Is anybody there?

[Brenda]

Here,here, Smiffy.

Has any seen the photos of the regeneration of the Quaggy?  Can't think which website I found them on but I imagine they wouldn't be hard to find.  Quite fascinating and Dickie and Bel might remember it as it was before it was channelled through concrete. Looks lovely now.

Bren

[Dickie eagle]

The Quaggy rejuvenated !   thats a move in the right direction, now I can go back and see how my newts, salamanders, sticklebacks,minnows, are getting on.The only thing is what the kids would make of my having a paddle ! perhaps Bel and big Sis would join in ? oh and you are too young to retire Bel or is the world getting a trifle heavy ? we will all help if we can.           dickie................

[Brenda]

It is good news, isn't it Dickie.  I'll try to find where I saw the photos and let you know - or maybe you've already found it by now.  I thought it looked wonderful and can imagine how magical I would have found it had it been like that during my Downham days.  As for the paddling - go for it!

Bren

[JSmith]

It is good news, isn't it Dickie.  I'll try to find where I saw the photos and let you know - or maybe you've already found it by now.  I thought it looked wonderful and can imagine how magical I would have found it had it been like that during my Downham days.  As for the paddling - go for it!

Bren

 
Yes Brenda please try to find where you found the  photos, It will be interesting to see them.   Smiffy

[Dickie eagle]

It is good news, isn't it Dickie.  I'll try to find where I saw the photos and let you know - or maybe you've already found it by now.  I thought it looked wonderful and can imagine how magical I would have found it had it been like that during my Downham days.  As for the paddling - go for it!Bren

.     My trouble is all these hairy drives to Old Bexley for the Jazz scene do not leave much time for "Goofing" which is a shame as well as The Quaggy  there must be other interesting things happening, what stream was Peter Pan 's pool on ?, I know it went west under the road and through the old "Flower House" and wound its way across the rubbish dump to join  a fresh water  spring at the top of Brangbourne just past the  "Thousand Islands " .  I "found " (!) my first bike there which was resurrected and saved me a lot of pennies in travel.  dickie....................

[Brenda]

 Tell us more about the "Thousand Islands" please, Dickie.   It's not something I was familiar with.  You know, I've never even given a thought to where the water in Peter Pan's Pool came from or went to.  Brain-dead Bren strikes again.

Bren

[JSmith]

Hey Dickie   I used to deliver the mail to Flower House estate & Beckingham Hill rd when I was a postie at Catford, they have all been knocked down now I understand.  Does brangbourne rd run off Old Bromley rd if so the river ran through beckingham place park, at the back of the studio club. I use to paddle in that river especially when I tried to jump from one side to the other and did'nt make it, spent many hours at the park, I can remember a steam train running under the bridge, which was right in the park, and all the steam coming up around me as I stood on top, I forget what line that was. I think it went to Hayes.  Keep the memories coming I love it. Smiffy

[Brenda]

Sounds as if your mum had a lot of washing to do, Smiffy!

Bren

[Pauline]

Hey Dickie   I used to deliver the mail to Flower House estate & Beckingham Hill rd when I was a postie at Catford, they have all been knocked down now I understand.  Does brangbourne rd run off Old Bromley rd if so the river ran through beckingham place park, at the back of the studio club. I use to paddle in that river especially when I tried to jump from one side to the other and did'nt make it, spent many hours at the park, I can remember a steam train running under the bridge, which was right in the park, and all the steam coming up around me as I stood on top, I forget what line that was. I think it went to Hayes.  Keep the memories coming I love it. Smiffy

No I seem to recall that if I went down Reigate Road, near the end, there was a railway bridge there.  We used to stand there and watch the trains go by.  Alas Smiffy, steam trains were out before I was allowed to go that far without a grown up!

