SOUTHWARK PARK.
Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:02 pm
What are your memories of Southwark Park?
This is a Topic taken from the old BERMONDSEYBOY site, with comments and pictures I think are just too good to lose, so just in case the old site disappears overnight I’ve transferred most of it over.
I can remember that in about 1943 near the end of the 2nd World War, when, as children a group of boys and girls would go to the park for a picnic. At this time the Park was run by the LCC (London County Council) and the Park Keepers, in their brown uniforms and hats would keep tight control of what went on in the park - no nonsense in those days!
Everyone was kept off the fenced flower area and the children - except when accompanied by adults - were banned from the Rose Garden.
I remember the large Boating Pool to the rear of the Rose Garden, with rowing boats and a motor boat that had in the past been used to give people rides round the lake. This was later filled in because it leaked, and the whole area was made into a Flower Garden. To the rear of the Lake, stood the Lido, unused in those days of course.
The Army still occupied the far end of the Park, where the Sports Complex now stands, and anti-aircraft (ack-ack guns for the defence of Surrey Docks) stood in the distance and a fence kept the public from this area.
In the shadows of the old St Olive’s Hospital was a children's Swing Park, with the unusual boat-swings which held two children, each with a rope to pull to make the swing move, similar to those you would find in a fairground today.
The Sports Ground was to the left as you entered the Park (on the Southwark Park Road side of the Park) in a long gravelled area with a wire fence - this was for football and cricket.
A Bandstand stood in the centre of a green field near the Jamaica Road entrance and at the Gomm Road entrance was the Park Nursery where the plants were cultivated and grown before being planted out.
I can remember going to the Park on the Tram from Riley Road School to Southwark Park every Wednesday afternoon for Sports activities.
What are your memories?
Joe Foster. (FOSNEY)
Hi Joe
Unfortunately I can't go back that far.
The earliest I can remember would have been in the early 60's about the time when that video was shot by Patrick Long (Southwark Park 1966) and most of that was kicking a football about or swimming and posing in the Lido, and that water was always freezing or is that just me?
I do remember the bandstand and now I have learnt something else, I never did realise they had those anti-aircraft guns there.
Was there ever one left there for display purposes? something in the back of my mind says there was some military artefact there. BERMONDSEYBOY
BERMONDSEYBOY Southwark Park Bandstand. Not my sort of music, but it was nice to listen to on a sunny day.
Just seen the picture of the bandstand in Southwark Park. You mentioned that it was not your sort of music Bermondsey boy but maybe because you are so much younger you will not know that on Saturday nights around about 1952/53 in the summer there were live bands and the dancing was free so many teenagers, I was one of them with my friend Pam, would go jiving and because we were taught ballroom dancing at our mixed school 'Bermondsey Central' we might even get asked to dance from one of them by the way do you know what year the photo of the bandstand was taken?
Millylinseyst
Hi Millylinseyst
Yes you are correct, a little younger, born 1949
The only music I heard was older band music.
The only bit of history of the Bandstand I could find is that it was at the Horticultural Society at South Kensington and moved to Southwark Park I think in 1884.
It also has a Sister in Peckham Rye Park.
Not sure about the date of photo.
The image of all the teenagers dancing to live bands makes me wish I was a little older, I feel that I’ve missed out of something special.
Bermondseyboy
jimmika
my girlfriend used to work in the warrior pub on the corner of Redriff an lower rd i think i'ts changed its name now anyway we used to cut across the park over the fence by the jolly chalkers to get to her house in tranton rd an one night as we walk by the lido there were a load of people swimming so we joined them skinny dipping anyone remember she was the only girl there it must stick in someones mind it was august 1970.
george61
Does anybody remember the entrances to the WWII bomb shelters by the Jamaica Road entrance to the park? There were three wedge shaped structures built of brick, about 8ft high. As a child I would run up them and slide down the incline. They are no longer there and I don't remember them being taken down. Does anybody know if the bomb shelters were filled in or are still there?
jimmika
i remember them shelters well done the same as you running me legs off i would think they are still there because one time we got into one an it was quite extensive also what about the big stage in front of them where the little band stand is now there was this big corragated iron stage where in the summer they used to put on variety shows.and the big film van that showed films out the back ring any bells with any one.
talking about southwark park, reminds me of the time i found a head or more correctly a skull they were filling in some ground near the pond an i found this head , run home to show me mum she screamed an told me to chuck it in the yard,then she gave me a newspaper to wrap it up in an told me to take it to the police station paradise st so when i get there the copper says wot ya got there sunny jim, im thinking how does he know my name so i say i've got an nead, he says a nead wots a nead so he opens the paper an says oh a head! then i get a ride in a black maria to show them were i found it an they picked up some more bones couple of weeks later its in the south london press it seems the earth they were filling in the hole with came from a graveyard and was about two hundred years old i've never seen the artical do'es anyone know if i can search the slp archive
teddyp
My Nan (Margaret Hickey nee Burnett 1917-1999) and Grandad (Mattthew Hickey 1907-1986 - known as Paddy for obvious reasons) used to live just off Southwark Park at Moreton House, Slippers Place, Southwark Park Road. They lived there for as long as I could recall. We used to go into Southwark Park as kids as it was literally on their back door.
