Anybody remember the shops in Charlton Village.......
Co-op:
Post office: with the wool shop in the back? Used to book up 'exotic coach tours' to far away places like Great Yarmouth, Lewis coaches, Timpson's was it?.My grandfather used to organise coach trips at christmas for Greenwich council employees.
Wet fish shop: Great variety of fish, the cod was wonderful, my grandmother used to make 'penny chips'.
The fish and chip shop: Used to have a funny pie machine that cooked them, remember waiting on a friday night for these.
Greengrocers: Where I used to drag back 1b's of King Edwards from, my mother used to prepare a cooked meal for my father every day, as was the standard on the estate for most working men.
Woolshop: Patterns and Wool, the 'smell' was very pungent.
The hairdressers, or the 'shearing shack'. Sam Costa playing on the radio. Durex's on the shelves, young lad's smirking when anyone bought any?. As I grew my hair this became a distant memory, but I do remember getting a 'boston' haircut.
Chemist: Those big bottles full of unimaginable horrid cough mixtures, or stuff to put up your backside!. My grandfather used to get some spices in here to make up 'ginger wine', which I used to help him make in large enamel bowls?. He used to give these out to his workmen in the council at Christmas as a thank you......
Garage: although we used to get our bikes repaired here, spokes, brake rubbers, until we got serious and went to excells in Woolwich. Like a prat I got a fixed wheel dropped handle bar bike, which I frequently came off of...... teach me to be flash.
Butchers: There used to be till that you paid at, some old biddie. I alway's expected the butcher to chop his fingers off, he never did. We had a christmas club account there, meat was available, and when you were hard up you had 'spam' or Corned beef. My mother made an excellent corn beef pie. My nan used to make Rabbit pie, a family favourite.
Sweet shop: One on the corner that sold fireworks/cards/Papers. And an old boy used to sell more expensive stuff, and fabulous licorace,fruit fish,and all the favorites in glass jars, 2ozs please.......and some shoelaces?
Pubs: Swan, Bugle.....My father drank in the Swan, although later in the Valley as it was an estate pub really.
The shops were an important part of the community and I would have a choice of Brandon's with that wonderful off-licence next door where I used to return hte bottles after Christmas?
'Paddy's' was the Barbers in the recess next to 'Bowes' the shoe shop which is still there, you could buy Plimsols in there for about a £5 apparently they are now called 'Converse' at £50+. My Mum used to take me down to Clarks in Woolwich to get my feet measured, then bring me back to Bowes and ask for the apprpriate size, 'say 5 and a half' only to be told he didnt do half sizes so I be given a size 6!! Bates (no relation) the DIY shop, opposite the now CO-OP
I know this thread is about Charlton Village, but it's time the other end of town got a mention.
I grew up at the bottom end of Victoria Way and Woolwich Road, so here are my random memories:
Harvey's .. the factory on Woolwich Road where low-loaders would roll out, often on a Sunday, with some weird bit of engineering on the back. Huge tubes or ship's propellors or heat exchangers or something.
Plimmers ... a grocers on Woolwich Road opposite the bottom of Victoria Way.
The Rose of Denmark being built, probably in the early 1960's. It was only recently (thanks to Tom Hovi) that I became aware that it replaced a previous Rose of Denmark on the same site. The Dump ... next to the Rose ... where we held our firework nights.
New's ... another grocers, also next to the Rose, but towards Victoria Way. A small shop where I was sent to buy things like tea, spam and Kensitas. Immediately opposite, at the start of Lombard Wall, was the butchers.
Whybrows, the tobacconist at the junction of Rathmore Road and Woolwich Road. The old biddy was OK, but the old boy who smoked a pipe was seriously scarey.
Then, towards Greenwich and just past what was the Roupell (it's the Pickwick now), we had the Post Office run by the Copps family and the chip shop (still there). The name Ross's rings a bell.
My mother worked at Bob Hawkes (the greengrocers) a bit further along and would always tell me when John Hewie had called in for his veg.
I know this thread is about the 50s/60s but does anyone remember the co-op being robbed in the mid to late 70s?
