Nostalgic memories of Bexleyheath's local history
Share your own memories of Bexleyheath and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 1 - 10 of 91 in total
It was the late 1950's and everyone in my family were keen gardeners. One hotly anticipated event in the garden calender was always the Summer Horticultural Show in Danson Park. Inside the huge white marquee was a marvel of light, colour and fragrance, a magical space filled with row upon row of home-made and home-grown produce that, as a 10 year-old boy, fair took my breath away. Along with displays of fruit, ...see more
One sunny day in the late 1950's the next door neighbour came knocking at our door with some exciting news. A big new food store had opened on the Broadway, Bexleyheath,. It's a Supermarket, she said. It's Victor Value and it sells everything, it's wonderful. The following weekend the whole family went to see what all the fuss was about, suitably impressed by the sheer size of the place and the fabulous ...see more
Danson Park was a much loved adventure playground throughout my Junior School years. There were so many fun diversions there for a young boy in the 1950's including one particular past-time which sadly I only have scant memories - collecting abandoned used lollysticks to use as a currency. The cafe in the big Danson House ran a scheme for kids, whereby they accepted used lollysticks picked up in ...see more
Searching for wildlife to keep as pets was a major diversion for a small group of boys in my class at Brampton Road Primary School during the 1950's. Anything that moved on the ground or swam around in ponds and streams was fair game: frogs, toads, newts, grass snakes, stag-beetles, and of course, sticklebacks. Our hunting grounds were local gardens, the wild areas of Danson Park and Lesnes and Bostall ...see more
Following a week at school the weekend was always eagerly anticipated, especially Saturdays. On this day I would take the long walk from home at the north end of Gipsy Road and make my way via Pickford Road to the west end of Bexleyheath Broadway. Once on the main street I first made a visit to the library in its unique wooden building, then moved up the Broadway to the pet shop on the left for my pet ...see more
I was at this school from about 1961- 1966 after passing the 13+ exam. I went to Hall Place first, what a wonderful place it was! I remember Miss Moore who was the headmistress, we had Mrs. Hodgson for geography and Mrs. Kendrick for sports. My name then was Ruby Little, but I hated my first name and changed it to Victoria now Mrs Fenlon, as soon as I could! I think at the 'big' ...see more
As with many of the neighbors in our road we owned two coal fires, one in each downstairs room, with chimneys to match. Keeping the fires lit during cold winters required loose coal, supplied in huge bags, to be regularly delivered. As a child this was always something of an event when the coalmen arrived in their big lorry. We usually had two bags delivered, carried from the lorry to the coal bunker ...see more
During the1950's, long before the introduction of Green Shield and other reward stamps, members of the Co-operative Society in the days before the Co-op as we know it today, earned tin coin cash money to the value of each purchase made. This could then be exchanged for real money at a later date. During this time the Society was a pillar of good for its members, with many extra benefits, ...see more
As a 10 year old in 1954, I sold sweets from a small table inside or outside the tobacconist and sweet shop to the left of the Regal. This was for an hour before the children's Saturday morning pictures started, for which I was paid 6d - the price of going into the pictures. Does anyone remember buying from me and/or the name of the tobacconist?
My name at school was Yvonne Reynolds and I was in the JDSX-SDX stream. Thank you everyone for your memories. I'm pleased to see that there some writing who are about my age now [b.1937]. My first year was at Townley Rd., with Miss Moore as form teacher. I agree that she was a brilliant history teacher, and that she was strict, but I never found her unjust, or mean. She despaired of me ever ...see more