I got lost in Honor Oak Park and had to ask for directions, though I finally found my way to Forest Hill Library for the talk of the century!
Well, what can I say... Steve really outdid himself this time! The talk lasted for about an hour and once again was full to capacity. The librarian said, if she had known, she would have setup the talk in the main room.
The presentation--including illustrated slides and a short DVD documentary--was centered around the lower end of Dartmouth Road and Thorpewood avenue, including the 4 main buildings: Holy Trinity, Louise House, Library and Pools. But it started with Sydenham Common, and included several historical teleportations, there and back, to other parts of Forest Hill and Sydenham (there was a lot of noise when a picture of lower Kirkdale was shown).
Now, this talk was like no other: It was a serious intense and in-depth history of the aforementioned extreme locality. I was sweating. Some ladies were taking notes. The information being unleashed was full on! I wasn't expecting it to be anywhere near this good. I mean, I thought I knew something about local history, when really, I know next to nothing. If that talk was aimed at the general public then I don't even qualify. This talk was really superb. Forest Hill Society don't know what they missed. I was on the edge of my seat! Steve was coming out with those drainage maps again--among other general ones that showed how the area evolved--maps upon maps, in fact!
Oh mate, how do I even begin to describe this? Steve nailed down the complete history of this area with a stroke of genius... It was covered exhaustively, at all angles, from start to finish. It's up to the historian how he/she chooses to present their history of the area, but Steve's method just cannot be faulted in any way. It went something like this:
1) Sydenham Common
2) Croydon Canal and ancient streams
3) Dartmouth Road
4) Glebe Field (name of the field where the 4 main buildings were built)
5) Holy Trinity School (1st building to be built)
6) Surviving buildings around the area in question (all the rest were demolished)
7) Glebe Field used as market gardens and allotments
Thorpewood Avenue being laid out through a certain gap between fields.
9) History of Dartmouth Road using what I call the "past and present" technique of comparing 2 photos at each stretch of the road.
10) The remaining 3 buildings.
But that was only the bare skeleton of the talk; no doubt I've missed out many parts of the structure. What a remarkable journey--planned, organised and executed by Steve--the masterplanner. The highlights for me were seeing the photo of Belvedere House from Thorpewood Avenue before the flats were built, and finding out about Holy Trinity School. No doubt the pools was the main highlight for everyone else, and that is where much flesh was added to the bones. This is when Steve was in his element... he must have scoured the entire universe to find out all the information he relayed to the public on this fateful evening of 28th February 2008. There was an incredible amount of subtle details coming out left, right and center. I couldn't keep up... Steve had census records and marriage certificate of one of the key invidivuals involved with one of the main buildings. You see, he went into great details about the people behind the buildings--not just the buildings themselves. There was one fatality during the construction of the pools... how did Steve manage to find out all this stuff? I mean, I wouldn't even think about checking out minor decorations above window frames etc. Damn, this talk was full on major to say the least. I could talk more about it but I think that's enough for now...
Just forget it; if you weren't there then you missed something major. This was beyond Steve's last talk at the pub opposite the station; that one was aimed more at the general public! Imagine some thick hardback book on one part of Forest Hill with illustrations on every page that you can't be bothered to read, and in your dreams you've seen it in a library somewhere... well, Steve read it out tonight!
Where was Will!?!?!? I was asking everyone "Is your name Will?"
Same response everytime "No".
I was hoping to meet Will and Terry/John. Oh well, maybe next time...
Thanks to Pat Trembath for filling me in on the "future" of the pools; the newsletter is much appreciated.
How are we meant to envisage such a contrast? Here is the missing link...
Sorry I've got nothing to offer you in return though. 
I'll bare you in mind for when I win the lottery... 
I can't share the system with you though, you must understand. 