I was watching tv the whole evening, Officer ; )
Ha Ha the fella that done it was lodging at my uncles place in Elliscombe road and his mum worked in the co-op, all they managed to pinch were bags of coins and the police caught him by just following the trail of coins he dropped as he ran home!
Amazed that Bowes is still there and the shop front hasn't changed a bit. I used to deliver them an evening paper on my 6 shiling a week paper round as well as Paddy's and the bike shop. Had a morning round later on and used to deliver to the old dairy in Cemetary Lane as well as the Cemetary Lodge, but they didn't open the gates till late so I used to climb over the railings,didn't hang about on dark winter mornings. Used to run errands to the village and remember hating the long queues at the greengrocers. Had to ask the butcher for chops without too much fat but worst errand was carrying a gallon can of parrafin back from the hardware shop where my mum worked. Never did get why we collected the tin divi money from the Coop, we had tin fulls of them indooors we used them as money when we played cards. There was a chemist and a tobacconist as well. Don't know why the Chemist wouldn't sell us sodium chlorate, it was for our dad's garden, honest mister.
I know this thread is about Charlton Village, but it's time the other end of town got a mention.
I grew up at the bottom end of Victoria Way and Woolwich Road, so here are my random memories:
Harvey's .. the factory on Woolwich Road where low-loaders would roll out, often on a Sunday, with some weird bit of engineering on the back. Huge tubes or ship's propellors or heat exchangers or something.
Plimmers ... a grocers on Woolwich Road opposite the bottom of Victoria Way.
The Rose of Denmark being built, probably in the early 1960's. It was only recently (thanks to Tom Hovi) that I became aware that it replaced a previous Rose of Denmark on the same site. The Dump ... next to the Rose ... where we held our firework nights.
New's ... another grocers, also next to the Rose, but towards Victoria Way. A small shop where I was sent to buy things like tea, spam and Kensitas. Immediately opposite, at the start of Lombard Wall, was the butchers.
Whybrows, the tobacconist at the junction of Rathmore Road and Woolwich Road. The old biddy was OK, but the old boy who smoked a pipe was seriously scarey.
Then, towards Greenwich and just past what was the Roupell (it's the Pickwick now), we had the Post Office run by the Copps family and the chip shop (still there). The name Ross's rings a bell.
My mother worked at Bob Hawkes (the greengrocers) a bit further along and would always tell me when John Hewie had called in for his veg.
Dave, I alway's thought the ships propellers were made at Stones Foundry?
Dave, I alway's thought the ships propellers were made at Stones Foundry?
Yes, you're definitely right T.C.E, but Harvey's banged out a load of different stuff and there were what looked like propellors on some occasions. Maybe they were turbines. I was quite young then.
Ken from Bexley and TCE. I wrote the original article and I could kick myself now for not including the shops that were in the village at the time.
Wished I had thought of that.
However you boys have missed a few retail outlets. There was Jaggs the jewellers near Paddy the Barber. I am ashamed to admit I cant think of the house number because my father was born in 1920 in the flat over the shop. There was a hardware shop that sold buckets and brooms etc and more important Esso Blue Parrafin which i would be sent on an errand to buy. I remember the man who owned the papershop on the corner of Landsdowne Lane only had one arm but he used one hand and arm with such skill he could out do most people with two. Oh and of course Russell's toy shop and dry cleaners at 57 the Village (since demolished) which was owned by my Grandfather and later my Father. This was where I lived in my early years and it formed the basis of the article.
There has to be a baker - Where was the baker ??????
I grow up in Charlton during the 60's and remember being taken to Paddy's for my haircut. He used to sit me on a blank across the armrests and always used to cut my ear and give me a terrible haircut those old school pic's oh dear. Next to that was Bowes (still there) where we got our shoes repaired. Other side of it was the Butchers, mum told me his daughter married Mike Bailey no less and next to that was a fish and chip shop. Further up was the newsagents run by my a school mates dad, one year the Evening Standard run a competition to get schools to recycle newspaper and Terry Venables then playing for QPR promoted it with the kids who collected the most meeting him at a game, he won (no surprise) and the match was against us and we won 4-1 at Loftus Road think it was 69/70, remember him telling me TV was not happy. Great place to grow up with all the parks that just seemed like our extended garden. Still got links as my sister bought the family house in Heathwood Gardens.
