Photos of Dulwich

[JOHNNYBOY]

Does anyone have any photos of the Prefabs, General Store on the corner of Friern Road & Underhill Road or the parade of shops in Underhill Road in the 1960s/70s or the Crystal Palace Tavern. Did you work at Everitt Vero's co ltd at the bottom of Crystal Palace road in the 1960s, do you have any memories you can relate ? My Mum, Joan Chinery worked there and I would be interested if anyone had any stories to tell. Does anyone have any old cine film of East Dulwich or surrounding areas in the 1960s/70s or 80s, I am trying to put together a history and possibly a DVD of how East Dulwich was years ago and also add the information to my website at camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk. Did anybody know Len Ellis or Fred Chinery who worked on the council in the 1960s ? Did anybody know Pat & Jean Smith, Jean Burns, Bob Moy, Flo & Joe Kidd, Phillip Ramsey, Kenny & Andy Chappell or Robin Speck who all lived in the Prefabs in Underhill Road, if you can help in anyway that would be great

[puwetter]

Hi I used to work in Everett and vero's but in the 1970's

[JOHNNYBOY]

Many thanks for your reply, what did your job entail ? my Mum worked there in the 1960s but sadly she contracted cancer and died in 1967. Would you have any photos of the building inside Or Out or any photos relating to Everitt Vero ? many thanks again for your reply, Best Wishes, John

[Otta]

I'll ask my mum about this because when I was very young I can remember going to those prefabs to visit an elderly lady with her. This would be very early 80s.

[JOHNNYBOY]

Hi, Many thanks for your reply, that will be great.

[adonirum]

Johnnyboy

Might be of interest to you to go to a thread I started entitled"Does anyone know who I mean" and a post by Steveo containing a link. Also, one of the Mr. Vero's was the francise holder of Gordon's of Dulwich, the Ford Main Dealership on the other side of East Dulwich Road jct with CPR where I bought my first brand new car, a Ford Capri 2.8i. Shameful that I was once a little bit of a boy racer!!!!!! Of course, like most of the old East Dulwich, this site now contains blocks of flats.

[JOHNNYBOY]

Hi

Many thanks for info, have seen your thread, Francis Rossi was my next door neighbour for years, he lived in a Prefab at 200 Underhill Road with Jean Smith, they eventually married and moved to one of the flats above the Co-op in Lordship Lane, which you mention in your thread, I used to visit him there, he also had some of his stage clothes made in a little tailors in Lordship Lane, he then moved to Lowther Hill off Forest Hill, beautiful house that was, from there he moved to the home he lives in now. When he lived in the Prefab my Dad gave him a job on the council cutting the grass on the Lordship Lane Estate by The Plough Pub, my Dad eventually sacked him for taking too much time off and the rest is history.

[adonirum]

Now I have looked again I can see that the link I mentioned was obviously from you so sorry to direct you back to your own work!!!!! In my thread, the time period I was referring to was circa 68-70 when I went to St. John's and St. Clements Primary School in North Cross Road and we used to go and see "the man with the guitars on his wall". That school, as I somewhat cynically alluded to,has gone the way of so much of ED and is now also flats, with one on the market for circa One Million. Its beyond all comprehension really. Court Lane, Frank Dixon Close, Alleyn Park Road, they used to be the roads with the million pound properties (and deservedly so) when I was a boy (oh dear all our yesterdays, Tom Browns schooldays etc etc!!). Incidentally, I thought Francis lived in Mayo Road (linking Perry Vale with Sydenham ) before moving to where he is now but perhaps this was after/before Lowther Hill. Also, when they separated/divorced. Jean used to visit her sister I believe it was in CPR quite frequently, in the then newly built block of flats between Whately and North Cross and are on the opposite side of CPR to the medical centre. Bygone days Johnnyboy, bygone days!!!

