Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

An anniversary.

March51March51
in General Charlton
I wasn't going to mention this but Mrs. M thought I should as I'm laid up again with a spot of trouble and got nothing else to do, so here goes : today marks the 63rd. anniversary of my catching a no. 72 tram from Abbey Wood to The Valley for my first game. It was Hans Jeppson's last appearance for us and my dad thought I should be able to say in the future that I saw a genuine CAFC legend in action. I was five years old and remember dad putting me through the 'Boy's' turnstile and paying sixpence to get in the ground. I think the crowd was around 34,000 and I had never seen so many people. My old man would be disappointed that I really don't remember too much about the game , just Sam making some saves and Jeppson being carried round by the supporters on a lap of honour at the end. In true Charlton tradition in games like this we managed to lose , to Pompey 0-1. but no-one really cared, the great man's 9 goals in 11 games had ensured our first division survival for another season. Anyone liable to do that for us this season?

Comments

  • AbsurdistanAbsurdistan
    Good luck to you March51, great tale. Thanks for sharing.
  • creepyaddickcreepyaddick
    You got that new flagpole up yet Mr. March?
    Great story btw!
  • March51March51
    Sorry Creepy, we've moved! But if you're ever over Leatherhead way keep your eyes open and you might spot it flying at its new home.
  • creepyaddickcreepyaddick
    I remember you saying you moved now! Will keep them peeled when I'm passing!
    Keep well Mr.M and I hope Mrs M and the boy are looking after you!
  • Covered EndCovered End
    Nice story March.

    If you've got spare time, put some more up.

    All the best.
  • fossdeneboyfossdeneboy
    Good job you didnt catch this tram march otherwise you would have ended up in the co-op in Woolwich new road instead of the valley.
  • GlassHalfFullGlassHalfFull
    I missed this lovely story from good old March51 first time around. Trams have been neglected of late, that's for sure. If I may, I would like dedicate another small tale to March our tram guru, hoping he will find it of interest and that it will help to keep the young man occupied. Of course I hope it will also interest all you others who follow this very special topic. I think there must be a sect of tram fanatics lurking somewhere in the CL shadows, probably called the Tramish !! (By the way, Terry, route 72 did not actually pass by The Valley, it being routed via Eltham, so I guess you might have changed in Woolwich in order to continue along the Lower Road. Does that make any sense?)

    I was paddling about on You Tube and found a classic 1952 BTF film about a 500 mile road journey from Greenwich to Grangemouth, involving a 55-tonne, 130 foot long steel distillation column. (Can't give you a link but just enter Dodging The Column and you will find it very easily.) Of course, this was well before the arrival of the first motorways, and there would also have been precious few by-passes. This monster was therefore having to travel through normal town centres, and it presented an interesting story.

    About a minute in, it turned out the journey was not actually from Greenwich itself but from Charlton, none other than GA Harvey's factory. The very first adventure was to get out of its own works yard onto the highway, and the first obstacle was an innocent bus stop which was minding its own business and no trouble to anyone. (Incidentally, the stop shows route 53 - does anyone know what this was doing on the Lower Road, and not running along up the top?)

    Well, they finally got the vehicle out into the road and after a few last checks it was ready to leave. At that moment the camera took a more distant shot, and it then caught two cheeky trams bowling through !! It's a lovely brief moment of trams in SE7. Being 1952, this was the last year of the trams, and the location of Harvey's works was in classic tram territory. Round the corner to the West lay the Central Tram Works where all of London's trams were given major overhauls and repairs - the short turning near the bridge of the Angerstein railway branch line was the works' entrance and it still shows the name Felltram Way to this day. In the other direction a few hundred yards to the east was Penhall Road, where all the trams were taken to be broken up.

    Very best wishes to March, and I hope this modest story has been of interest. If it's been mentioned on here before, my apologies ....
  • Sponsored links:


  • ChizzChizz
    JamesSeed said:

    March51 said:

    I wasn't going to mention this but Mrs. M thought I should as I'm laid up again with a spot of trouble and got nothing else to do, so here goes : today marks the 63rd. anniversary of my catching a no. 72 tram from Abbey Wood to The Valley for my first game. It was Hans Jeppson's last appearance for us and my dad thought I should be able to say in the future that I saw a genuine CAFC legend in action. I was five years old and remember dad putting me through the 'Boy's' turnstile and paying sixpence to get in the ground. I think the crowd was around 34,000 and I had never seen so many people. My old man would be disappointed that I really don't remember too much about the game , just Sam making some saves and Jeppson being carried round by the supporters on a lap of honour at the end. In true Charlton tradition in games like this we managed to lose , to Pompey 0-1. but no-one really cared, the great man's 9 goals in 11 games had ensured our first division survival for another season. Anyone liable to do that for us this season?

    The Jeppson tale is maybe my favourite Charlton part of The Jimmy Seed Story. The way JS intercepted Jeppson at the FA before he could get to Highbury (he was an Arsenal fan, and really wanted to play for them), took him for lunch at The Savoy, and dragged him back to The Valley where the chairman was lying in wait, ready to sign him.
    Is it true that (as I have read somewhere) Jimmy was at the FA for some reason, and, completely at random, bumped into him in reception, waiting for a meeting (perhaps a work permit issue to sign for Arsenal?) and nabbed him for us first?
  • addick2000addick2000
    Hi March, I was there that day as well. I still believe that Jeppson was the best outfield player I saw for us. I waited for the helicopter that was supposed to land on the pitch but never made it. Didn't know till years later that it didn't come but I had to catch a train home. I've been trying to get him into out Hall of Fame for some time but, I guess, the time that he played, very few people still around saw him.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!