Old Fire Station, Perry Vale

Fire Station, Perry Vale, circa 1910

There is a nice write up about the fire station on the Sydenham Society website, written about 2010 when development plans were drawn up. Since then, the fire station has been developed and is offices downstairs and flats above. The original doors through which you can see the old tenders in the original photo are still in place as well as the foundation stone showing it being built in 1901. Grade 2 listed since 1973,  I am glad the windows are now white rather than the original yellow!

It is a lovely Arts & Crafts building and a beautiful addition to the area. I hadn't realised the tower acted as a look out for firemen to scour the area on the watch for fires.

Old Fire Station, Feb 2020

Sunderland Road

Sunderland Road, circa 1910

The original postcard has some writing from a father to his daughter, including the words, "This will show you Lilley, how nice it is here." The scene looks quite idyllic, with a beautiful wide avenue of late Victorian homes in leafy suburbia.

Today, the ridge of bushes to the left of the scene, which would have marked the edge of the church grounds, has been developed with modern townhouses, on land presumably sold by the Church at the turn of the 21st Century.

The postbox, is still in the same location, now outside a large block, named Sunderland Mount, presumably built post war as a large bomb fell on this site, as recorded in the WW2 Bomb census website.

Sunderland Road, February 2020

The postbox in the original picture

Modern houses in what used to be church grounds

Christ Church, some ground of which sold for the houses on the left of the 'now' picture

Blythe Vale after a storm

Blythe Vale, June 14th 1914

This is from a postcard, which has, 'Blythe Vale after the storm, June 14th 1914' inscribed on the back. This would make it about 6 weeks before WW1. Clearly summer from the look of the trees as well as the shirtsleeves worn by the chap on the right. The picture itself must have been quite an event given the number of people in the picture - including quite a crowd at the end of the flooding towards Stanstead Road.

Today, the drains look to be working better. As I write this, we are awaiting Storm Dennis, due to bring a month's rain in 1 day. Following already water-logged ground, lets hope the drainage does work better than it did then.

Blythe Hill Hotel, Stanstead Road

Stanstead Road, possibly 1930s

This is the scan of a photograph rather than a postcard. The tramline existed from about 1913 to 1951, and I am guesstimating this picture as about the 1930s based on the style of cars - I have no real idea of date.

I love that the car on the left appears to be on the wrong side of the road and the cyclist is swerving to pass it. I hope he made it!

The modern day picture shows that the Blythe Hill Hotel has become the Blythe Hill Tavern and public transport is still toiling the route - buses ironically being the very reason for the demise of the trams in 1951.

Stanstead Road, February 2020

Woolstone Road - Lutwyche Road off to the left

Woolstone Road, circa 1910

It took me a while to work out exactly where on Woolstone this was taken, but the the garden pillars were the clue that helped in the end. It must have been a lovely thoroughfare with all those trees. Far fewer now, but I imagine they are the same ones.

If you look very closely, there is a car further down the road on the left with two people sauntering over the road ahead. No concern of being run over, despite the lack of speed bumps that blight the road today. I esecially like the lady pushing a pram on the right, her big white blouse is very of its time.  I have guessed the date. This card was sent from Catford possibly on 29 April 1910 - I'm only certain of the April.

I will try and retake the 'now' picture in the summer when the trees are in leaf - and I may even manage to get someone with a pram to walk on the right. Would look better than the wheelie bins on the same spot.

Woolstone Road, Feb 2020

Now & Then: Vancouver Road (near Hurstbourne)

Vancouver Road circa 1910

I went through a phase a few years ago of buying old postcards of near where I live in Forest Hill, South London. The aim was always to try and take the same picture now and post them on here. At long last, I'm doing it. The first is chosen as it has my house on it.

In this picture, I'm struck by the old church, which subsided and was demolished in 1999, being replaced by a new structure which is a lot less imposing and presumably less likely to sink! You can just see the new spire in the 'today' picture.

The horse drawn cart and noticeably no traffic make the street look very different to today, as well as the original garden gates and fences - so much smarter than the hotch potch of driveways, dropped kerbs and council waste bins that you see today.

Vancouver Road, February 2020