton House?

best regards

Ian

And finally.......this photo was taken, we think, around 1950, of my Mum (she would be about 19 then) in the back garden of 11 Martin Crescent, with Sandy (the dog)....

My Mum, Joycie Martin, good night all!

Two more fascinating photographs to add to this little collection, I can't wait to show these to my Mum! In the first we appear to be looking west, so on the right, if we think the 'new-build' would appear to be Tupman, the pitched roof block over on the left in the distance must be Carton House?best regardsIan

-ianmartin

Ian,
This is a brilliant collection of photo's. 

For someone who grew up on Dickens Estate after all the changes, I have to admit that I can't get my bearings on many of the photos - such as the two you've posted. Must be amazing for your mum and others of her generation that can remember the area as it was before.

Difficult to place Ian's two exactly but from the angles I reckon the first one was taken from about the site of 17 Martin Crescent, the nearest house is 25 Farncombe Street and the one behind it to its left is 33 Llewellyn Street, the pub is in Bevington Street, the nearer construction is Micawber House (Tupman House is behind it) and the further one to the right of Micawber House is Havisham House. And I would concur that the one to the left of the pub must be Carton House.
The second one is looking south-west down Farncombe Street, the house on the right being 25, and the building on the left was probably No. 50c (extra numbers had had to be added beyond no.2 which had originally been the end house on the left). The buildings in the distance are the rears of 93 and 95 Jamaica Road and maybe one or two others. I think the pole on the left with the lamp on is a decapitated telegraph pole; strangely it is missing in the first photo. The wall in the centre of the second photo with the plaster still on it had been the rear of 20 Bevington Street - possibly the lavatory. Beyond that wall is the alley through to Bevington Street, which can be seen in the first photo.

Interesting to see 25 Farncombe Road - my cousin three times removed lived next door to the right at No. 27 in 1901.

Hi fogbrain and deegs,

This is great stuff, hearing from people such as you who actually lived in this specific area! Your conclusion that the first photo from my post was taken from about where 17 Martin Crescent used to be sets my imagination running wild to think that was only 6 doors away from where my Mum and her family lived!! For me to imagine in that photo of my Mum, were she to turn around and look over the top of that back wall she would be looking at similar things in the same direction as in that first pic is so exciting, obviously in 1950 the newer builds wouldn't have been there, and a few less demolitions no doubt. She is coming over for dinner on Sunday, I can't wait to show her all of this!! I also know that somewhere she still has (I hope!) a newspaper from just after the doodlebug hit Martin Crescent, it shows a picture of before and after (a bit like yesterday and today!!) it would be amazing to scan and post it on here!!

Thank you both for your invaluable input!

Happy Easter to you and yours,

All the best

Ian