Sydenham Town Forum

Tim Apologies in advance for the length of the post. I don't know if any of this will help/ be of interest but here goes. I grew up in FH/ Sydenham and moved back in 2003 with my partner having lived, studied and worked abroad and elsewhere in the UK. We were both young professionals and worked with...

Just having a quick New Year peek at the old Sydenham Town forum. I grew up in Sydenham but moved out to Kent after having kids just over 18 months ago. I empathise it's true - you wouldn't believe what you get for your money around these parts. Lovely, untouched architecture, some of the Victorian ...

There's a Kente coffee shop in Streatham. It's reasonably priced, food OK, nothing too upmarket. If this one's similar to the Streatham branch it'll have to really fight to hold its own against Sugahill and Blue Mountain. Keeping the old shop front would have given it some of the edge it'll need to ...

I think I know the house you mean. If it's the one I'm thinking of I think there used to be a very old lady living there (maybe up until the early nineties?) The witness protection link sounds intriguing! Maybe it's just been abandoned/ owners have gone awol? I go past often but have not taken any n...

Do you men Dr Redenham's (think that's how you spell it) old surgery or the place on the opposite corner?

Eagle - would love to walk to Savacentre as discussed but with two very young kids and heavy shopping it's not a feasible option. Parker - well if you and I go round about the houses to avoid getting snarled up in Syd Road traffic I presume others must do too. The area you mention is really bad I to...

Annie I can empathise with the sort of thing you mention - particularly around the post office/ end of Newlands Park area. Near misses are certainly common all over London but unfortunately I think we fare quite badly here in Sydenham - especially around that Bermuda Triangle of road you mention. As...

I live a few minutes walk from Sydenham Road. I have two very young kids and consider negotiating the traffic/ take-your-life-in-your-hands crossings/ stench of pollution on Sydenham Road to be so unpleasant that I generally chuck the kids in the car and clear off to Lordship Lane or Penge or even B...

A newt! My mum's garden in Forest Hill used to be over-run with them in the 70s/80s, ditto my nan's garden on Dartmouth Road. Toads used to be in plentiful supply too - my parents thought because of all the underground water round these parts. Then both the newts and the toads seemed to disappear. P...

Anyone got any updates on when this place is due to open? We went past on Feb 14 (thought it was opening then) and it still looked well and truly locked in refurb mode.

That steep embankment could be at Nunhead I guess. If you take the long road as Honor Oak Road it all seems to fit. There's quite a steep incline/ hill on the site of Nunhead Cemetery. I believe Nunhead Cemetery was opened in 1840. So the embankment you point out could be the site of the cemetery be...

Looks like the long road might be Honor Oak Road - and the view is from the top of Derby Hill or somewhere thereabouts.

Sorry user100 if all this talk of traffic lights offends you. But if you don't like the topic then don't read about it - simple. Sure sometimes things go wrong. That's the nature of the universe. Not everything is within our control. But we live in a big city. And if things go wrong I think it's fai...

Thanks Blushing Snail! The TfL site advises people to report urgent faults by calling 0845 305 1234. Fantastic. Job done. Everyone safe asap in this hectic 24-hour society of ours you'd think. The TfL site then goes on to say in its next par: "TfL Street Management manages Red Routes in London,...

Hi Chrise Yes, I called Lewisham Council and they said Tfl are responsible for the maintenance of traffic lights, so it's not the council's problem. Naturally I looked at the Tfl website to see if there was a section where motorists could report faulty traffic lights, in case I should come across th...

Thanks for the reply! Wow, that means the lights were out for at least three and a quarter hours - if you saw them out as early as 9.45am and they were still out when I was involved in the prang at 12.45pm/ 1pm. Sorry but knowing that makes me a bit nuts - kids and parents going to and fro on foot c...

Hi Quick appeal and then a bit of a grouch as I was involved in a road traffic accident at Bell Green on Sunday Feb 25. The entire traffic lights system was out around Savacentre/ Southend Lane/ Kangley Bridge Road and there was a collision between myself and another car as a result. I entered Savac...

Oh my goodness thank you - you have made my month with that photo! My mum will also be thrilled to see that pic. It looks like it was taken around the first decade or so of the 20th century - is that about right? Do you know when the terrace of houses next to the chapel was built by any chance? That...

Hi This is fantastic - I have been trying for years to find out any info I can about the chapel on the corner of what is now Suncroft Place. I had begun to think I had dreamt the place up. My nan told me about it years ago as it was next door to the house our family lived in for years. I have seen t...

Falkor I don't post often (have a new baby and she doesn't let me :shock:) But I am one of those people who keeps a daily eye on the forum out of interest. I too went to Holy Trinity. My nan also went there in the 1920s and my mum in the fifties. I have pics of my nan inside, in the assembly hall, p...