Old Photos, Some Memories and a Lot of Guesswork – Part One
I do not know where my parents started their married life (although the family tree shows that they were married in Lambeth in 1894) or where my sisters Trissie, Rene and Winnie were born, although my brother Dick was born in Camberwell in 1901. But according to Photo 1 they were living in Boykett Villas, Copleston Rd. East Dulwich, in a house built in 1902 and my sister Phyllis is the baby who was born in 1903. They shared the house with cousins who I can only guess at. Photo 2 seems to be taken in that garden.
Then it seems they moved to 70 Canonbie Rd. Honor Oak, which Father named “Mount Edgcumbe” after an estate in Cornwall which could have come the way of the Roskilly family so the story goes. Unfortunately there is no proof that this was true as the family tree actually shows that our family settled in Lanreath in the 18th century, moved to Devonport and Plymouth in the 19th century. One of the family Anthony, born in 1777, a tailor, brought his family up to London for work I presume, and through him and his descendants we arrived in South East London.
At about the same time as our family moved to Honor Oak, apparently the Atwell’s did the same. Although Doug was born on the 29th May 1901 at 94 Holland Road, Brixton, when he was about 3 years old his family moved to Netherby Road, which is almost opposite “Mount Edgcumbe”. Originally they moved to a house down on the left hand side called “Roslyn”, but after a short time they moved over the Road to “The Cedars” later numbered 25 Netherby Road – see Photo 3 – where his parents lived until the day they died. Photo 4 is one of Doug taken at about the time they first lived in Netherby Road when he was aged about five.
Our family were apparently long time friends of the Atwell’s, and knew each other even before both families moved to Honor Oak, as my Mother and Doug’s Mother both sang in the choir in the Catholic Apostolic Church in Camberwell. Ever since I can remember I knew his parents as Uncle Jim and Aunty Bob, which were both nicknames as their real names were Arthur and Ada. Photo 5 is of both of them taken some years later on holiday, probably the Isle of Wight. Although Doug was Christened Arthur Douglas, he was always known as “Doug” so as not to confuse him with his father.
Photo 6 shows my brother and sisters in the garden at the back of “Mount Edgcumbe”, with sister Doris as a baby about 1906, and as I was born on the 17th October 1907, Photo 7 must have been taken when I was about one and a half years old in about 1909. Photo 8 was taken about 1910 in the summer with Uncle Walter and his children. In Photo 9 to Photo 12 sister Muriel (Bobby) is the baby then , born in 1910 and we are on holiday at Littlehampton and I am rather prominent with Grandpa. Note Grandma, Mother and Trissie in large hats, even the children in some sort of sun hat.
We got drawn into working for Dr. Barnados by a Mrs. Powell (no relation) who lived down the road. She held sewing mornings on Saturdays for all the local children and taught them a lot, I learnt to crochet. She organised fairs every year which were held in her sister-in law’s large garden with maypoles and entertainments. Photo 13 was taken about 1911 and Photo 14 about 1913. Everybody worked for it which was very good for us and they made a lot of money. It was typical of Phyllis to go round hearthstoning people’s doorsteps for 6d (old money) a time. Phyllis never minded what she did and was always a forthright person who often spoke her mind, sometimes not always thinking too carefully about what she was saying.
A later memory I have of Phyllis, as an example of what I mean, was on the occasion that a large lump of ceiling fell onto the dining table early one Sunday morning. After we had cleared up the mess, and finally had our breakfast, being highly thankful that we had not actually been at the table when the plaster fell, we were about to go to church when Phyllis exclaimed “we are going to church to pray for the ceiling falling down”. We knew that she really meant that we were to give thanks that we had all been spared from a lump on our heads, but with Phyllis being well known for not quite saying the right thing, we all thought her remark really funny at the time.
Photo 15 taken about 1912 sees Mother with all us girls on the steps at “Mount Edgcumbe” with cousins and lupins in the background. In Photo 16 we are all lined up and Photo 17 shows the four youngest.
