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Kingstanding

  • Thread starter Thread starter margaret
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Hi I am a new kid on the block my wife Patricia Stanton went to Cranbourne road school in the early to late forties, she then went on to Dulwich road school. I myself went through the Dulwich road system, the entrance to the infants and juniors was in Aylesbury crescent and the senior boys and seniorgirls was in Dulwich road. I can rememer a few of the teachers that I had ie Miss Goodhall in the juniors Mr (baldyvic)Vicory a real sadist with the cane Mr (corky)Degville, Mr Butler. I believe he was nicknamed corky because he lost a foot in WW1 The iron railings around the school were all burnt off with oxy torches around 1943-44 the metal was used to help the war effort. Be in touch again Moss.
 
jennieann,Your mention of the CO-Op on College Road brings back many chilhood moments.My mothers Uncle and Aunt,Jack and Edith Hammond lived next door where I spent many an hour each week visiting.Each week I would be in the Co-Op buying lollies or cakes with the few pence Aunt Edi gave me.My parents and Grandparents all lived in Kingstanding both pre and post war.Anyone have recollecton of the Robinsons(Norbiton Road)Sedgleys(Kingstanding Road-Neasden Grove). Happy Memories.
 
Hi Jennyann,
Finchley Rd led onto Warren Farm road,which led onto the College Rd by the College Arms,which is now a mcDonalds
I lived a great part of my life in Parkeston crescent
went to Twickenham Road school,and then onto Dulwich Rd senior Boys.
Maurice,I remember all those teachers,my last was a Mr Lockie
 
re Hawthorn road I have seen no mention of the bike shop next door to Mattys and also who could forget the aroma that you got when you went into Corkings the hardware shop. Across the road from this shop lived the local midwife Nurse Cook, I was told by my mother that she delivered me in 1937, she also delivered my son in 1959 are there any records of how many babies she delivered and how many Tours de Kingstanding, Erdington and Great Barr did she do on her trusty bicycle from 1937 till she retired.Further along Hawtorn road backing onto Warren Hill road where Dr Massey the police surgeon lived was a shop that housed the Y W C A before it moved to Perry Common in the late 1950s. Some the members I remember were the Prince twins Ron and Charlie, Grace Guy, Maureen Bowen, Cliff ?, Jeff Smith (like myself now living in Australia) not to forget Pat Stanton who I married in 1958. The club mistress was a scottish lady Jo Cunningham. More to come Moss
 
Hi Lesr; Thanks for your post. It was great for me to come across the photo of the Co-op on College Road. Sounds as though didn't have to go very far for your sweeties when you were visiting your Aunt Edi. My Aunt Nell and Uncle Fred lived in Finchley Road but I wasn't aware of the Co-op until much later on when I found out that my Mom and Dad moved into the flat above in 1934. Aunt Nell had no children but always had lots of goodies in the house and my brother and I would visit often when we went swimming at the Kingstanding baths. Happy days.
 
Hi Dennis: Kingstanding was a great place to grow up in those long ago days. There were some great local shops and the cinema not too far away.
I loved the swimming baths and my friend and I went there a lot.I learned to swim there. I still can't believe that the College Arms is a McDonald's even though I have seen it. Well, the Stockland Inn is a Chinese Restaurant so
I shouldn't be surprised.Atl east these buildings are still standing!
 
Hi Maurice: Welcome to the forum. Hope you will find some links for your memories of living in Kingstanding in those long ago days. I had almost forgotten about the midwives who rode around many areas delivering babies not in a car but on their bikes in all weathers.
 
