Back To Our Old House
Although I was unaware of it at the time, after the war was over my father set about trying to get our house repaired under compensation from the War Damage Commission. I have since found out that at first all that they were prepared to offer was £100 compensation but that this would not involve any repair work to the structure at all. I had never thought that my father was a particularly stubborn person, but the next couple of years were to prove to me how wrong I was. My father then set about a consistent correspondence backed up with arguments to prove how much hardship this offer would produce since not only was he paying rent for the requisitioned house we were living in, but he was still having to pay the mortgage for the bombed house.
He felt that it was his right that the house should be repaired under the auspices of the War Damages Commission and after a lot of argument on both sides, it was finally agreed that the Commission would finance the complete repair of the house and this was agreed. What my Father did manage to get agreement to as well was that by taking on a further small mortgage he would provide additional money which would permit the construction of a bathroom during the repairs.
Up until then, my father had been a heavy smoker, sometimes thirty or forty a day, and this must have been a severe drain on his pocket, however he decided one day that his health would be better if he stopped, and he did just that overnight. However soon afterwards he began to suffer pains in his left side and he had an irritating habit of holding his side all the time. Although in the ensuing years he went for many tests and x-rays, they could never find anything wrong and it was put down to stress, possibly as a result of giving up smoking. However this tale has a sorry ending for some twenty-eight years after giving up smoking, he contracted and died from chest cancer in a very short space of time. Was it all those cigarettes all those years ago? I am sure it was.
Sometime during the late autumn of 1950, the house having been repaired, we moved back to Beckenham, one result of which was that I could now walk to school in about five minutes instead of the three-quarters of an hour or so that the bus journey had taken originally.
11 responses
Your memories chime with mine, but I have no photos I’m afraid. I belonged to Beckenham Ladies Swimming Club and trained there every day before school and I was awarded one of the scholarships you mentioned. My trainer was Mr Ford and my diving instructor was called Thelma. This would have been in the early 1950s
I had the misfortune to be involved in a road accident in Beckenham in 1964. When I worked at the Wellcome Research Laboratories. I have followed the long sequence of eventsin the aftermath of the acident, pial records, legal including life-saving treatment at the former Beckenham Hospital, and latterly, at Farnborough Hospital. I was involved in several high level legal issus progressing from County Court to High High Court and then High Court of Appeal in London.
It has been particularly difficult to locate reports from hospital record and legal reports. I am however willing to share my story “The Long Dark Night” with [your learned society.
David Alston’s memories of Beckenham Technical School say that the Technical Institute dated back to 1901. I believe in fact that the building was Beckenham Grammar School until about 1930 when the Grammar School moved to new buildings on Penge High Street, and had to have “Penge” include in its title. My father, his brother, myself, my brother and my cousin all attended the Grammar School.
I think you are correct about the site of Beckenham Boys Grammar school. I remember my father telling me that he went to the grammar school (that would have been about 1920) in the building that was situated just in front of Beckenham Baths, before it moved to Penge High Street
Some fantastic memories here. Thanks for sharing.
If you would like to contribute to this page please use the contact button on the site and I will upload it to the site.
This is the very first time that I have posted an article on your Website. I would be very interested to find out if you have any articles about Penge that I can read or contribute to, please.
I am searching for picture images of the Victorian houses that stood in Southend Road (west side) between Brackley Road and Stumps Hill Lane. I believe these properties were demolished in the 60’s for redevelopment in the area.
If you go to Photo Album then select Gallery 1 then click on Spa to Memorial from left hand drop down menu you will find photos of Beckenham Baths.
I have been searching for so long to find pictures of Beckenham Road Baths – the baths in the 1970s. Number 1, 2 and 3 pool. I have wonderful memories of swimming there almost every day. The cafe upstairs with the balcony viewing area for number 1 pool. The long walk down the corridors to number 2 pool and finally number 3 pool at the very end with the deep end of the pool actually being in the middle of the pool. I remember Vince Lamp who taught me to swim and canoe. The Kerr family living in the house on site, Joan on reception and that very cool ticket machine they used to use for your entry for a swim (almost like what the bus conductors used to use).
Then there was the scholarship time trails once a year to earn you a free entry for a whole year. No diving blocks, they used to use towels on the edge of the pool. And talking of towels – I remember you could hire a rough white towel for your swim!
Ken Hodges was the pool supervisor in my days!
Why are there no pictures anyway on any site of this wonderful pool? If anyone can help – I would be very grateful.
My mum still swims at the new pool after swimming every week there for over 50 years!!
I have been searching for so long to find pictures of Beckenham Road Baths – the baths in the 1970s. Number 1, 2 and 3 pool. I have wonderful memories of swimming there almost every day. The cafe upstairs with the balcony viewing area for number 1 pool. The long walk down the corridors to number 2 pool and finally number 3 pool at the very end with the deep end of the pool actually being in the middle of the pool. I remember Vince Lamp who taught me to swim and canoe. The Kerr family living in the house on site, Joan on reception and that very cool ticket machine they used to use for your entry for a swim (almost like what the bus conductors used to use).
Then there was the scholarship time trails once a year to earn you a free entry for a whole year. No diving blocks, they used to use towels on the edge of the pool. And talking of towels – I remember you could hire a rough white towel for your swim!
Ken Hodges was the pool supervisor in my days!
Why are there no pictures anyway on any site of this wonderful pool? If anyone can help – I would be very grateful.
My mum still swims at the new pool after swimming every week there for over 50 years!!