First bit of interview seems not to have been recorded.
CLIPS NOT YET TAGGED
Any other shops?
Caters.. now the Co-Op. One of the first supermarkets. Used to be a Woolworths where the motorbike shop now is. Nan used to work there. Gave him a sweet from ‘Pick and Mix’. Nan and Aunt also worked at the Bingo where the betting shop (Coomes) now is. Houses and flats above. Don’t know what it was before. Walked there? Push chair.
Any other entertainments?
Nothing, no. Too young. Never went to church. Mum and Dad were married at Christ Church. Born here now I’m working here.
Did parents come from around here?
Dad came from other side of Blackheath (Lee). Mum born in Grenfell Street. Mum’s side of family came from Isle of Dogs originally. Don’t know much about Dad’s side. After moving to Eltham came back to see Nan who was moved from Grenfell Street to Deverne Close on Caltock Estate, off Blackwall Lane.
Had a cat called Herbie. Ran away when they moved. Played in garden. Narrow garden. Lot of pavement, not much grass. Some flowers. Washing line from house to bottom of garden. Brick wall at end of Nan’s garden with dustbins and maggots and caterpillars. Metal bins with holes in the bottom because they were so old. Grenfell Street and Boord Street had about 120 houses in each. Surrounded by gas works and other companies that off-loaded material from the river – construction companies (Masco, Murphys, Tarmac).
Grenfell Street knocked down around 30-33 years ago. Became a car park. Boord Street knocked down later. Then moved to Eltham.
Were there any local characters?
Old lady called Liz Bedford with white hair, black dress and a pinny. Sat in corner in the kitchen at a friend’s house. Friend of the family.
Any street sellers?
Not remembered. Too young. Mother did shopping in East Greenwich. Used to be a greengrocer’s opposite the Bingo and a fishmongers.
Trips out?
After moving to Eltham, went to Leysdown. Stayed in a chalet with Nan and granddad.
Caters was indeed the first
Caters was indeed the first supermarket in the area, its wire baskets were very new to us and it had a door which opened automatically, on a hinge, inwards. All this seemed very foreign. Prior to Caters, there was the three-shop-front Frances Campion. As a child I remember the boxes of broken biscuits, to be sold by the pound, laid out at the front of the shop. Woolworths was indeed grand, it had dark wood counters and sold almost anything you could need from sweets to records and even paint.