Re: kingstanding exservicemans club

Or should it now be called exservicepersons club. The entrance to the club was on Danesbury crescent when it first opened, the entrance was moved to Warren Farm road when the buildings were expanded and the membership got bigger. My father was a part time doorman there when he retired. He died in the club from a heart attack in 1982 after drinking a pint he had always said this is the way he wanted to go. May he rest in peace. Next door to the club in Danesbury crescent was Chas. H Davis's coalyard. I worked there every saturday morning from the age of 15till I went into the Paras at age 19 (when coal was available) shovelling coal into the scales from memory I think coal was about 4/6d a cwt. People lined up with there various conveyences to cart it away the favourite one being an old (sometimes not so old) babies pram. More later Moss
 
Hi Moss
Had forgotten about Davis's coal yard in Danesbury Crescent till you mentioned it.In the late 1940s if I remember right, there was a fish & chip shop next to the baths also in that area a shoe repair shop,greengrocers,newsagents,grocers and was it an undertakers nearest to church.
 
Am I right in thinking there was a "Home and Colony" [spelling] Grocery shop? and was there Christ the King, Church and School near by? Or am I lost? Miriam.
 
Can't remember if the grocers was the "Maypole" or "Home and Colonial"but it was certainly one of the "chains"of that time.Used to buy ships biscuits (hard tack biscuits) there as a kid.God only knows how they came to have ships biscuits but kids at that time would buy anything eatable.
It was "Christ the King" Church and School near by.
Pembroke
 
Re: kingstanding shops

Hi Pembroke The shops on Warren Farm road, next to baths was a chip shop later it was a milk bar with a juke box. Next to that was Hilton's grocery shop, further round was the Home and Colonial grocery shop. In those days 1940s to mid 50s every item ie cheese, butter, sugar and biscuits were cut up and weighed no repack in those days and of course you had to have the coupons to cover your purchaser's. This was then packed into a home made Hessian bag and carried home. Nowadays people go to the supermarket and go home with a trolley full. Next door to the H and C was brown's the newsagent, sweet and tobacco shop. I had a newspaper round from here for a few months, I delivered to the length of Hurlingham road, I had this humongous bag and twice a day before and after school I delivered the daily papers. Mornings and Sunday was the worst because of the many different copy's of papers. One man threatened me with all manner of punishments because I kept leaving him the Sunday People and he should have had the News of the World More later Moss
 
Re: kingstanding clydesdales

Remember the dairy next door to the barracks on Kingstanding road, there was about 10 or more magnificent clydesdales they pulled the carts loaded wth milk that was delivered all over the area. When there was snow or frost on the ground the drvers had to have two horses on to get the cart up the hill onto Hawthorn road. I can remember fully laden carts going full gallop down the Warren Farm hill (Ernie was not a patch on these drivers) One of the dares in those days was to walk beneath the horse when it was stationary eating his chaff. Sadly with the advent of electric milk carts these horse were all sent to the knackers yard or after a big outcry to the home for old horses down south. More later moss
 
Hi Moss have enjoyed reading your stories of the past in Kingstanding. The dairy has now gone but the barracks still stands. Our son lives in one of the houses at the top of Dyas road overlooking the barracks. Do you remember Dunedin road?. Jean.
 
I'm sure there was a coal yard just by the dairy and barracks. I think it was the Co-Op dairy and the barracks was the TA and i can remember mom taking the old pram from the Circle, walking in the snow with me in tow to get coal from there.

bren
 
Hi Moss,I worked at the dairy for a few years jockeying for various milkos. This was just after the horses had been phased out.The area covered by the dairy was extensive.Kingstanding to Erdington and Sutton,Great Barr to Hamstead.Eventually I got my own round around Dyas Ave. back of the Towers pub.I always remember the gaffer one Sunday morning was pulling his hair out after about 20 of us had been to a party and was late.His comment as I passed was"This is a dairy........smells more like a brewery. Les
 
Bren that would be where the new houses are I think. My sons neighbour Sharon says she has memories of a coal yard there or there abouts. Jean.
 
Have just been reminded of going to the Barracks for a News Eve Dance and on the corner of Goodway road was a Children's Nursery when I had to take my two younger brothers before I went to Dulwich Road Sc hool; also had to collect them after school. Miriam.
 
