I suppose this comes under chat.
Did anyone live in either Kimberley Gardens or Chesterfield Gardens in 1953-60. If so I would like to get in touch to refresh my mind (am now in late 70s) as to some of the people around at that time.
Thank you
Roy Bowker
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Hi again Eddie, Firstly don't apologize for "going on so long". It really made interesting reading what you have been up to. Also I think if we do tell happenings from the past, we might find out our lives have crossed at some point, who knows?
Army number 23371196, Intake number 5703. Didn't get out of this country. Did basic training at Hillsea Barracks. Trade training at Blackdown and finally posted to Bordon in Hampshire. I think if you looked at a map, you would find I didn't move out of that county! The mob was RAOC. Managed to get a job at Bordon as Company runner. After checking my in box for mail in the morning and delivering it, the rest of the day was mine, well not according to rules, but I managed to brake them most days! Was good at times but money was a bit short, so end of the week was a bit boring.
As I have said on Hol I was in the printing trade all my life. One place I worked at was G.E. Jacksons Mildmay Road Islington. There was a guy there that was related (maybe distant relative) to the Kray's. He had ginger hair, but I can't remember his name. Will have to ask my Bro-in-law, as he worked there also.
Looks like you have been a jammy sod Eddie, all the concerts you have been to, mine are only Louis Armstrong at one of the big venues in the smoke, can't remember just now. Ted Heath at the Empire Wood Green and Ken Mcintosh at the Astoria Finsbury Park. Yes did see Eddie Condon (Banjo player) at Doug Dobells signing autographs, and I believe he was sober! He was well known for turning up at gigs and concerts out of his mind, but still managed to play his way through it.
Now just a minute ago my wife called me into the lounge to show me something that was on TV called "Flog it" on BBC. As the name says it's about selling things. Don't know if you have or can get it over there? One of the items up for auction was a set of photographs all with the Kray twins in! Now there's a bloody coincidence Eddie eh? They went for £120. I would have thought they would have gone for more than that, wouldn't you? There was a quite large group photo, so if you ever had your picture taken with them, you might be in it, have you?
Well that's all again for now Eddie.
Catch you later cheers Roy
Eddie, can you accept me as a connection or friend. I have sent you a request. It is so I can send you a private message. That is if you want to, of course.
Cheers Roy
Edward and Roy.
I love reading these reminiscences. Do keep it up,
They should be collected and published
Thanks for complement John. Actually i think I could go on and on. It was just a great place and time to grow up in.
Cheers Roy.
Jazz memories from the Sixties - The Marquee, Ken Colyer's
And the Two Is for R&R
Yes John, been there and there, and there. What about Heaven and Hell? The coffee tables down stairs were in the shape of coffins! The west end of London.....great. But sad to say no longer like it.
Cheers Roy
They are collected and published, John. That's howcome you're reading them!
It's like 84, Charing Cross Road, but without the book stuff :-)
Only came to live in Harringay in 1998 so nothing to contribute. But I bet you never saw the Clyde Valley Stompers ?
Sorry to put a damper on the whole thing.
I also lived on Warwick Gardens late 50s, early 60s.
And whilst we all would like to believe, that we, our youth, was something special. I'm afraid it wasn't. I experienced lots of London's sub culture from the later 60s onwards, the swinging London period, Chelsea Drugstore etc. Club scene in Chelsea and Earl's Court and have to say, London has never been so attractive as it is now. And don't let 2010s media outlets tell you otherwise.
We all have to come to terms with the fact that life moves on. What keeps me going is the contact I have with younger people, with whom I work and have social contact, their ideas and energy. It also keeps me younger, in my mind at least.
I also have friends who continually sit on this rollercoaster ride of reliving the past. It's pretty depressing, this continually looking back, not forward. I love to pass on to the younger generation how things were 'back then', but certainly don't want to wallow in this 'the good old days' mentality. If you were Gay, an unmarried mother, divorced, Black, Irish, and many other variants, they certainly weren't good. The majority of Harringay's residents had 0% input into how their lives were run. They probably voted every five years and generally for the party of their fathers. The opportunities of British Citizens pre-Brexit are un-paralleled. Not perfect, there's was an awful lot to be down. But certainly a whole lot better than the stuffy 1950s, where people 'knew their place' in society, where people like my parents dared not speak out.
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