[JSmith]

Hey Dickie   I used to deliver the mail to Flower House estate & Beckingham Hill rd when I was a postie at Catford, they have all been knocked down now I understand.  Does brangbourne rd run off Old Bromley rd if so the river ran through beckingham place park, at the back of the studio club. I use to paddle in that river especially when I tried to jump from one side to the other and did'nt make it, spent many hours at the park, I can remember a steam train running under the bridge, which was right in the park, and all the steam coming up around me as I stood on top, I forget what line that was. I think it went to Hayes.  Keep the memories coming I love it. Smiffy

No I seem to recall that if I went down Reigate Road, near the end, there was a railway bridge there.  We used to stand there and watch the trains go by.  Alas Smiffy, steam trains were out before I was allowed to go that far without a grown up!

 We are about the same age, now you have me thinking about seeing the steam engines running through beckenham park, I checked my ancient A-Z and it is the line to Hayes. Brains playing tricks perhaps? When did the steam trains stop running, any one know.   Smiffy

[Brenda]

A walk down Reigate Road and across the railway bridge and up to Baring Road and back via Grove Park was a Sunday family outing when I was a child.  Of course, the pleasure was heightened if a train came along while we were standing on the bridge! 

I can't remember when steam trains dropped out of service (Dickie, Bel?) but there is a wonderful website with all sorts of information that pertains to the war and post-war years.  It is part of a Kent junior school project and has supplied me with a lot of information.  It's worth a look just to see what wonderful work schools can do.  Wish it had been that interesting in my day.

Here it is: www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/homework.   They've done a terrific job.
Another site that may interest is: www.wartimememories.co.uk

Bren

[Dickie eagle]

hi Bren , nice to see you up and about lover. that path that goes down ti the railway bridge, happy days we used to pull faces at the engine drivers and the fireman would throw coal at us, which i would put in my soapbox cart and take home. the path is now on the edge of Hither Green cemetery where most of the "Eagle"s I knew now lay, including my younger brother Joe, ah well. other than that Good Morning all !     dickie>...........

[Brenda]

Good to see you too, Dickie.  Yes,happy days and our pleasures were very simple (and cheap) weren't they?  Sounds as if the cemetery has expanded somewhat.  Well, I suppose it had to, didn't it?  My grandmother is there somewhere although I didn't realise it when I was young.  My father never went to visit her grave (nor his siblings) and I never thought to ask where she was buried.  A shame really.

Bren

[Pauline]

Good to see you too, Dickie.  Yes,happy days and our pleasures were very simple (and cheap) weren't they?  Sounds as if the cemetery has expanded somewhat.  Well, I suppose it had to, didn't it?  My grandmother is there somewhere although I didn't realise it when I was young.  My father never went to visit her grave (nor his siblings) and I never thought to ask where she was buried.  A shame really.

Bren

You know - trying to delve into my family tree is proving very difficult, especially from the other side of the world.  I too never thought to ask the questions when those who would know the answers were alive.  I did try and get some information from my Uncle before he left us, but to my surprise he didn't know a lot either!  It must have been of little importance to that generation.  I think we are more interested in our ancestors than our parents were.
I recall my father had an elder brother- Harry, he was never mentioned.  When I asked Dad about his brother he told me that his parents had disowned him, and that the had gone to Australia in the merchant navy and died there.   
When I came to Australia I set about trying to locate the family, and I did, and the Australian family had thought that Harry had been a criminal.  But between us we managed to piece together what had happened.  He had missed his ship when it was recalled during the General Strike, had been listed as a deserter and later cleared.  The most amazing thing is that his grandson - James, was born on the same day in the same year as me, and taking into account the time differences, we were born about 25 minutes apart!!!!

[Brenda]

That is a really fascinating story, Pauline.  You are right, the previous generation obviously weren't as fascinated by their ancestral roots as we are.  I was lucky enough to find a long-lost cousin via the Internet and that, in turn, connected to me to other cousins.  This led to a tiny bit of information that I posted on a website and which a woman in Canada saw a couple of years ago.  She has been tracing her genealogy for some years and it turns out she is descended from my (hitherto unknown) paternal grandmother's sister.  Through her, I have been put in touch with other descendants on that side - it's amazing - and have family details dating back to 1760.  Of course, there are still a lot of gaps and, as you rightly say, it's not easy to work one's way back from the other side of the world.  Well, it would take a lot of time, effort and money.
Bren