BermondseyBoy

kiwi wrote:Before the Astoria Cinama.
The King’s Cinema Palace was built in 1913, with 600-seats. Early in its short life it went into receivership. In 1915 it was re-opened and re-named the Palasino Electric Theatre. The Palasino Electric Theatre was demolished in 1928 and, on an expanded site, arose the 2,899-seat Astoria Old Kent Road.
7 Old Kent Road 1915, Palasino Electric Cinema, where the Astoria was. X..png
7 Old Kent Road Astoria. X..png
7 Old Kent Road, Astoria Cinema. X..png

7 Old Kent Road 2022, site of the Astoria Cinema opposite. Looking from Peckham Park Road. X..png

I remember some time in the mid seventies, before the skate park was built and the building was empty and derelict, me and local friends occasionally played in there!
It was mostly pitch dark and we’d scare each other senseless every time we heard a creak!
If I remember correctly, there were cottages down the side of the Astoria, accessed by a path that was next to the little chemists... I imagine that they were demolished many years ago?

The Canal Cottages are still there, Brian!

Hi Brian, welcome back and I hope the move went well and that you have settled in ok.
Saying that I hope these are the cottages you meant, if not it is still good catching up with you. Ray.

kiwi wrote:Hi Brian, welcome back and I hope the move went well and that you have settled in ok.
Saying that I hope these are the cottages you mean, if not it is still good catching up with you. Ray.
Old Kent Road, Cottages down the side of the Astoria from Sandgate Street, 2022. X..png

Hi Ray,

Yes, good to be back!
I’m amazed the cottages are still there, when there’s virtually nothing of their vintage left in the area.
Do you think they were originally for canal workers?

-B...

No, the cottages were built by/for the gasworks, when it occupied a narrow strip stretching alongside the Surrey Canal from the Canal Bridge, to where it is today. George Livesey grew up in Canal Grove Cottages, (C1840).

Canal Grove Cottages, Canal Grove.

They had a clock very similar to this one in these offices when I worked there, (late 1950s),wonder if it is the same one.

Old Kent Road, The Lord Nelson Pub.

Old Kent Road, Nelson Pub, corner with Trafalgar Avenue.

kiwi wrote:Old Kent Road, The Shard Arms,1906. X..jpgOld Kent Road, Times Furniture. X.png

Hi Ray,

The road sign outside Times left me a little confused...?
New Cross straight on, Bermondsey next left (Via Dunton Road?) but Camberwell next left too?
Camberwell would be to the right (Via Albany Road?).
Can only imagine that there was no right turn and that you would have to turn left down Dunton Road and drive around the block to come back across the Old Kent Road to head towards Camberwell.
Bit of a pain if you were not familiar with the area and travelling on foot!

briancreasey44 wrote:

kiwi wrote:Old Kent Road, The Shard Arms,1906. X..jpgOld Kent Road, Times Furniture. X.png

Hi Ray,

The road sign outside Times left me a little confused...?
New Cross straight on, Bermondsey next left (Via Dunton Road?) but Camberwell next left too?
Camberwell would be to the right (Via Albany Road?).
Can only imagine that there was no right turn and that you would have to turn left down Dunton Road and drive around the block to come back across the Old Kent Road to head towards Camberwell.
Bit of a pain if you were not familiar with the area and travelling on foot!

Hi Brian.
Yes, you have got it right, no right turn into Albany Road from Old Kent Road.
Turn left into Dunton Road next right into Earl Road then right into Humphey Street and straight across Old Kent Road into Albany Road, don’t forget to stop at the traffic lights if on red.
I can remember when you could turn right into Albany Road from the Old Kent Road, so that begs the
question, what year did it change If my memory serves me right, it changed because of the Fire Station. In an emergency, fire engines had a problem exiting the Fire Station due to stationary traffic stopped at the Traffic lights.