Ken from Bexley and TCE. I wrote the original article and I could kick myself now for not including the shops that were in the village at the time.
Wished I had thought of that.
However you boys have missed a few retail outlets. There was Jaggs the jewellers near Paddy the Barber. I am ashamed to admit I cant think of the house number because my father was born in 1920 in the flat over the shop. There was a hardware shop that sold buckets and brooms etc and more important Esso Blue Parrafin which i would be sent on an errand to buy. I remember the man who owned the papershop on the corner of Landsdowne Lane only had one arm but he used one hand and arm with such skill he could out do most people with two. Oh and of course Russell's toy shop and dry cleaners at 57 the Village (since demolished) which was owned by my Grandfather and later my Father. This was where I lived in my early years and it formed the basis of the article.
There has to be a baker - Where was the baker ??????
I grow up in Charlton during the 60's and remember being taken to Paddy's for my haircut. He used to sit me on a blank across the armrests and always used to cut my ear and give me a terrible haircut those old school pic's oh dear. Next to that was Bowes (still there) where we got our shoes repaired. Other side of it was the Butchers, mum told me his daughter married Mike Bailey no less and next to that was a fish and chip shop. Further up was the newsagents run by my a school mates dad, one year the Evening Standard run a competition to get schools to recycle newspaper and Terry Venables then playing for QPR promoted it with the kids who collected the most meeting him at a game, he won (no surprise) and the match was against us and we won 4-1 at Loftus Road think it was 69/70, remember him telling me TV was not happy. Great place to grow up with all the parks that just seemed like our extended garden. Still got links as my sister bought the family house in Heathwood Gardens.
Lol. Paddy was a B*******, he had all the photo's of good looking blokes with a decent haircut he couldnt cut hair anything like it! He was hatchet man, in the days when I needed a haircut Mum used to take into Paddy's and say to him "I'll just pop to the shop" He take off like a man possessed, I'm sure the bloke tied the cover to the chair to stop me escaping. I used to come out the place screaming, my Mum used to say " well he wouldn't have cut it like that if you hadnt asked him too.
Can't remember any Bakers. I do recall the Bakers Van coming round who use to leave the daily loaf, could also by cakes of him. So perhaps Bakers shop werent so common in those days.
Nice article it has brought back a lot of memories.
I lived in the flats between Charlton lane and the Village and used to go scrumping in the vicarage garden. The Vicar would chase us waving his walikng stick
Roger Parnell was a good mate, a real gentle giant.
Did you know Daniel Day Lewis (the actor) used to go to Charlton when he was 8/9?.I went to Sherrington with him and we used to bunk into Charlton until he went home covered in red non drying paint. His mum went mad.
I know this thread is about Charlton Village, but it's time the other end of town got a mention.
I grew up at the bottom end of Victoria Way and Woolwich Road, so here are my random memories:
Harvey's .. the factory on Woolwich Road where low-loaders would roll out, often on a Sunday, with some weird bit of engineering on the back. Huge tubes or ship's propellors or heat exchangers or something.
Plimmers ... a grocers on Woolwich Road opposite the bottom of Victoria Way.
The Rose of Denmark being built, probably in the early 1960's. It was only recently (thanks to Tom Hovi) that I became aware that it replaced a previous Rose of Denmark on the same site. The Dump ... next to the Rose ... where we held our firework nights.
New's ... another grocers, also next to the Rose, but towards Victoria Way. A small shop where I was sent to buy things like tea, spam and Kensitas. Immediately opposite, at the start of Lombard Wall, was the butchers.
Whybrows, the tobacconist at the junction of Rathmore Road and Woolwich Road. The old biddy was OK, but the old boy who smoked a pipe was seriously scarey.
Then, towards Greenwich and just past what was the Roupell (it's the Pickwick now), we had the Post Office run by the Copps family and the chip shop (still there). The name Ross's rings a bell.
My mother worked at Bob Hawkes (the greengrocers) a bit further along and would always tell me when John Hewie had called in for his veg.
Nice article it has brought back a lot of memories.