My Grandad had a small electrical shop (I think it may have been called 'Hickey Electrical') which I believe was in Spa Road. My Nan worked for Southwark Council.
My Dad was Peter Hickey (1940-2007) he was a comedy script writer, working mainly in radio. My Uncle is Patrick Hickey (1943) he served in the Royal Navy and also worked at the DTI.
rstupple2
Hi Teddy your post brought back a lot of memories, I lived on the what they called the new Neckinger Est from 1952-1969, I knew your dad peter not very well as he was five years older than me, but used to go mates with your uncle in a large group all living on the neckinger Estate.
Remember your Grandad with his shop which was on the front of Neckinger Estate. I think for a while they lived in the flat attached to the Shop. Dont think anybody ever bought a TV from your grandad, because they were to expensive to buy, but everybody rented them from him, Our first television was rented from him for the coronation in 1953. Remember him coming to our flat to fix the TV when it went wrong. My parents were in Neckinger Estate until 2006.
Rick Stupple
bermondseywa
I remember swimming in the open air pool on hot sunny days, dodging floating crisp packets and dead bees. We used to go on to Rotherhithe baths (which seemed really new and posh and expensive compared to Grange baths) when outdoor pool got too chilly.
I also remember going to the Tufty club at the bandstand. Anyone else recall Tufty the road safety squirrel? I was a member of the Tufty club and got a little hankie with pictures of the characters on. Still had it in my 20's but got lost somewhere in a house move. Any other Southwark Park Tufty members out there. Would have been end of 60's early 70's.
Dawn
times were hard but "IT NEVER DID ME ANY HARM"
bermondseygal
I remember Tufty the squirrel!
I was a member of the Tufty Club in the 1960's and I too had a little hankie with the characters on it.
I Lost/mislaid my hankie long ago.
Lesley
You can take the girl out of Bermondsey but you can't take Bermondsey out of the girl!
This is a Topic taken from the old BERMONDSEYBOY site, with comments and pictures I think are just too good to lose, so just in case the old site disappears overnight I’ve transferred most of it over.
I can remember that in about 1943 near the end of the 2nd World War, when, as children a group of boys and girls would go to the park for a picnic. At this time the Park was run by the LCC (London County Council) and the Park Keepers, in their brown uniforms and hats would keep tight control of what went on in the park - no nonsense in those days!
Everyone was kept off the fenced flower area and the children - except when accompanied by adults - were banned from the Rose Garden.
I remember the large Boating Pool to the rear of the Rose Garden, with rowing boats and a motor boat that had in the past been used to give people rides round the lake. This was later filled in because it leaked, and the whole area was made into a Flower Garden. To the rear of the Lake, stood the Lido, unused in those days of course.
The Army still occupied the far end of the Park, where the Sports Complex now stands, and anti-aircraft (ack-ack guns for the defence of Surrey Docks) stood in the distance and a fence kept the public from this area.
In the shadows of the old St Olive’s Hospital was a children's Swing Park, with the unusual boat-swings which held two children, each with a rope to pull to make the swing move, similar to those you would find in a fairground today.
The Sports Ground was to the left as you entered the Park (on the Southwark Park Road side of the Park) in a long gravelled area with a wire fence - this was for football and cricket.
A Bandstand stood in the centre of a green field near the Jamaica Road entrance and at the Gomm Road entrance was the Park Nursery where the plants were cultivated and grown before being planted out.
I can remember going to the Park on the Tram from Riley Road School to Southwark Park every Wednesday afternoon for Sports activities.
What are your memories?
Joe Foster. (FOSNEY)
Hi Joe
Unfortunately I can't go back that far.
The earliest I can remember would have been in the early 60's about the time when that video was shot by Patrick Long (Southwark Park 1966) and most of that was kicking a football about or swimming and posing in the Lido, and that water was always freezing or is that just me?
I do remember the bandstand and now I have learnt something else, I never did realise they had those anti-aircraft guns there.
Was there ever one left there for display purposes? something in the back of my mind says there was some military artefact there. BERMONDSEYBOY
BERMONDSEYBOY Southwark Park Bandstand. Not my sort of music, but it was nice to listen to on a sunny day.
