Sydenham Town Forum

Do any of you know why Kelvin Grove is called Kelvin Grove? I've searched online but can only find stuff about the primary school. One source (Joan Read's Lewisham Street Names, 1990) suggests it was named after Lord Kelvin in about 1850. This cannot be so, as William Thomson was not created Baron ...

I wouldn't recommend buying it anyway, Greg. Take a look at the bottom - it is a modern reproduction, and not very good quality.

Falkor, I'm pretty sure the charabanc picture has nothing to do with our Sydenham. It has cropped up on ebay several times over the past couple of years and I'm pretty sure that Sydenham and Co were publishers and booksellers in Bournemouth. And Greg you're right, that is the House of Curtains corne...

A quick google brought up some really interesting sites. [This] and [this] are both fascinating.

Oh dear, I see you've beaten me to it, Falkor. I do like the Kirkdale picture, I haven't seen that before.

I must be the only one that thinks Wells Park looks even better these days because the trees have grown a lot bigger. Plus nowadays its in colour :lol: You're absolutely right, juwlz. Most of the postcards were taken from 1910 onwards, once the park had began to mature. [Here] is a picture taken ju...

I've put up some more pictures of Wells Park [here] . I agree with you Falkor, some of them are difficult to relate to the present park. By the way, the spire to the right of centre on your second picture is the spire that appears in the Longton Grove picture by Pissaro. Also, I'm pretty sure that t...

steve do you know if there is any truth in what i was told about the bodies being reburied elsewhere? It is true. A friend, Michael Viner, wrote an article in the Sydenham Society News a few years ago where he explained that: "The bodies of the Fathers in the cemetery, including Father Faber, ...

I agree with you to a degree, still_robbo, but for me there is still nothing to beat a combination of maps, documents (and this might include Google) and footwork. Falkor, you mentioned St Mary's. I've uploaded some [maps] which show where I think St Mary's was. Although I almost agree with you abou...

Greg Whitehead wrote: ...in one foul swoop we'll stop the problem...

A clever pun, Greg, or a Freudian slip?

Although I've never seen one, albino squirrels are apparently not uncommon, as [this site] shows. Good luck with the photo, Juwlz

I walked down South Road today in the pouring rain and saw the surviving wing of Tudor Hall next to the Hamilton Hall... Falkor, I do admire your stoicism. One of the shops in Church Vale is illustrated on the cover of Sydenham and Forest Hill in Old Photographs (the one with the brown cover). Anot...

Nice one, Steve! :o I see you've added some photos of Willow Way, including the Police station; going to take a proper look at them now... :P As you can see from the [police station] picture, the present building was beside the old one. The original building was not one of the Willow Way cottages, ...

Sorry Greg, I didn't explain that well. You and I do not appear in the public register.

The assailant traced his victim "using electoral records". I'm sure most of you know that two electoral registers are compiled. One, which lists everybody who is eligible to vote, is not publically accessible. The other, on which the online version is based, only shows those voters who did...

Falkor, this building was in South Road, opposite Christ Church. It was a school for young ladies, operated by John Wood Todd and his wife. John Wood Todd was also minister of the Sydenham Baptist Chapel, and that was on Dartmouth Road. I've uploaded a map and some pictures [here] which should make ...

Greg, if it's the building on the corner of Trewsbury Road and Sydenham Road you're referring to it was not bombed, just neglected for the best part of 100 years, before being converted to flats. I wrote an article on it some time ago (I should update it, really), which Admin has placed here: [Syden...

Emily Parkhurst ... sacrificed a great deal in order that we may all have free speech I'm afraid the pedant in me can't help wondering whether that shouldn't be [Emmeline Pankhurst] . But I do agree with you. I also agree with Greg that allowing oneself to be identifiable certainly encourages me to...

To Pat or Steve, it probably seems like yesterday... What can you mean by that? Actually, I find it very pleasing that there are people younger than me who are passionate about the history of their area and are keen to learn more. I often give talks to local groups and almost invariably (you might ...

Is *this* the PC you were referring to? As it shows FH Library it must be after 1900, when the library was opened.

So you were at Holy Trinity. My kids were there between 1982 and the early 1990s, in the days of Eddie Morgan.