Bermondsey Story *

Chris spent the first six years of her life in an extended family household in Bermondsey. Before she was born they had been bombed out their home in Spa Rd during the 1940 Blitz and moved into 15 Thurland Rd - actually only a few hundred yards away. Later in her early 20s she went back to work in the area and still visited her Nan for lunch. As we were in London visiting Chris's uncle Wallie who still lives in Rotherhithe, Chris thought she would show me round her old neighbourhood.

We walked from London Bridge Station down Bermondsey St. ...
... which is the way Chris used to walk when going to work each morning. Chris said this street used to have tanneries and smelt awful. Now it's smart apartment conversions and artisan workshops, cafes etc... basically it's been smartened up and far from the bleak industrial area of tanneries and wood yards Chris remembers.
Past St. Mary Magdalene's.
We stopped for lunch here at the Marigold pub where Chris had her iPhone stolen (maybe more on this another time). After a visit to Borough High St nick we continued on Chris's route through Bermondsey, turning into Grange Rd. where Chris's friend's son now lives in the Alaska warehouse conversion. Judging by the beaver motif in the entrance pediment we think this place was a fur manufactory.
Below is Grange Rd. health centre were Chris worked until she had her children. This was built as a treatment clinic for TB and local people called it The Solarium. Chris worked here from 1963-65 at a day centre for old people.
Her employment with Bermondsey Borough Council started here at the town hall in Spa Rd. where she used to organise the meals on wheels.
It's all been privatised now, but the nice security lady let Chris look round the atrium.
We continued along Spa Rd. where Chris was familiar with the route under these railway arches. She said, 'the columns weren't painted blue in the old days'. For her Flanagan and Allen's Underneath the Arches raises visions of this spot.

As we turned into Thurland Rd we saw St. James' church opposite which Chris lived in a ten roomed house with the rest of her extended family.
These flats were built on the site of 15 Thurland Rd demolished under 1960s slum clearance when the rest of Chris's extended family were rehoused by the LCC in nearby Rotherhithe. The block of flats is called Hicks House, clearly a reference to Tommy Steele, the popular local singer of the 1950s who lived round the corner in Frean St. (itself named after the popular biscuit baked nearby).
In front of the west door of the church is what's left of a drinking fountain, which Chris swears was their only source of fresh water in the old days - no, but it did work.
Now this is 'The Greg' where Chris's uncle Con used to drink. From near here in Jamaica Rd. we caught the bus which took us back to London Bridge station via Dockhead and Tooley St. where Chris's father worked at the docks on Hay's wharf or Butler's wharf.
* Bermondsey Story is a book written about the life of Alfred Salter who was a GP, and radical political activist in the early 20th century.