Just seen the picture of the bandstand in Southwark Park. You mentioned that it was not your sort of music Bermondsey boy but maybe because you are so much younger you will not know that on Saturday nights around about 1952/53 in the summer there were live bands and the dancing was free so many teenagers, I was one of them with my friend Pam, would go jiving and because we were taught ballroom dancing at our mixed school 'Bermondsey Central' we might even get asked to dance from one of them by the way do you know what year the photo of the bandstand was taken?
Millylinseyst
Hi Millylinseyst
Yes you are correct, a little younger, born 1949
The only music I heard was older band music.
The only bit of history of the Bandstand I could find is that it was at the Horticultural Society at South Kensington and moved to Southwark Park I think in 1884.
It also has a Sister in Peckham Rye Park.
Not sure about the date of photo.
The image of all the teenagers dancing to live bands makes me wish I was a little older, I feel that I’ve missed out of something special.
Bermondseyboy
jimmika
my girlfriend used to work in the warrior pub on the corner of Redriff an lower rd i think i'ts changed its name now anyway we used to cut across the park over the fence by the jolly chalkers to get to her house in tranton rd an one night as we walk by the lido there were a load of people swimming so we joined them skinny dipping anyone remember she was the only girl there it must stick in someones mind it was august 1970.
george61
Does anybody remember the entrances to the WWII bomb shelters by the Jamaica Road entrance to the park? There were three wedge shaped structures built of brick, about 8ft high. As a child I would run up them and slide down the incline. They are no longer there and I don't remember them being taken down. Does anybody know if the bomb shelters were filled in or are still there?
jimmika
i remember them shelters well done the same as you running me legs off i would think they are still there because one time we got into one an it was quite extensive also what about the big stage in front of them where the little band stand is now there was this big corragated iron stage where in the summer they used to put on variety shows.and the big film van that showed films out the back ring any bells with any one.
talking about southwark park, reminds me of the time i found a head or more correctly a skull they were filling in some ground near the pond an i found this head , run home to show me mum she screamed an told me to chuck it in the yard,then she gave me a newspaper to wrap it up in an told me to take it to the police station paradise st so when i get there the copper says wot ya got there sunny jim, im thinking how does he know my name so i say i've got an nead, he says a nead wots a nead so he opens the paper an says oh a head! then i get a ride in a black maria to show them were i found it an they picked up some more bones couple of weeks later its in the south london press it seems the earth they were filling in the hole with came from a graveyard and was about two hundred years old i've never seen the artical do'es anyone know if i can search the slp archive
teddyp
My Nan (Margaret Hickey nee Burnett 1917-1999) and Grandad (Mattthew Hickey 1907-1986 - known as Paddy for obvious reasons) used to live just off Southwark Park at Moreton House, Slippers Place, Southwark Park Road. They lived there for as long as I could recall. We used to go into Southwark Park as kids as it was literally on their back door.
My Grandad had a small electrical shop (I think it may have been called 'Hickey Electrical') which I believe was in Spa Road. My Nan worked for Southwark Council.
My Dad was Peter Hickey (1940-2007) he was a comedy script writer, working mainly in radio. My Uncle is Patrick Hickey (1943) he served in the Royal Navy and also worked at the DTI.
rstupple2
Hi Teddy your post brought back a lot of memories, I lived on the what they called the new Neckinger Est from 1952-1969, I knew your dad peter not very well as he was five years older than me, but used to go mates with your uncle in a large group all living on the neckinger Estate.
Remember your Grandad with his shop which was on the front of Neckinger Estate. I think for a while they lived in the flat attached to the Shop. Dont think anybody ever bought a TV from your grandad, because they were to expensive to buy, but everybody rented them from him, Our first television was rented from him for the coronation in 1953. Remember him coming to our flat to fix the TV when it went wrong. My parents were in Neckinger Estate until 2006.
Rick Stupple
bermondseywa
I remember swimming in the open air pool on hot sunny days, dodging floating crisp packets and dead bees. We used to go on to Rotherhithe baths (which seemed really new and posh and expensive compared to Grange baths) when outdoor pool got too chilly.
I also remember going to the Tufty club at the bandstand. Anyone else recall Tufty the road safety squirrel? I was a member of the Tufty club and got a little hankie with pictures of the characters on. Still had it in my 20's but got lost somewhere in a house move. Any other Southwark Park Tufty members out there. Would have been end of 60's early 70's.
Dawn
times were hard but "IT NEVER DID ME ANY HARM"
bermondseygal
I remember Tufty the squirrel!
I was a member of the Tufty Club in the 1960's and I too had a little hankie with the characters on it.
I Lost/mislaid my hankie long ago.
Lesley
You can take the girl out of Bermondsey but you can't take Bermondsey out of the girl!