I lived in the flats between Charlton lane and the Village and used to go scrumping in the vicarage garden. The Vicar would chase us waving his walikng stick
Roger Parnell was a good mate, a real gentle giant.
Did you know Daniel Day Lewis (the actor) used to go to Charlton when he was 8/9?.I went to Sherrington with him and we used to bunk into Charlton until he went home covered in red non drying paint. His mum went mad.
We used to live next door to Roger and his sister. He lived at No 4 , we lived in No 6, Roger was a few years younger than myself more my brothers age. I remember he was into ELP, probably the result of listerning to Cream, Hendrix, and the Zep........ Used to play subbeteo on the landing beetween the flats, when it rained?..... and Yes, I also went to Sherrington, but my brother and sister went to Charlton manor.
Did you know Daniel Day Lewis (the actor) used to go to Charlton when he was 8/9?.I went to Sherrington with him and we used to bunk into Charlton until he went home covered in red non drying paint. His mum went mad.
Didn't know that ... in interviews he's always said that he was a Spanners fan
His mum took him out of Sherrington when he was about 10 because she saw the other boys as a bad influence. They moved to Kent and then Ireland. He was a good kid, he'd smoke and swear like the rest of us but his mum and Dad were very, very posh. When he went home for tea i had to sit on the doorstep 'cos they would'nt let me in.
I used to live in Fairlawn Court and remember Mick McCathey really well as we went to Sherrington Road and Eltham Green together Mick and his family actually lived in Fairlawn before they moved to Springfield Mick would be about 58 now as he's a year older than I am. Daniel Day Lewis did go to Sherrington and made mention of it in an awards acceptance speech once, that would be in the time of Mr Harris the headmaster and his deputy Mr Skinner who did all the caning as I recall.
Two teachers from there who stick in the mind was Miss Yeats who ran the football team as well as teaching and Mr Charman who seemed really old but was a good teacher. The parade of shops at the top of Victoria Way used have a newsagents/sweetshop called Brandon's, Mrs Brandon lived next door to my aunt in Fairlawn Court, somebody mentioned Plimmer's there was also a wool shop which my mum used. I hardly recognise the place now but living and growing up around Charlton was great as we had access to so many parks my favourite was Maryon Wilson Park as it was more overgrown and Oxlea's Wood was also another favourite.
You have really jogged some memories now and got my two brain cells buzzing. I remember Charman of the brown tweed suit fame. He was a good teacher and a perfect gentleman. Another Sherington teacher was Mr Scholar who taught mainly History and made it so interesting that i still enjoy the subject 50 years later.
Wonderful memories of Sherington Road School and wonderful memories of all the parks and woods in the surrounding area but you missed one.
Living in Fairlawn Court at the time me and my mates probably about 8 years of age used to catch the 89 bus over Shooters Hill armed with a jam jar and fishing net spending many happy hours catching sticklebacks in Danson Park lake.
I used to live in Fairlawn Court and remember Mick McCathey really well as we went to Sherrington Road and Eltham Green together Mick and his family actually lived in Fairlawn before they moved to Springfield Mick would be about 58 now as he's a year older than I am. Daniel Day Lewis did go to Sherrington and made mention of it in an awards acceptance speech once, that would be in the time of Mr Harris the headmaster and his deputy Mr Skinner who did all the caning as I recall.
Two teachers from there who stick in the mind was Miss Yeats who ran the football team as well as teaching and Mr Charman who seemed really old but was a good teacher. The parade of shops at the top of Victoria Way used have a newsagents/sweetshop called Brandon's, Mrs Brandon lived next door to my aunt in Fairlawn Court, somebody mentioned Plimmer's there was also a wool shop which my mum used. I hardly recognise the place now but living and growing up around Charlton was great as we had access to so many parks my favourite was Maryon Wilson Park as it was more overgrown and Oxlea's Wood was also another favourite.
