introduction

[Anthony]

Gosh i am glade i found this wonderful web-site.

I lived in The catford area as a child and attended Downderry school starting in 1972

As a child i would love the walk from home to school,Passing through the woodland.

Is joes mini market still around as it as been quite some time since i have been down that way.

co-op,woolies,and if my memory is correct there was also a record shop on the corner of downham way,a bike shop,does anybody remember the flower shop in downham run by a very attractive young lady in the 70s

Did anybody else on this forum go to Downderry school,i have pleasent memories of the school.

Mrs leg was my teacher,i remember breaking my nose while playing football,one of the 5 a side goals
fell on me,lol how did that happen you might ask,Raymond matthews (old school friend)swinging on it,bang straght
on my hooter,Still it improved my looks slightly.

I remember the swimming pool and the badges given when completed your length with foat,it was a tiny pool,but it looked quite big at the time.

is the big oak tree still in the play ground.

Does anybody remember when the new owner to the fish shop in downham next door to the mini market.

I can still remember my mum going there when the shop first opened,the owner was giving away fish and chips on opening day,i lined up a couple of times for chips but was caught out (lol)

Nice web site i will look in from time to time

[Splinter]

Hi Anthony another newbie on site and you are welcome. YOU HAVE NOT TOLD US MUCH ABOUT YOURSELF i gather you are in UK as you are on the same time as me and that you were born in 1966 ( a very good year) I was born on Downham. My Dad bought the house and i still own it so i go back 56 years. I new a few who went to your school but were my age. On an older post we were discussing your school as it has had a lot of building work done. And i didnt know until then that it had a pool. With The Baths a 5 min walk away. I suppose it was one way to keep the kids clean!!!

[Brenda]

Hallo Anthony and welcome to the forum.

You are obviously younger than I, but it's still good to read your reminiscences.

I'm afraid there wasn't a record shop on Downham in my day. Oh, wait a mo'. I think there was one just before Bromley Hill.  Wow - I'd forgotten about that.  Might have been more of a 2nd hand shop but I'm not sure.

I presume you mean the Downham Baths/Swimming Pool. Sadly now demolished but there is a new leisure centre in its place. 

I left Downham around 1970 and it seems a lot has changed since then.  From what I see and read though, the Woodlands Walk remains the same. It was a great favourite of mine.

Hope to see your contributions on the site again.

Bren

[Anthony]

Hi Anthony another newbie on site and you are welcome. YOU HAVE NOT TOLD US MUCH ABOUT YOURSELF i gather you are in UK as you are on the same time as me and that you were born in 1966 ( a very good year) I was born on Downham. My Dad bought the house and i still own it so i go back 56 years. I new a few who went to your school but were my age. On an older post we were discussing your school as it has had a lot of building work done. And i didnt know until then that it had a pool. With The Baths a 5 min walk away. I suppose it was one way to keep the kids clean!!!

Thanks for your responce Splinter.

About my self i was born in islington,moved to se london (catford / Downham in 69 with mum and dad) Downham will always have nice memorys for me,Attending Downderry school was wonderful (back then) not too sure how the school is now,But i enjoyed the school,I went on to sedgehill after that.

Yes the pool as been at the school for years,I can truly say that is where i had my first swimming lessons,now passed bronze,silver and gold (thanks to that pool)

Its a wonderful story that you haved lived in the same house all your life.From boy to man

I bet you have seen alot of changes in the area.

And some not for the best.

And you are quite right we were all scruffy buggers back then,But always happy.

Life was nice and safe back then.

Who do i remember from The Downham Estate George Groghan,Barry Carradus,The spelling on the surnames could be ? but both lived not far from the school.

I spent a lot of my time as a youngster at the old peter pans play park,catching fish,and havin a laugh,all good fun.

My mums and Dads names are George and Sylvia Morris (although mum as now passed over)

Thanks splinter.

Hope to catch up with you soon
 

[Anthony]

Hallo Anthony and welcome to the forum.

You are obviously younger than I, but it's still good to read your reminiscences.

I'm afraid there wasn't a record shop on Downham in my day. Oh, wait a mo'. I think there was one just before Bromley Hill.  Wow - I'd forgotten about that.  Might have been more of a 2nd hand shop but I'm not sure.

I presume you mean the Downham Baths/Swimming Pool. Sadly now demolished but there is a new leisure centre in its place. 

I left Downham around 1970 and it seems a lot has changed since then.  From what I see and read though, the Woodlands Walk remains the same. It was a great favourite of mine.

Hope to see your contributions on the site again.

Bren

Yes the record shop and Bike shop / both on Bromley Hill.I was from the bottom end of Downham as i like to call it.

One of my favorite places to go on a bike ride would be beckenham place park,Around crabb hill in the sunshine /nothing like it.

I am so glade that the woodland walk as not changed to much.

Heres a true story.I can remember crawling through the tiny pipes that crossed the road from one section to the other.
How small and fearless i was back then.Mum was always on hand.

There was another tunnell i would walk through which started behind the red flats down by Beckenham Park,and ended behind the shops in downham (good times)me and my friends would walk through every saturday,Just for fun.

Thanks for your responce Brenda.

Nice web site with what seems like nice people. 

[Pauline]

I'm afraid there wasn't a record shop on Downham in my day. Oh, wait a mo'. I think there was one just before Bromley Hill.  Wow - I'd forgotten about that.  Might have been more of a 2nd hand shop but I'm not sure.


