Chiesmans, Gaumant
At Chiesmans a train went right through – it was a lovely shop, sold everything.
Gaumant picture house the organ came up and played- there were adverts before the film. We saw Cowboy and Indian films.
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Chiesmans / The Hope
It was a posh shop – you felt like somebody when you went in. It had a very elegant restaurant, a ladies hairdressers and a wonderful toy department.
We lived just behind and we’d hear the bells which meant Father Christmas was arriving – we queued to sit on his knee. I used to go in with my Grandmother.
She arrived in 1895 – her family owned The Hope. She was privately educated in a school in Lewisham park, she was highly educated but she didn’t work. I like a multicultural society and that’s what Lewisham is. I’m very proud of where I come from and how Lewisham is now.
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Rex Cinema / Lewisham Market
In Rex Cinema, you could hear the trains rattling past. In the market, they now sell different produce. Things have changed – there are things you wouldn’t be able to buy before. ‘77 I came here when it had not long been open – a bit of excitement.
We didn’t really come to Lewisham in the 40s or 50s – it was run down but the centre had an impact. We come from Blackheath and now these new flats we see are far too close together. The centre has always been well maintained.
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I remember Army & Navy and the walk way above the main road. Mum bought our suitcases there.
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I remember Lewisham before all the high rise blocks of flats.
When there was a roundabout by the train/bus station.
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The plastic purple blue play area in Lewisham Shopping Centre outside Boots!
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The trams in 1952. From Lewisham to Greenwich to New Cross and onwards.
They swung and made a noise and the seats reversed for return journeys. It curved round Downham Way to get around a hill.
I remember the new Sainsbury’s in 1962/3, the first supermarket in SE13.
I also saw the King or Queen drive past.
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My name’s Mr white, Bill White, I’ve lived in Lewisham and Lee Green all my life.
The floods, where the Ravensbourne and the Quaggy meet, which is right outside the police station, was absolutely flooded. The police station was called Chiesman’s, it was an old shopping centre. And all the cellar, because downstairs they had no ground floor, that was absolutely swamped.
As you walk down Lee High Road all the stuff was coming out the shops where people were smashing windows, and the pub I was in, The Rose of Lee, the kegs were coming out of the cellar, actually floating down the street.
There was a lot of looting going on. Lots of people, shop owners, trying to save their stock, and they didn’t have a chance, none whatsoever.
It must have been about a metre high down Lee High Road. Lewisham, that photo was when it first started. We believe, Bromley and Bickley area, especially Bromley, they had a big downpour. When it comes off the downs it goes into the Ravensbourne, and that’s when it come, it’s where it all started from, we believe.
How long did it last?
A good couple of days, cause you had to let it go down, there was no way of moving it. Some of the drains were blocked so you couldn’t really drain it away.
And where you’ve got a park, down Brookmill Road, and the overflow was going into the park, it was actually flooding the park.
There was nowhere for it to go. And once they started this building, you’re not doing anything with the Quaggy. They widened it a bit, but there was a lot of concrete still down there. Will it take it again?
If you go up Lee High Road, there’s a pub there called The Duke of Edinburgh. If you go into their car park and look to your left, you’ll see how wide it is. It’s from here to here (only 2 or 3 metres ) and it goes underneath the shops and it comes out near the police station, well you can’t see it, it goes underground.
That capacity is not big enough to take it all.
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