Copyright Rosemary Tully (nee Hall) and Swanley History Group and should not be copied or shared without permission
This photo shows Mum and Dad and me in our back garden. You can see how there was a field at the back. Willow trees were round the pond before the main A 20 road. In the far distance was the railway line to Sevenoaks. I used this gate to go across the field to West View Road on the way to school.
I was born in Lewisham Hospital in 1943 and in 1952 Mum and Dad moved to 30, Willow Avenue, Swanley.
At the time we had a couple of fields behind us and a man used to plough them with a horse. We had a gate at the back of the garden and I used to go through it on my way to school - Farningham Primary School. The headmistress was Miss Watson. She ruled with a rod of iron. Well I thought she did. Some children were climbing a tree near the playground and she gave them the cane. As I was nearby too I also got the cane...so unfair.
We had a very large field which was part of the school which had an old bath at the bottom. Some of us had marbles and we played with these during our breaks. Some of the teachers were Mr May, Mr Craven Smith.
Next door to the school was Bert's Cafe and lorries used to stop here for their food or drinks. There were two small bungalows on either side of Bert's Cafe and my friend Ann Petty lived in one. (When we came back to the UK for a holiday I managed to catch up with her).
During Brands Hatch days the traffic used to build up along the London Road, and some of us children used to watch the traffic while sitting on the rails around the pond between West View and Kingwood Avenue. (This was before Pine Close etc).
The pond had Willow trees around it and this was an ideal place to play and give the trees names like helicopter tree or horse and carriage.
West View Stores was on the corner of London Road and West View Road and was handy for buying sweets etc. The Bus garage was busy and you had to watch out for the buses coming in and out. There used to be big conker trees next to the bus garage and Mr Bremner lived there (spelling may be wrong).
Each Sunday Mum and Dad would take me to church, this used to be at a convalescent home up Beechenlea Lane. (Years later Mum and Dad built a bungalow in Beechenlea Lane and called it Rosedene)
The vicar came from Farningham to take the service. The Rev Young was the first one I remember. People in wheelchairs used to attend. (The matron did move to London and when I was working in Vauxhall Bridge Road I did catch up with her).
In Park Road there used to be stables for horses, My friend Diane lived down this road and her father worked in an engineering firm there.
I remember floods (not sure what year) But the fields at the end of West View Road had been ploughed with the furrows going downwards towards Leechcroft Avenue, During heavy rains this area got flooded.
During my time at Farningham Hill Primary School we had trips out. Our mums used to come too so they could keep an eye on us. The first one I remember was to the silk worm farm at Lullingstone Castle. We were allowed to buy some of the cocoons that housed the young silkworms. The only trouble was when they hatched Mum found silkworms crawling down the stairs. She was not impressed.
Another trip was to Westminster Abbey. Mum was one of the ladies that came with us to keep us under control. Dad worked in London and I got the surprise of my life when Dad turned up to help keep an eye on us.
Another trip was an open air showing of a Shakespeare play.
After a few years we had to sit the 11 plus exam to see if we were good enough to go to grammar school or technical school.... I wasn't so went to Swanley Secondary School.
Rosemary Tully now lives in New Zealand
Copyright Rosemary Tully (nee hall) and Swanley History Group and should not be copied or shared without permission
Copyright Rosemary Tully (nee Hall) and Swanley History Group and should not be copied or shared without permission
This photo shows Mum and Dad and me in our back garden. You can see how there was a field at the back. Willow trees were round the pond before the main A 20 road. In the far distance was the railway line to Sevenoaks. I used this gate to go across the field to West View Road on the way to school.
I was born in Lewisham Hospital in 1943 and in 1952 Mum and Dad moved to 30, Willow Avenue, Swanley.
At the time we had a couple of fields behind us and a man used to plough them with a horse. We had a gate at the back of the garden and I used to go through it on my way to school - Farningham Primary School. The headmistress was Miss Watson. She ruled with a rod of iron. Well I thought she did. Some children were climbing a tree near the playground and she gave them the cane. As I was nearby too I also got the cane...so unfair.
We had a very large field which was part of the school which had an old bath at the bottom. Some of us had marbles and we played with these during our breaks. Some of the teachers were Mr May, Mr Craven Smith.
Next door to the school was Bert's Cafe and lorries used to stop here for their food or drinks. There were two small bungalows on either side of Bert's Cafe and my friend Ann Petty lived in one. (When we came back to the UK for a holiday I managed to catch up with her).
During Brands Hatch days the traffic used to build up along the London Road, and some of us children used to watch the traffic while sitting on the rails around the pond between West View and Kingwood Avenue. (This was before Pine Close etc).
The pond had Willow trees around it and this was an ideal place to play and give the trees names like helicopter tree or horse and carriage.
West View Stores was on the corner of London Road and West View Road and was handy for buying sweets etc. The Bus garage was busy and you had to watch out for the buses coming in and out. There used to be big conker trees next to the bus garage and Mr Bremner lived there (spelling may be wrong).
Each Sunday Mum and Dad would take me to church, this used to be at a convalescent home up Beechenlea Lane. (Years later Mum and Dad built a bungalow in Beechenlea Lane and called it Rosedene)
The vicar came from Farningham to take the service. The Rev Young was the first one I remember. People in wheelchairs used to attend. (The matron did move to London and when I was working in Vauxhall Bridge Road I did catch up with her).
In Park Road there used to be stables for horses, My friend Diane lived down this road and her father worked in an engineering firm there.
I remember floods (not sure what year) But the fields at the end of West View Road had been ploughed with the furrows going downwards towards Leechcroft Avenue, During heavy rains this area got flooded.
During my time at Farningham Hill Primary School we had trips out. Our mums used to come too so they could keep an eye on us. The first one I remember was to the silk worm farm at Lullingstone Castle. We were allowed to buy some of the cocoons that housed the young silkworms. The only trouble was when they hatched Mum found silkworms crawling down the stairs. She was not impressed.
Another trip was to Westminster Abbey. Mum was one of the ladies that came with us to keep us under control. Dad worked in London and I got the surprise of my life when Dad turned up to help keep an eye on us.
Another trip was an open air showing of a Shakespeare play.
After a few years we had to sit the 11 plus exam to see if we were good enough to go to grammar school or technical school.... I wasn't so went to Swanley Secondary School.
Rosemary Tully now lives in New Zealand
Copyright Rosemary Tully (nee hall) and Swanley History Group and should not be copied or shared without permission