When the Savacentre was built, quite a lot of buildings were destroyed inside the complex, and I can hardly find any pictures of them, except one featuring the main entrance... Surely this has to be more devastating than Shaftesbury House!
Do you think the LMA might have some under a special subject index? It's through such an index card that I found photos of the Crystal Palace generating station; I wonder what other photos LMA have hidden away?
Lack of pictures featuring the Bell Green Gas Works?
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Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
I've uploaded some pictures <here>. The quality is not very good; they are either photocopied from a couple of booklets published by the gas company, or scanned from 35mm slides taken some 40 years ago. I don't imagine there would have been easy access to the gasworks for unofficial or casual photography.
Great pictures!
I remember the slipper baths down there, I think there are remnants of the buildings left near the corner opposite Haseltine School?
I also remember all the old shops on the other side of the road, before the one way system.
I also remember all the old shops on the other side of the road, before the one way system.
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Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
<Here> are a couple of pictures of the bath house, one taken about 10 years ago, the other more recently:
ahhhh!!
(my Dad used to cycle from Brockley in the 60's and use them as we had no bathroom).
He died this xmas in the Peartree Home in Syd - bringing back memories here.
He was a "character" in Sydenham. A regular in the Alfred, in his commissionaire's uniform ever so slightly pizzled most of the time staggering up Kent House Road. We have just had his wake in the pub (have they ever painted the ceiling???)
He died this xmas in the Peartree Home in Syd - bringing back memories here.
He was a "character" in Sydenham. A regular in the Alfred, in his commissionaire's uniform ever so slightly pizzled most of the time staggering up Kent House Road. We have just had his wake in the pub (have they ever painted the ceiling???)
Excellent, Steve, thank you very much indeed! You really are a celebrity... I don't know what we'd do without you, mate! 
You can all see: I clearly wasn't getting worried about nothing then; Steve's photos and map shows the full extent of the original gas works:
It's really hard to imagine now!
The only reason I was aware of it is because when I was 6 or 7, my class at Holy Trinity School were taken inside various buildings within the complex for fire simulations and to be taught the dangers. These 2 picture pretty much show what I vaguely remember:
At the time, I thought it looked like a miniature toy town!
Here's an interesting pic I found in the Doris Pullen Book:
Anyway, really great stuff, Steve! Thanks again. Love the recent pic of The Duke as well; I think this sums you up quite nicely:
Who else would have bothered making the effort to take a wonderful pic like that? I think we should start calling Steve the Duke...
You can all see: I clearly wasn't getting worried about nothing then; Steve's photos and map shows the full extent of the original gas works:
It's really hard to imagine now!
The only reason I was aware of it is because when I was 6 or 7, my class at Holy Trinity School were taken inside various buildings within the complex for fire simulations and to be taught the dangers. These 2 picture pretty much show what I vaguely remember:
At the time, I thought it looked like a miniature toy town!
Here's an interesting pic I found in the Doris Pullen Book:
Apparently, there was a square of houses behind that...I remember the slipper baths down there, I think there are remnants of the buildings left near the corner opposite Haseltine School?
Anyway, really great stuff, Steve! Thanks again. Love the recent pic of The Duke as well; I think this sums you up quite nicely:
Who else would have bothered making the effort to take a wonderful pic like that? I think we should start calling Steve the Duke...