[JOHNNYBOY]

Good old days and a lot of happy memories, and you are right, Jean did visit her sister, Pat in CPR, I don't know if Pat still lives there, haven't seen Pat or Jean for many years now, as you say East Dulwich has changed so much, too many flats, many of the Flats just look so out of place, I loved living in our Prefab, it was such a different world back then

[JOHNNYBOY]

Does anyone have any photos of the Prefabs, General Store on the corner of Friern Road & Underhill Road or the parade of shops in Underhill Road in the 1960s/70s or the Crystal Palace Tavern. Did you work at Everitt Vero's co ltd at the bottom of Crystal Palace road in the 1960s, do you have any memories you can relate ? My Mum, Joan Chinery worked there and I would be interested if anyone had any stories to tell. Does anyone have any old cine film of East Dulwich or surrounding areas in the 1960s/70s or 80s, I am trying to put together a history and possibly a DVD of how East Dulwich was years ago and also add the information to my website at camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk. Did anybody know Len Ellis or Fred Chinery who worked on the council in the 1960s ? Did anybody know Pat & Jean Smith, Jean Burns, Bob Moy, Flo & Joe Kidd, Phillip Ramsey, Kenny & Andy Chappell or Robin Speck who all lived in the Prefabs in Underhill Road, if you can help in anyway that would be great

[lilolil]

I knew/ know Kenny Chappell. Andy was sadly found dead last year

[JOHNNYBOY]

That is so sad, Andy & Kenny are/were so talented musically, I remember recording some music with Andy on a reel to reel tape recorder in his Prefab when we were growing up, I lived a stone's throw away from them also in a Prefab in Underhill road, Kenny had a fantastic voice, I watched him sing Sugar Baby Love plus many other songs with his band in The Green Man pub in the Old Kent Road in the 70s, the last I heard he had married an American girl and was living in Florida, he said the music business had been so good to him. Thank you for posting about Andy,it's so sad, god bless him.

[James Barber]

Hi JOHNNYBOY,

The Local Studies Library - behind the John Harvard Library on Borough High Street should have such photos.

[lilolil]

He lives in Tampa but comes back here sometimes. He is still singing and playing guitar. He is on Facebook if you want to make contact with him

[JOHNNYBOY]

Many thanks for the update, it's very kind of you, I have never signed up to Facebook but I will do and I'll look him up, Kind Regards, John

[JOHNNYBOY]

Thanks James, I have tried the local studies library but they don't seem to have any, I'll have to keep searching, many thanks, John

[jacqui t]

hi,my aunt lived in the prefab backing onto Jeans,I can remember listening to Rossis playing his guitar in the back garden,our prefab was in Upland road,can only remember the Randalls (Tony) who lived on the corner of Friern road and Underhill in a prefab and Sidney Draper who lived next door to Randalls.I remember a shop on the corner of Upland road and Underhill Road,did a paper round for a week ,getting up early wasnt my thing.Maybe you are at a later time,thats why I cant remember names of people u mention.Now live in Australia have been here since 69 and they play Status Quo all the time in our Coles supermarket which is quite funny.

[JOHNNYBOY]

Hi Jacqui

Thanks for your memories, we moved into our Prefab approx. 1954, I first met Francis when he was 17 and I was 14, he was going out with the girl next door, Jean Smith, who he eventually married, we became great mates, my Dad gave him a job then sacked him, that's when Pictures of Matchstick Men was written. Alan Lancaster (Bass Player) lived in Australia for years, don't know if he still has a home out there, I used to go out with his sister Doreen, she now has her own business in Australia. I remember Sid Draper, he was always working on cars in Underhill Road opposite our Prefab, The last I heard Sid Draper had his own Coach company. I remember the shop on the corner of Upland Road, it was a sweet shop. The only Tony Randall I knew lived in Crystal Palace Road, We went to the same school, Thomas Calton School in Peckham, I didn't know the family living on the corner of Friern/Underhill Road.I knew Keith Randall who lived in Underhill Road, he was about the same age as me. Did your Aunt live in Friern Road ? What was your Aunt's name ? I'm trying to work out where she lived when you say your Aunt backed onto Jean's Prefab, as her Prefab was the last one next to mine. I lived at 198, Jean lived at 200 which backed onto Garages, so I can only visualize your Aunt living in either Friern Road or off Upland Road, would that be right ? I met up with Francis a few years back at one of his concerts in Brighton, we had a good chat about the old times and had a good laugh. We moved out of our Prefab in 1970 because damp was starting to come through.

