Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Fjgrogan wrote: he had bigger things to worry about that day, such as horrendous weather

I know, Frances... I love Boris. I wanted him to have a terrific day. How could it rain on his Parade?

Off to the horrid dreary Jobcentre now. Actually (smack wrist) they are very nice to me, and I find it very easy to amuse them.

Oh Angela, you ARE a long way from London, but the LORD Mayor of the City of London is nothing to do with Boris who is the Mayor of London. (LCC/GLC as was)

A classic mistake, though, by non-Londoners! (As Old Blues, perhaps we should consider ourselves honorary Londoners - those of us who aren't anyway - my Dad is a Freeman of the City of London). Can you imagine Boris sitting still in that coach for any length of time, and being dignified?

And there IS a difference ---- I was BORN in the City of London, my Father (City Police ) told me I could drive sheep over London Bridge.
He also said I would get "Nicked" for Obstuction when I got to the Met end --- or at the Met end , before I started !!!

Angela Woodford wrote:

Fjgrogan wrote: he had bigger things to worry about that day, such as horrendous weather

I know, Frances... I love Boris. I wanted him to have a terrific day. How could it rain on his Parade?

Off to the horrid dreary Jobcentre now. Actually (smack wrist) they are very nice to me, and I find it very easy to amuse them.

Angela, you are a coach driver in your spare time and I claim my £5

Sorry to hear about the job - I'm sure it would have been horrid anyway. You will find something much better through the Job Centre!

Fjgrogan wrote:A classic mistake, though, by non-Londoners! (As Old Blues, perhaps we should consider ourselves honorary Londoners

Oh Frances! Haven't I wailed consistantly over sevearl years of Forum comtributions how I miss my South London home? How Caroline and I went to a marvellous London primary school and won LCC scholarships? How I pine for the roar of the 137 bus? How MaryB drives past the end of "my" road, Criffel Avenue, Streatham Hill? And my laments at being tormented by South London evangelism...

I might be in Devon now, but my heart is still in my home town. I always did get the Mayor and Lord Mayor confused though.

Mortifying, innit.

[quote="Angela Woodford"] How I pine for the roar of the 137 bus? How MaryB drives past the end of "my" road, Criffel Avenue, Streatham Hill? And my laments at being tormented by South London evangelism...quote]

My ex-brother-in-law (who grew up somewhere in The East End, but has lived in Adelaide for, um, about 30 years) found a largish model of a 159 bus in a local model shop. It is magnificent, and reminds me of toing and froing to my various jobs at The Festival Hall (with Jean, Siobhan, Alex, my Mum, my sister at various times).

xxx

Oh, I've just remebered what else I was intending to whitter on about .................

one hols MaryMc, Diana, Bun, myself (and I apologise if anyone else was with us) donned our blue coats and velours and headed into The City to claim our free entry (as Children of The City) to Tower Bridge and other places.

Sadly, no-one had informed the people manning the entries of our privileged status

Didn't you get into the Tower of London for free, Caroline? ISTR MaryMc saying so once!

The 159! The route to trundle from Streatham to Brixton - hello Siobhan, her mamma Jean and "Uncle" John Major. I loved to ride on the Routemaster Buses; hanging perilously from the platform - jumping off and on while the bus was still moving -move right down into the bus, please! Ding ding.

Go on - please tell Frances I'm a real Londoner

Don't worry, angela, I believe you! In that case absolutely unforgivable that you should confuse Boris with the Lord Mayor - he just wouldn't have the necessary gravitas!

Buses ???

What about TRAMS ? --- the 34 which ran down Stockwell road to West London and in the other direction to Greenwich, where we used to ride back and forth on the Free Ferry --- until we were thrown off, by the Staff,---- --- difficult if this was on the North side !
Sliding on the lines, in the Tram Depot off Stockwell Road, I hit "Points" and broke a leg !!!
I was put on a horse-drawn Brewer's Dray and from there to the Children's Hospital at Kennington. The year was 1935 -- How do I know ? because the Jubilee Procession passed (George V) under the balcony, on which our beds were all trundled out --- and I am SURE the King waved at ME !!
What lovely innocent days ---- alas no more , the Adults were having a tough time in the 30s-- but as kids, it was a wonderful existence, with a freedom which could not exist today !

....... and trolley buses? I am told that I nearly got crushed at an early age whilst riding in a seat on the back of my Dad's bike as he cycled between two converging trolley buses somewhere in the vicinity of Hammersmith Broadway - he should have known better; at one time in his life he used to drive a trolley bus!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:Buses ???

What about TRAMS ? --- the 34 which ran down Stockwell road to West London and in the other direction to Greenwich, where we used to ride back and forth on the Free Ferry --- until we were thrown off, by the Staff,---- --- difficult if this was on the North side !

I hadn´t realised that Greenwich had a Free Ferry, we used to go on the one at Woolwich. Trams used to come all the way from Beresford Square to Eltham Church where they turned right and went off to Lewisham.
We had to get off and take the bus from there on, but they stopped running when I was about 5 or 6.
We have trams in Valencia and they are laying new lines so they may well be on the way back.
I had a friend whose bicycle wheel got stuck in a tram line in Amsterdam, and such was his haste to get out of the rut that he buckled the wheel. He was so upset that he had to be restrained from not throwing the whole bike in the canal.

My Dad was a conductor on the tram out of New Cross. On September 1st 1939 the tram stopped ouside the school where we were lined up in the playground to be evacuated to who knew where, with the bell dinging like mad so that I could wave to Daddy!

icomefromalanddownunder wrote:Oh, I've just remebered what else I was intending to whitter on about .................

one hols MaryMc, Diana, Bun, myself (and I apologise if anyone else was with us) donned our blue coats and velours and headed into The City to claim our free entry (as Children of The City) to Tower Bridge and other places.

Sadly, no-one had informed the people manning the entries of our privileged status

I think I remember being turned away from Tower Bridge, but have no memory of even trying the Tower. Did we go to the Museum of London, and the Jewish Museum, or was that another occasion?

Angela Woodford wrote:Didn't you get into the Tower of London for free, Caroline? ISTR MaryMc saying so once!

I went one Long Sat with my Mum, who had done some research, and knew we had to go to Great Tower Street first to get a ticket.