Following on from Steve Grindlay's interesting contribution on the subject of Matthew the Hermit in Sydenham woods does any body here remember that little black fella that lived in that tiny house/brick room on Sydenham hill. I last saw them in the early nineties. Apparently he's that bloke that looks like Paddington bear who stands outside Barclay's on the corner of Dartmouth and London road and holds up a piece of newspaper that apparently contains the article of him being formally evicted from the wood.
I've also found shotgun shells in Sydenham woods, pretty old but still spent ammo.
Sydenham wood residents
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bigbadwolf
- Posts: 726
- Joined: 7 Jan 2008 21:21
- Location: Forest Hill and Sydenham
Bigbadwolf, I had an interesting conversation with a mature lady in Cox's Walk only this morning.
She was recounting events in days gone by:
How she could knit 2 inches of jumper on her way home (obviously, not to Sydenham), along with some other women travellers on the tube.
And more relevant, was that there used to be a gamekeeper (or whatever the correct name is) patrolling Sydenham woods with a shotgun. I understand he was there more to deter trespassers than poachers. Perhaps someone else is more knowledgable.
It's now Saturday morning as I edit this post. Someone has confirmed that there was a Head groundsman in Sydenham Woods/golf course that used to carry a shotgun. He was not a guy to be messed with, but no-one recalls him firing his gun.
She was recounting events in days gone by:
How she could knit 2 inches of jumper on her way home (obviously, not to Sydenham), along with some other women travellers on the tube.
And more relevant, was that there used to be a gamekeeper (or whatever the correct name is) patrolling Sydenham woods with a shotgun. I understand he was there more to deter trespassers than poachers. Perhaps someone else is more knowledgable.
It's now Saturday morning as I edit this post. Someone has confirmed that there was a Head groundsman in Sydenham Woods/golf course that used to carry a shotgun. He was not a guy to be messed with, but no-one recalls him firing his gun.