Thanks for getting in touch.

Best Wishes, John

[Pat Travers]

I used to work at Vero's to in 1976/77..in the office on the top floor with Richard Vero.. a few women..

think they were Vi..Wendy..Jean..Richards brother..father and grandfather were also on the top floor

in another office...where did you work?

[JOHNNYBOY]

Hi Pat, thanks for getting in touch, it was my Mum Joan Chinery who worked at Vero's, she was there in the 1960s,she worked with Maureen Flannery, Madge was in charge then, my Mum's job was drilling the helmets, threading the nylon cord through the hats, boxing up, etc. Sadly my Mum contracted cancer late 1966 and died in 1967.

If you have any photos that you would be able to share + memories that would be great, I have built a website which features a page about Everitt Vero with a number of photos Bill Vero sent me, the web address is camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk if you want to have a look.

Best Wishes

John

[Pat Travers]

Thats fab John...I shall take a look..sadly didnt get to meet your Mum as I worked on the top

floor from 1975 but I do remember 1 famous day when Barry Sheene came in to collect his helmut from the ground

floor..ALL the Vero's where running around for him as were the staff! Bill was a bit of a nutter at times and had lots of

family disagreements in the office..I had two years there before moving onto John Lewis Oxford St..

I was only 16 then, Bill was more linked to the helmuts than the Garage/Showroom I remember..

Its also strange that this thread links onto Status Quo who I have seen to date 198 times!

Its great to hear of these times again...pat

[JOHNNYBOY]

Hi Pat,

That's a lovely memory that Barry Sheene came in person to collect his helmet, brilliant. You mention Status Quo,Francis Rossi was my next door neighbour, he was living there because he married the girl next door, Jean Smith, she lived at 200 Underhill Road and I lived at 198, they were Prefabs, my Dad was Parks Foreman on Southwark Council and gave Francis a job, he started off cutting the grass on Lordship Lane Estate, as more and more gigs came Francis way the more time he took off until my Dad eventually sacked him, that evening I went round to see Francis, he was busy writing Pictures of Matchstick Men, I have so many memories as we went everywhere together in the early days, I met up with him a couple of years back and we had a good chat about those days, as you say Pat, good times.

Best Wishes

John

[Pat Travers]

Hi John...amazing website..as you've probably heard before..fab history..

How are the Vero's? Richard who I worked for was a racing driver I remember..there was

also Keith Vero..Bill..who was immaculate in his suit each day..very smart..and his father too..

Think John Sadler? ran the parts dept..Tony Trick was their main salesman..and Fred with the bad back

sold their second hand cars

It was my first job in their accounts dept..went to a few of their 'new car launches'..

I lived in Camberwell..Vicarage Grove..went to St Giles youth club same time as working

for Gordon's..lived in South London for 45 years..SE5..SE15..SE16 before moving to Kent 10 year

ago..

[JOHNNYBOY]

Thanks Pat, glad you like it and thank you for your kind comments, I didn't know many of the staff at Veros, only the one's that worked alongside my Mum, Bill is such a nice bloke and very helpful, Keith is still running Bells Bathroom shop in Lordship Lane.

If you have any photos of your time at Vero's or any views of East Dulwich or surrounding areas, Camberwell, Peckham, etc, and you would be willing to share them, it would be great to have them on the website with your memories and your permission.

Thanks again Pat, very nice talking to you, if you think of anything else please let me know

All the best

John

[puwetter]

Hi jhonny I used to work in the hat making area I was the only Asian working there we used to work with Keith I used to sew leathers in the hats I used to work with a mum and daughter there was one girl she really liked rock and roll music it was a nice place everyone got on well.