Yes I certainly remember Miss Yates? I had an argument with her over the football team, we had class trials and I scored some decent goals and she said I had to play in defence. In those day's you did not argue with the teacher, I did, and never played for the school team. I moved away for a brief time to Kidbrooke, but I missed my mates terribly and being all of 8 at the time my parents moved back, but to Springfields the last year or so at Sherrington. I also hated the school dinners? so would go to my nan's in Tallis Grove..... I remember a teacher called Parker and he told us the 11 plus results while away on a school trip to Dorset. No preperation of course, and I was poor at Maths, so I had little chance. Did not make the same mistake at Bloomfields? they say that you learn by your mistakes, and never argued with a teacher again as well?
You have really jogged some memories now and got my two brain cells buzzing. I remember Charman of the brown tweed suit fame. He was a good teacher and a perfect gentleman. Another Sherington teacher was Mr Scholar who taught mainly History and made it so interesting that i still enjoy the subject 50 years later.
Wonderful memories of Sherington Road School and wonderful memories of all the parks and woods in the surrounding area but you missed one.
Living in Fairlawn Court at the time me and my mates probably about 8 years of age used to catch the 89 bus over Shooters Hill armed with a jam jar and fishing net spending many happy hours catching sticklebacks in Danson Park lake.
Happy days
I was probably one of your mates then, i can remember the stickleback catching. Did you learn to swim in the little pool at Sherrington?
You have really jogged some memories now and got my two brain cells buzzing. I remember Charman of the brown tweed suit fame. He was a good teacher and a perfect gentleman. Another Sherington teacher was Mr Scholar who taught mainly History and made it so interesting that i still enjoy the subject 50 years later.
Wonderful memories of Sherington Road School and wonderful memories of all the parks and woods in the surrounding area but you missed one.
Living in Fairlawn Court at the time me and my mates probably about 8 years of age used to catch the 89 bus over Shooters Hill armed with a jam jar and fishing net spending many happy hours catching sticklebacks in Danson Park lake.
Happy days
I was probably one of your mates then, i can remember the stickleback catching. Did you learn to swim in the little pool at Sherrington?
When I was there the nearest we had at Sherington to a pool was a big puddle in the middle of the playground. The only pool I remember at Sherington was the smelly white liquid they dipped your feet in for veruccas and being half drowned in some obnoxious stuff by the nit nurse as she combed your hair.
I done my swimming at The Charlton Lido or Greenwich or Woolwich Baths. I was at Sherington from 1955 to 1959. From what you said earlier i may have been before your time.
It's great to recall some of the teachers at Sherington.
Miss Yates .. our first ever football coach. She was from Liverpool, but we had no idea where that was.
Mr Skinner took over the running of the team while I was there (1959 to 1963). I played right half and he told me "get the ball off the right back and give it to the right winger ... oh, and also take any throws on the right side of the field."
Once, in one game at Charlton Park, I trotted over to the left to take the throw over there because our left half was injured, but Mr Skinner shouted at me to get back over to the right. Worse came later when I tried to dribble the ball across our penalty area. He strode onto the pitch and cuffed me round the head saying "Never do that again!" Fifty years later ... I have never done it again.
Mr Scholar was from Cornwall, and proud of it. "By the names Tre-, Pol-, Pen-, ye shall know the Cornishmen". He taught us Geography, and was then superseded by Mr Pasha from Persia/Iran.
But the real top man was Mr Charman. He would get us do the Daily Telegraph crossword with a shilling for the first person to complete it.
I remember him vividly describing us as 'Spartans' after he saw us playing football in the playground one bitterly cold morning.
I had completely forgot the swimming pool at Sherrington I think it was in a side building and as I recall had so much chlorine in it your eyes were red for days after using it. I also remember Mr. Parker a thin man with glasses and Mr. Pasha.....memories eh! Mr. Charman was responsible for my life long obsession with Sherlock Holmes having encouraged me to read the stories when I was 10-11 but agree he was really an excellent teacher the like of which will never be seen again.
Does anyone remember when Greenwich council took away the bonfire from Shirley House Drive and everyone marched on the town hall with placards saying "Give us our bonfire back"? made the front of The Mercury as I recall. There was a real community spirit around Cherry Orchard in those days everyone knew everyone.
Does anyone remember when Greenwich council took away the bonfire from Shirley House Drive and everyone marched on the town hall with placards saying "Give us our bonfire back"? made the front of The Mercury as I recall. There was a real community spirit around Cherry Orchard in those days everyone knew everyone.
