Rolf Harris?

[thebackster]

I was in the Greyhound a few weeks ago and there was a guy in there telling me that Rolf Harris lives in Sydenham.

Does anyone know if this is true or am I a gulliable fool?!!

[stuart]

See photo 3 caption here:
http://sydenham.org.uk/se26_border_road.html

[Steve Grindlay]

I'm sure there are some around who can still remember him. I believe he lived in Border Road from the 1960s to the mid 1970s. He also sent his daughter to Eliot Bank School. And he was a founder member of the Sydenham Society (www.sydenhamsociety.com)

[megan]

he lived in longton avenue about 15 years ago

[Pat Trembath]

Rolf Harris lived at 4 and 4A Border Road during the mid 1960's. He bought both town houses, knocked the two into one, installed a lift where there had been staircase in one of the houses, built a swimming pool in the back garden of number 4 and used an old Coach House at the bottom of 4A as his rehearsal rooms. His daughter Bindi went to Eliot Bank School.

Rolf was an early member of the Sydenham Society, formed in 1972 to prevent the Council putting CPO's on Victorian villas in Lawrie Pk Road.

He moved in the late 1970's and sold to his neighbour and fellow founder member of the Sydenham Society, Norman McCann, who lived at 56 Lawrie Pk Gardens whose property backed onto the rear of the properties.

Norman took out the lift and reconverted the houses into two residences, which he then sold, and incorporated the Coach House into his own property which he used as an office and as a Museum for his collection of musical artefacts and memorabilia.

On Norman's death in 1999 the Museum collection was transferred to the Royal Academy of Music and the Coach House was eventually converted into a private residence, following planning permission, and sold separately from the main house.

[stuart]

On Norman's death in 1999 the Museum collection was transferred to the Royal Academy of Music and the Coach House was eventually converted into a private residence, following planning permission, and sold separately from the main house.

No it wasn't!

It was demolished by Acorn the developers and a new residence built without planning permission. When the council was challenged on this - I seem to recall them saying something on the lines that the council had not seen it demolished and the builder said that he had incorporated the original walls.

I think you would be hard done to find any of the old structure above ground. Is this something the Sydenham Society might wish to pursue?

AFAIK it is still for sale.

[Pat Trembath]

56 Lawrie Park Gardens was sold to developers with an outline planning permission for the Coach House to be converted into a 3-bed house. If the Coach House was knocked down behind the developers hoardings this was not drawn to Sydenham Society's attention at the time.

Extension of 56 Lawrie Park Gardens and the block of flats adjacent to number 56 were also part of this fairly substantial development.

Building Control at Lewisham Council should have been signing off the work as satisfactory on this site at all stages along the line.

[Vision]

My mother told me about Rolf when i was younger she said she used to serve him regular in the shop she worked at in the high street. It has been years since i was last in Sydenham but i remember that the shop used to be an Aladdins Cave??

Vis