I have often visited your website and found it both extremely interesting - and useful, as I am finally writing up the history of my mother’s family - the rest of the family saying that they find it fascinating but not willing to put the work in …..
May I ask you some questions? The family - Spillane / Mahoney / Roche ( sometimes Roach ) / Rahilly and Sheehan - all came from southwest Ireland, Cork and Kerry, just after the Famine, and settled in the streets mainly in St. Paul, Deptford but sometimes in St. Nicholas, and worked as Deal Porters, general labourers in the dockyards, as skin dressers and slaughtermen ( with pigs, I think as they call themselves sausage skin dressers ) and brass finishers. The female members were laundresses and tin workers. Would you have any idea where the pork abattoirs and sausage factories were? My grandfather invented a process for treating sausage skins and patented it, which came in useful when he retired! Where were the brass foundry and tin works? I presume the deal porters would have been in the Surrey Commercial Docks or Greenland Docks at this time - 1959 and 1960s?
The streets that they lived in were; Butcher’s Row, New St., Czar St., Rope Walk, Prince St., Bailey Rents, Ffinch St., Fairey’s Buildings, Blackhorse Square, Greenfield Place, Grove St., Junction Rd., Gosterwood St., Hood St., New King St., Brunswick Square, Watergate St., and Trim St.
I have tracked down all of the above except Bailey Rents and Fairey’s Buildings which I think may now be too hard to trace given the general destruction and demolition of Deptford. The little that the Luftewaffe spared, the LCC finished off! Mind you a lot probably needed it.
Many thanks for any information that you can offer

I wonder if the “Block Of Flats” referred to in the newspaper report was Walnut House ? This was in Edward Street Deptford. I lived there from 1957. My Parents were Joe and Joy Morris. I think we lived on the 2nd floor possibly number nine. I remember public baths nearby.....not sure if this was in Evelyn street where you could do your washing and have a bath too. I also believe I went to a nursery school in this road. I don’t recall the flats being very tall, perhaps 3 or 4 storeys high with the top level being an opening airing room where you could hang your washing. There was a lift I remember as I recall being stuck in it one time when it broke down and the fire brigade had to be called. This was all 61 years ago so memories are fading, but I do remember some railway arches and perhaps a sweet shop right next to one of the arches. I also remember the local Doctor was a Dr Conway ? There was also a shop nearby ( perhaps a pet shop) that had a mynah bird outside in a cage ? Does anyone remember any of this ?

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Does anyone remember my Grandad from Edward Street, Deptford?
I have the original newspaper this was from.
I lived in Clyde Street, Deptford. My name was Pat Hill, and I had a brother Bob, and my parents names were Charles and Vi Hill.
Any replies would be interesting

I am looking for information on the Apples and Pears pub that used to be in Bermondsey. I remember going there many years ago when my uncle was going out with a local from there. Was it up some stairs and was it built into a housing estate that was all knocked down since

I was born in Deptford in November 1940. My parents were Minnie Louisa Lewington (nee Barker) and Leonard John Lewington from Rotherhithe. My mum and Dad lived, with me, at 71 Windmill Lane until we were bombed out near the beginning of the Second World War. Although I was just a toddler at that time I do have some memories of the house. I remember crying when my mum told me that my teddy bear had been looted after the bombing because I used to cuddle him at the foot of the stairs.He was almost the same size as I was, so he was a large teddy! I also remember my mum took me to a grocer shop on a corner off Windmill Lane owned by a nice man called Harry Bloor who used to give me offcuts of breakfast sausage. And my mum used to push me, in my pushchair when going for walks, over the Surrey Canal.
I later discovered that my mum's sister, Ada lived next door, with her husband Leslie. Leslie was later called up and got captured in Singapore immediately they arrived, poor man, and suffered ill health even though he did survive. My aunt Ada spent the whole of the war years not knowing whether he was alive or dead but he turned up at my Granny Barker's flat in Renforth Street, Rotherhithe in 1946!
Our large family took care of me and mum after 71 Windmill Lane was destroyed so we were never without a bed. There is so much more to say (like when I got strafed while walking in Deptford High Street with my mum when I was six and living in Edward Street with my Aunt Flo, Uncle Frank Bennett and cousin Frankie ~ but I don't want to go on too long until I know that I might get a reply to this email. Although I now live in New Zealand, I still love, deep in my heart, Deptford, Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks area.