Re: kingstanding barracks

Hi Jean, Miriam and others. I can remember the barracks just after the war, the yard along the side had many trailers with radar tracking disc's on top. I think the T A that was there was Royal Artillery.At the side of Goodway road was Ropers hill, who was Roper? Further over Greenholme road-Aldridge road was a rubbish tip, a mail sorting center was built on it when it was full up. When we were kids we used to go scavenging on this tip and our first bikes were made up of bits we found there. The bikes were called A S Ps (all spare parts). Next to the barracks was more waste land further in was a sand pit. I was buried alive here one day when the sand face collapsed my mates dragged me out and took me to the dispensary at the top of Dyas road. I escaped with a broken wrist and leg.
The waste land was also used as a shallow tip, I can remember digging up spent 303 bullet cases. We also found the odd live one, we prised of the tip and set fire to the cordite that was inside, luckily I still have all my fingers. There was a fair held on this land fairly regularly. Later a government office was built on the site. I remember Dunedin road, a few roads in that area were named after places in New Zealand. More later Moss
 
Moss,I see your location is Ayelsbury crescent.Is the doctors surgery still on the corner at Warren Farm Road.Just interested as Dr.Simon whose practice it was at the time brought me into the world.Les
 
Seem to remember a lad was killed at the sand pits.He had tunelled into the face of the sand pit and it collasped on him.
Was in Cranbourne Rd.en route to school one morning and the Co-Op milk horse bit a lad.The horse had got a nasty temper apparently and from there on had to wear a muzzle.
More than once due to heavy snow had to fetch milk from Co-Op depot.The horses couldn't manage up the hills.The carts used to be well loaded so the poor old horse had a fair old weight to pull at the best of times
 
Re: kingstanding Dr Simon

Hi Lesli and Pembroke As I only live around the corner now from you in Adelaide and have done so for the last 40 years I am not sure if the doctors surgery is still there, I can tell you I was knocked down by a doctor from that surgery in 1942 and I still have the scar on my head to prove it. I don't think I was the one who got killed in the sandpit but story's do get exaggerated at time. Does anybody remember when a crippled child with leg irons got knocked down by a 107 midland red bus by the municipal bank on College road and they had to jack the bus up to get him out. Back to the sandpit I used to go there to collect clay for the girls who lived next door, they used to wet it and put it on there legs to look like stockings which were hard to come by in those times. they would then go dancing at Christ The King Friday night dance I can remember this was not a good place to go when the teddy boys were present, there many fights. More later Moss
 
Hi Moss
Think the lad that got killed at the sand pits might have been from Crayford or Sidcup Rd.area.Might even have been bottom of Binstead Rd.Remember Sunday evening dances at Christ The King when there wasn't much else doing on Sundays.
Pembroke
 
I played on the Sandpits by the side of Greenholm Rd - what a playing place for kids. A couple of photos in my other 'puter, don't know where from. The 1st shows the Beeches Estate being built 1936, the Sandpits would be behind the Road sign. The other is from 1943, Kingstanding Rd, light traffic, and look at those GPO 14 bar telegraph poles.
Beeches_Estate_Being_Built.jpg



Kingstanding_Rd.jpg
 
Nice idea Jean, you might be able to do the Kingstanding Rd picture, but the other one might be more difficult.
oldmohawk
icon7.gif
 
Mowhawk the second picture look at the row of houses at the top. My son lives in the one the fifth from the left. Jean.
 
Hi Moss,did you ever know the Robbins lads Norman & john? also kitty smart?
they live in that grove by the side of the school
 
G G Jean said:
one the fifth from the left
Click to expand...
Jean - I've just looked at the higher res pic (I'd reduced size to post), it's an interesting pic, the old style bus stops with the woman standing holding the child, the kerbs painted black and white so the little night traffic could see where to go without headlights. On the Beeches pic I notice the shops had been built before many houses, and maybe the Beeches Pub might be in the pic. I lived as a child on the Beeches Estate.
 
I will ask my son to take a photo from their new dormer bedroom which is so high you can see town. There are new houses just down from Steve's now. My dentist has the first building above the barracks and I have an appointment Monday morning so must take my camera with me. Jean.
 
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