Bren

I remember a record shop at Grove Park just around the corner, I think, next to Dewhursts, down from the cobblers.

Hi Anthony, you are the same age as my daughter.....

[Anthony]

I'm afraid there wasn't a record shop on Downham in my day. Oh, wait a mo'. I think there was one just before Bromley Hill.  Wow - I'd forgotten about that.  Might have been more of a 2nd hand shop but I'm not sure.


Bren

I remember a record shop at Grove Park just around the corner, I think, next to Dewhursts, down from the cobblers.

Hi Anthony, you are the same age as my daughter.....

Good morning pauline,I believe i am correct when i say there was a record shop on the bottom end of Downham way,I remember this shop because this was the shop that i brought my first record (lip up fatty) artist Bad Manners roundabout 1980.I did not own that record too long though because i gave it to a girl - friend that i had a crush on (lol)

Bren you now have the shop in mind.

It was a record shop back then bottom of Downham Way,There used to be a very good sweet shop in downham next door to wimpys.

On the opposite side of the road was a hair dressers,Joes Mini Market,The Fish Shop and downham auto spares.

Thanks for your kind responces.

Enjoy the weather Lady's and gentlemen.

Myself i have got to grind it out at work until 18:00 then i will get home and enjoy a walk with the dog hopfully catching the tail end of the weather (today)

See you soon

[Splinter]

I used to buy records in Woolies (sadly gone now). The biggest change in Downham for me is the amount of cars parked in the street and on the pavements. We used to play in the streets, you can`t do that now or you might damage a car! and thats another thing, you don`t see many children now, you see alot of babies in prams.

[Anthony]

I used to buy records in Woolies (sadly gone now). The biggest change in Downham for me is the amount of cars parked in the street and on the pavements. We used to play in the streets, you can`t do that now or you might damage a car! and thats another thing, you don`t see many children now, you see alot of babies in prams.

Shame about the woolies stores throughout the uk,I would say that the shop was part of a british institute,
Never to be seen again,Well at least we had the chance to enjoy the pick and mix.

Cars seem to be very where these days,Familys these days seem to own 2 or 3 per house,It would be ill advised to play curbs (game) played back in my youth.

Played with a football / both standing on oppersite sides of the pavement you would take turns in trying to throw the ball/
Hitting the curb gave you one point and another throw,Simple innocent fun.

Yes life in many ways as gone a bit pear shaped when you think of how many children are having babies,Life is for living
and your chid hood should remain just that.

One thing is for sure there are far to many children pushing babies around.

Thanks for responding.

Have a wonderful day

[Splinter]

I played in the road. had to stop once an hour for a car. our game was you put a flat stone down in the middle of the road and with the ball you tried to hit it pushing it towards the other kerb HOURS of fun at no cost.

[Brenda]

Don't get me started on children having babies.  It seems I am going to become a great-great aunt due to my sister's 16 year old grandson and his 15 year old girl-friend's stupidity.  Nuff said!

Pauline, I can't remember a record shop at Grove Park - but then, I've discovered a few more holes in my memory I had not known were there! 

Anthony - your school had a pool?  Blimey!

Bren

[Pauline]

A school with a pool?  Wimby bars.  eeekk!  I have been away a long time.Downtham Baths for us .... what a terrible place that was.
Children with babies - yes local mentality - if you're not married by the time you're 17 you're on the self.

[Anthony]

A school with a pool?  Wimby bars.  eeekk!  I have been away a long time.Downtham Baths for us .... what a terrible place that was.
Children with babies - yes local mentality - if you're not married by the time you're 17 you're on the self.

Yes i guess i was lucky being born in the 60s.I have never seen active service,You wonderful people went through that for all of us,And for that i thank you all.

Although the government seem hell bent on destroying everything that you believed in.

I am not sure when the pool was built at Downderry school but it was there in the 70s.

The wimpy bar / I had many a milkshake in there.Downham baths was OK,I remember passing my silver there,Treading water with jimjams on,The only problem i saw was the old wooden seating.not very comfortable.

I would go to Bellingham baths,Fantastic if you had the weather,Cold in the water though.But always a good days fun.
buying a cup of soup, trembling in the cold the good old days (and i can say that as the baths as long since disappeared)

I believe there is only one open baths in the SE London now and that is in Charlton,Still nice memory's of Bellingham baths and all its glory.

[Anthony]

I played in the road. had to stop once an hour for a car. our game was you put a flat stone down in the middle of the road and with the ball you tried to hit it pushing it towards the other kerb HOURS of fun at no cost.

Yes the simple games did seem to give me the most enjoyment,Not quite a car every hour for me,Now it would be impossible to play such games as the roads are way to busy,Still glade i played them,Cowboys and indians was another
game we used to play (as you said hours of free fun)not everything in life as changed for the best (mind)it was innocent
fun.

[Anthony]

Don't get me started on children having babies.  It seems I am going to become a great-great aunt due to my sister's 16 year old grandson and his 15 year old girl-friend's stupidity.  Nuff said!

Pauline, I can't remember a record shop at Grove Park - but then, I've discovered a few more holes in my memory I had not known were there! 

Anthony - your school had a pool?  Blimey!

Bren

Life can be a struggle when having babies so young / All you can do is give them guidance/Congrats to you and your family when the baby arrives.

Yes i was lucky / The pool at the school treated me well