Lived in Charlton went to Charlton Grammar 1958-1965I believe its gone now happy memories of liostening to Little Eva in the Attic music room!Mrs Jeffreys ?Geography contacted me a few years ago I remember history teacher Miss Nash Think Miss Barnsdale was head then.Anyone remember singing in the madrigal choir? Wonderful music teacher Mrs Lister

I went to Life drawing evening classes in the early ’70s at the suggestion of my art teacher at Bromley Technical High School, Owen Frampton.
I can remember drawing Quentin Crisp whilst I was there and others, but did’nt realise the school’s importance until later in life.
I’m glad I was involved in a very small way

Born in Harden St, Woolwich and spent many happy hours in and around Greenwich Park and the riverside.I saw the Cutty Sark being installed and dry docked etc way back in the 50s, many happy memories of searching for broken clay pipes on the foreshore near the college. Can any one tell me the name of the film made in the late 50s or early 60s filmed in and around Charlton, Woolwich and Greenwich about a man suffering mental problems handing out his medication pills as sweets to children standing in the a queue for the saturday morning pictures, and then being hunted down by the police. Some lovely nostalgic scenes from the 50s

Hello, good site! I wonder if anyone might remember or know Ray Moore, brought up in Rotherhithe and evacuated to west wales in 1945 when he was 7. Think his gran had a pub, called the Black Horse? My own 93 year old mum would love to hear any news

I was born in Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich in 1948. I went to Christ Church School and Kidbrooke Comprehensive School. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers me or my family. I now live in USA.

I lived and worked in greenwich in the mid 60s, I was a Porter at st-alfeges hospital working with Loyd Rowe and David Fullerton if they or any one remembers me and would like to get in touch.

I was delighted to find this site with so many familiar names. I was very young when I first went to teach at the School in Beckenham. In fact I was not much older than many of the students and younger than some. I was petrified of Kassimoff and Tom Freeth and felt very much their inferior junior. My cache was that I was Peter Werner’s nephew by marriage.
My favourite memory was when I organized a week of visits to the British Museum. Each day a different class came up and met me at the front of the building. I gave strict instructions that everyone should look neat and well dressed as we were representing the school. All was fine until Friday when it was the turn of the illustrators to arrive. I waited in the portico of the Museum and suddenly saw at the end of the long approach drive a motley assembly of my favourite students. They had top hats, feather boas, parasols, you name it and they were wearing it. I had to watch this wild assortment walk slowly towards me. I greeted them as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but loved them dearly. I had a very happy life at Beckenham and ended my teaching career as director of a College of Craft and Design in Canada, heavily modeled on BSOA.

I lived in Crooms Hill Rd prior to immigrating to Auz in 1968. I'm not sure of the Street No, it was probably 8, 10 or 12? My nextdoor neighbour was Tim Broadbent, the first friend I can remember! My dad was an ex paratrouper and worked in the nearby army hospital and I had 2 older sisters, Mary and Jennifer and 2 younger brothers, Markus and Adrian

I attended Blackheath Bluecoats School between 1984 & 1989. Unfortunately my parents decided to move away so i had to leave that great school behind. I bet the whole area has changed alot since then, as i actually haven't been back in all that time! I grew up in Blackheath/Charlton/Woolwich and have some great memories

My ‘Intermediate’ years at the old Beckenham School of Art are deeply ingrained; a magical time. Went on to the Central school of Arts & Crafts, then briefly wrote & presented TV programme for STV before it became TVS… followed by a lifetime of varying forms of design for Corporate Clothing, Interiors, Hotels, Fabrics, Textiles, Illustration … a chequered career … still designing/ painting + family life & seven grandchildren ….. Agree – I also was especially influenced by Beckenham teachers – Dr Weissenborn, Fred Packer, Fry, Grahame Arnold, Don Buley … it was a special time.
Was always envious of Bruce Pennington’s skill at impersonating other techniques. !
came to the school at the same time as Sonia Dobson….. haven’t crossed paths since ! What news ?

I only spent an afternoon in Greenwich as a tourist in 1999, but I feel that it's my ancestral home! My grandfather Edward Riddle was Master of the Nautical School, one of the Greenwich Royal Hospital Schools, from 1921 to 1962. According to the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association website there is a bust of him "in mausoleum in SE corner of grounds in front of former Devonport Nurses Home, now to be a conference centre and postgraduate hall of residence for University of Greenwich". I would very much like to have a photograph of this bust, and will gladly pay for it. Can anyone tell me how it can be done?

I am looking for a good friend of mine called Anne Comet,(She is French but has lived in Greenwich for a couple of years).She used to work for a company called DBcomms in Soho,London, but they seemed to have moved office. I would very much like to get in touch with her and catch up on some good old london gossip as I no longer live in the UK. If anyone can help please do.

I’m looking for William Hendle who attended Trinity Naval school in Greenwich in 1950s-60s How do I find this information out. He had to be the son of a naval parent to attend the school

I’m looking for Shooters Hill Cemetery, London. I've been told that it's definitely in the Greenwich area or near here. I can't find it anywhere on maps. Please reply using this guestbook with the details of where this cemetery is. Thank You

My family, The Grangers owned a tavern in Greenwich. I am curious if you know of them as I would like to visit the UK again in the next year. I would love to see the tavern and learn more of my family history there. Thank You