In the end we used to build the bonfire between Cherry Tree and Birch Tree Courts at the bottom of the estate
Comments
My Mum used to take me down to Clarks in Woolwich to get my feet measured, then bring me back to Bowes and ask for the apprpriate size, 'say 5 and a half' only to be told he didnt do half sizes so I be given a size 6!!
Bates (no relation) the DIY shop, opposite the now CO-OP
I know this thread is about Charlton Village, but it's time the other end of town got a mention.
I grew up at the bottom end of Victoria Way and Woolwich Road, so here are my random memories:
Harvey's .. the factory on Woolwich Road where low-loaders would roll out, often on a Sunday, with some weird bit of engineering on the back. Huge tubes or ship's propellors or heat exchangers or something.
Plimmers ... a grocers on Woolwich Road opposite the bottom of Victoria Way.
The Rose of Denmark being built, probably in the early 1960's. It was only recently (thanks to Tom Hovi) that I became aware that it replaced a previous Rose of Denmark on the same site. The Dump ... next to the Rose ... where we held our firework nights.
New's ... another grocers, also next to the Rose, but towards Victoria Way. A small shop where I was sent to buy things like tea, spam and Kensitas. Immediately opposite, at the start of Lombard Wall, was the butchers.
Whybrows, the tobacconist at the junction of Rathmore Road and Woolwich Road. The old biddy was OK, but the old boy who smoked a pipe was seriously scarey.
Then, towards Greenwich and just past what was the Roupell (it's the Pickwick now), we had the Post Office run by the Copps family and the chip shop (still there). The name Ross's rings a bell.
My mother worked at Bob Hawkes (the greengrocers) a bit further along and would always tell me when John Hewie had called in for his veg.
Amazed that Bowes is still there and the shop front hasn't changed a bit. I used to deliver them an evening paper on my 6 shiling a week paper round as well as Paddy's and the bike shop. Had a morning round later on and used to deliver to the old dairy in Cemetary Lane as well as the Cemetary Lodge, but they didn't open the gates till late so I used to climb over the railings,didn't hang about on dark winter mornings. Used to run errands to the village and remember hating the long queues at the greengrocers. Had to ask the butcher for chops without too much fat but worst errand was carrying a gallon can of parrafin back from the hardware shop where my mum worked. Never did get why we collected the tin divi money from the Coop, we had tin fulls of them indooors we used them as money when we played cards. There was a chemist and a tobacconist as well. Don't know why the Chemist wouldn't sell us sodium chlorate, it was for our dad's garden, honest mister.
Charlton Park used to be brilliant. Had everything.
Wished I had thought of that.
However you boys have missed a few retail outlets. There was Jaggs the jewellers near Paddy the Barber. I am ashamed to admit I cant think of the house number because my father was born in 1920 in the flat over the shop. There was a hardware shop that sold buckets and brooms etc and more important Esso Blue Parrafin which i would be sent on an errand to buy. I remember the man who owned the papershop on the corner of Landsdowne Lane only had one arm but he used one hand and arm with such skill he could out do most people with two. Oh and of course Russell's toy shop and dry cleaners at 57 the Village (since demolished) which was owned by my Grandfather and later my Father. This was where I lived in my early years and it formed the basis of the article.
There has to be a baker - Where was the baker ??????
Paddy was a B*******, he had all the photo's of good looking blokes with a decent haircut he couldnt cut hair anything like it!
He was hatchet man, in the days when I needed a haircut Mum used to take into Paddy's and say to him "I'll just pop to the shop" He take off like a man possessed, I'm sure the bloke tied the cover to the chair to stop me escaping. I used to come out the place screaming, my Mum used to say " well he wouldn't have cut it like that if you hadnt asked him too.
Nice article it has brought back a lot of memories.
I lived in the flats between Charlton lane and the Village and used to go scrumping in the vicarage garden. The Vicar would chase us waving his walikng stick
Roger Parnell was a good mate, a real gentle giant.