One of my earliest memories would be about 1912/13 when the family and friends had a marvellous fancy dress party and Mother made our dresses. Cupid for Bobby who was about two, butterfly for me and fairy for Doris complete with wings. Several people I can remember; Doug as a clown, Phyllis a Dutch girl, Father and Mother as Lord and Lady Teasel. There was dancing in the dining room, refreshments upstairs in the nursery and sitting out in the drawing room and on the stairs. I know we were sent to bed but spent most of the time peeping over the bannisters. I wish there was a photo of this event, especially one in colour, it would have been most interesting.
In Photo 18 Father has bought the field next door and we are all sitting on a horsehair seat, which usually lived in the hall, and there is a seesaw and an odd child behind. This field was later turned into a tennis court, and over the years many friends and relations played there.
Photo 19 shows a large picnic on Wimbledon Common, a yearly affair, with many aunts and cousins, I remember most of them – I’m still prominent.
Photo 20 and Photo 21 shows “Mount Edgcumbe” from the front and back as it was before the extension was built which I think was in 1918 at the end of the first World War. Photo 22 and Photo 24 shows Mother and Father with me, one of Dick, and Mother and Grandpa all at the back. The photo of Grandpa was probably the last one of him before he died aged 70, which was in 1913, when I was aged six. I recall that Doug was especially asked to sing “O for the wings of a Dove” to Grandpa as he lay in bed shortly before he died, as Doug, who was aged 12 then, was due back at Lady Craven’s choir school at Ashdown, Berkshire. Photo 25 gives a view from the front of the house of the laurels and down the hill, which was quite steep, with One Tree Hill opposite where Queen Elizabeth I sat and looked at London. What for I do not know, but a wonderful view.
The Great War did not seem to affect us much except when the Green Lane gun in Dulwich went off once and frightened us stiff. There was also a gun on One Tree Hill which went off once and broke the foundations. A small bomb fell on the gates of Dulwich Park which I remember seeing and of course the Zeppelins came over which looked like silver cigars in the searchlights. One was hit and broke in half and fell flaming at Cuffley, a terrible sight, which we all saw from Mother’s bedroom window. Occasionally when the anti aircraft guns were firing, we all came downstairs and sat along the wall in the drawing room while Grandma had palpitations and was given nips of brandy or salvolatile. As Grandpa had died, Grandma was living with us permanently then. They had previously lived together nearby at 56a Forest Hill Road.
In 1918, when I was about 11, Father rented a house called “Dallington” – see Photo 26 – at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight for two months. Trissie married John Green – see Photo 27 – and spent their honeymoon there, probably in July and we all stayed there for August. I recall when we came off the ferry having to say we were British as the Great War was not over until November 11th. Douglas also seemed to be having a school holiday at Bembridge School and turned up occasionally.
When we arrived back from Bembridge and saw the extension to the house it looked like a palace, all red brick and an exciting pattern. The large Photo 28 shows the outside view. Inside was a huge billiard room downstairs, and upstairs two new bedrooms and a bathroom, making a long corridor all the length of the house with big airing cupboards and hot tank, but no central heating, not that we noticed that.
Father was very fond of dancing and snooker, and when the billiard room was built it was used for both activities. With so many of us girls, dancing was popular and we started with the Lancers and Valeta and ended up with the Charleston and the Black Bottom. Soon boys came along and more often than not snooker won.
In Photo 29 taken in August 1919 I am on a visit to Kensington gardens with friend Lorna and Mother, the only time I have seen the Peter Pan statue. It is terrible to remember that this same friend, my oldest friend from school, who later married was staying with her mother and aunt during the 2nd World War in their semi basement flat in Forest Hill (her husband was I presume away in the forces) were killed by the direct hit of a bomb even though the flats were in a big block where the basements were always presumed to be safe. I never heard about it until a long time after so it must have been after we had evacuated to Kingswood, but more of that later.
