hello

[batesy]

hello there. just discovered this site and thought i'd say hi.

i,m downham born and bred and have a strong affinity with the place that i, and most of the people i know call 'home.
i think downham is unique, it gets under your skin. most of the friends and relatives i have in downham - if asked where they come from - will not reply "bromley" or "catford" they will say "downham",its like a town all on its own. my ex wife ( a catford girl) even goes so far as to say that we talk different to everyone else! have a different accent! she might be right, she was all the time we were married(ouch), anyway, i,m 42 years old, spent my formative years in the downham tavern,went to good shepherd & bonus pastor ( a good catholic upbringing!) and attended good shepherd church until i was fourteen (terrorised by fthr bluett) oh, and i,m a recovering alcoholic. be good to hear from anyone

[dickie eagle]

 Welcome, nice to have a new voice join the ranks. my kid brother used to be pals with a family called Bates, I seem to remember one was called "Boy-Boy Bates" any relation ?. as you imply Downham is a mixture of old friends,days gone by and happy family memories,and summers that were long, warm, and sunny. have a happy sober Easter and welcome to the club  Dickie Eagle.............

[Anonymous]

hello there. just discovered this site and thought i'd say hi.

i,m downham born and bred and have a strong affinity with the place that i

Hallo Batesy, good to hear from another ex-Downhamite who still regards it as home despite the passage of years.
Now then, whereabouts on Downham did you live?  Are you one of the Bates who lived at 38 Durham Hill for a few years, perchance?  There was Doreen, Brenda, Jean and little Stanley.  You wouldn't be little Stanley, would you?  
Glad to hear you are recovering from the grog.  Keep up the good work!
Do hope to hear more from you on the site.
Brenda

[dickie Eagle]

"batesy"]hello there. just discovered this site and thought i'd say hi.i,m downham born and bred and have a strong affinity with the place
Hallo Batesy, good to hear from another ex-Downhamite who still regards it as home despite the passage of years.
Now then, whereabouts on Downham did you live?  Are you one of the Bates who lived at 38 Durham Hill for a few years, perchance?  There was Doreen, Brenda, Jean and little Stanley.  You wouldn't be little Stanley, would you?  
Glad to hear you are recovering from the grog.  Keep up the good work!
Do hope to hear more from you on the site.Brenda[/quote] Hi Brenda. we both seem to find a lot of Bateses around, I think there were some in Tristram Rd., but I also bumped into one in Malaya from Downham  who was with the Royal West Kents at Kuala Kubu baru in Christmas 1951 and he knew my brother and had heard of me (He also knew my younger sister ! ! ) Small old world isn't it .  Dickie..................[/quote]

[batesy]

thanks for the replies everyone, didn't realise there are so many of us batesys on the manor.
heres a short family history
mum. eileen knights, is from rodney place in the elephant originally. her family were one of the first to move onto the estate when it was still being built, she still lives in detling road. she moved into geraint road with her mum dad & three brothers, johnny knights, bobby knights and pat knights. my grandad knights used to sell the news & standard outside the tavern. sadly my uncle bob and johnny have passed away & my aunt olive (bobbys wife) lives in downderry road.
my old man came from union street SE1 origianally(george bates). he was a 'militia boy' and served in the 8th army during the war. his family lived in launcelot rd.
i have three elder brothers goeff, john and terry,58,56 & 53 we all went to good shepherd and bonus pastor.
mum was on the very first registar at good shepherd school & turned 80 last december, still as fit as a fishmongers cat and an absolute inspiration - as is everyone of her generation.
the old man passed away in 1993.
thanks and god bless
mark (batesy)

[Anonymous]

thanks for the replies everyone, didn't realise there are so many of us batesys on the manor.
my old man came from union street SE1 origianally(george bates).

Hallo again Batesy.  Now then, Union St - is that Bermondsey and is it anywhere near Snowfields?  That's where my father came from.  Good to know your mother is still with you.  Wish I had mine still.
Brenda

[Dickie Eagle]

thanks for the replies everyone, didn't realise there are so many of us batesys on the manor.
my old man came from union street SE1 origianally(george bates).
Hallo again Batesy.  Now then, Union St - is that Bermondsey and is it anywhere near Snowfields?  That's where my father came from.  Good to know your mother is still with you.  Wish I had mine still.Brenda

Looking back I'm not certain whether my loyalty is for Downham, or Southwark and Bermondsey, but Snowsfields is in Bermondsey from Guys up to Bermondsey St.,at the junction of St. Thomas' St.,whereas Union St. is in The Boro'of Southwark between Blackfriars Rd., and Southwark Bridge Rd.,I lived in Pilgrimage St., then Waleran Buildings in the Old Kent Road., then Tower Bridge Road (No.2, near the " Bricklayers Arms").What the blazes I'm doing here in Windsor ! think I'll poke off back to Amersfoort NL eh? 'bye for now     Dickie........... :wink:

[mike]

Hi Batesy - a belated welcome to the forums!
Great to have your contributions; look forward to hearing more
Kind Regards
Mike

[Dickie eagle]

Hallo again Batesy.  Now then, Union St - is that Bermondsey and is it anywhere near Snowfields?  That's where my father came from.  Good to know your mother is still with you.  Wish I had mine still.Brenda[/quote] Never mind Darling, I'll hold your hand. :lol:  Now we've sorted out Bermondsey &Southwark would you like a map of the area ? Of course all the places of character are gone, like "Globe Alley" where my Gran lived. More recent is the disappearance of half of" Pages Walk" which a group of "Brown Nosing" polically proper Lefties renamed "Mandela Avenue" (As compensation I do, really do! have "Eagle Close" named after me ,as we lived at No.2 in an unnamed Cul de sac.

That's all folk be back soon      Dickie.............