Did you know Daniel Day Lewis (the actor) used to go to Charlton when he was 8/9?. I went to Sherrington with him and we used to bunk into Charlton until he went home covered in red non drying paint. His mum went mad.
Didn't know that ... in interviews he's always said that he was a Spanners fan
I bet he's never seen them.
His mum took him out of Sherrington when he was about 10 because she saw the other boys as a bad influence. They moved to Kent and then Ireland. He was a good kid, he'd smoke and swear like the rest of us but his mum and Dad were very, very posh. When he went home for tea i had to sit on the doorstep 'cos they would'nt let me in.
I used to live in Fairlawn Court and remember Mick McCathey really well as we went to Sherrington Road and Eltham Green together Mick and his family actually lived in Fairlawn before they moved to Springfield Mick would be about 58 now as he's a year older than I am. Daniel Day Lewis did go to Sherrington and made mention of it in an awards acceptance speech once, that would be in the time of Mr Harris the headmaster and his deputy Mr Skinner who did all the caning as I recall.
Two teachers from there who stick in the mind was Miss Yeats who ran the football team as well as teaching and Mr Charman who seemed really old but was a good teacher. The parade of shops at the top of Victoria Way used have a newsagents/sweetshop called Brandon's, Mrs Brandon lived next door to my aunt in Fairlawn Court, somebody mentioned Plimmer's there was also a wool shop which my mum used. I hardly recognise the place now but living and growing up around Charlton was great as we had access to so many parks my favourite was Maryon Wilson Park as it was more overgrown and Oxlea's Wood was also another favourite.
You have really jogged some memories now and got my two brain cells buzzing. I remember Charman of the brown tweed suit fame. He was a good teacher and a perfect gentleman. Another Sherington teacher was Mr Scholar who taught mainly History and made it so interesting that i still enjoy the subject 50 years later.
Wonderful memories of Sherington Road School and wonderful memories of all the parks and woods in the surrounding area but you missed one.
Living in Fairlawn Court at the time me and my mates probably about 8 years of age used to catch the 89 bus over Shooters Hill armed with a jam jar and fishing net spending many happy hours catching sticklebacks in Danson Park lake.
Happy days
I done my swimming at The Charlton Lido or Greenwich or Woolwich Baths. I was at Sherington from 1955 to 1959. From what you said earlier i may have been before your time.
Miss Yates .. our first ever football coach. She was from Liverpool, but we had no idea where that was.
Mr Skinner took over the running of the team while I was there (1959 to 1963). I played right half and he told me "get the ball off the right back and give it to the right winger ... oh, and also take any throws on the right side of the field."
Once, in one game at Charlton Park, I trotted over to the left to take the throw over there because our left half was injured, but Mr Skinner shouted at me to get back over to the right. Worse came later when I tried to dribble the ball across our penalty area. He strode onto the pitch and cuffed me round the head saying "Never do that again!" Fifty years later ... I have never done it again.
Mr Scholar was from Cornwall, and proud of it. "By the names Tre-, Pol-, Pen-, ye shall know the Cornishmen". He taught us Geography, and was then superseded by Mr Pasha from Persia/Iran.
But the real top man was Mr Charman. He would get us do the Daily Telegraph crossword with a shilling for the first person to complete it.
I remember him vividly describing us as 'Spartans' after he saw us playing football in the playground one bitterly cold morning.
I had completely forgot the swimming pool at Sherrington I think it was in a side building and as I recall had so much chlorine in it your eyes were red for days after using it. I also remember Mr. Parker a thin man with glasses and Mr. Pasha.....memories eh! Mr. Charman was responsible for my life long obsession with Sherlock Holmes having encouraged me to read the stories when I was 10-11 but agree he was really an excellent teacher the like of which will never be seen again.
Does anyone remember when Greenwich council took away the bonfire from Shirley House Drive and everyone marched on the town hall with placards saying "Give us our bonfire back"? made the front of The Mercury as I recall. There was a real community spirit around Cherry Orchard in those days everyone knew everyone.
I went to Charlton Manor Infants and then on to Sherrington Juniors. My memory is not as good as yours, but things are starting to come back.....
In the end we used to build the bonfire between Cherry Tree and Birch Tree Courts at the bottom of the estate