Another old school?
Another old school?
I was looking at my Godfrey edition of an Upper Sydeham map and noticed another school captioned near the circle highlighted in the Stanford map below, almost opposite the old St. Barts, in Kirkdale. I don't recall ever seeing any photos of this school, unless the telephone exchange--built on the same site--actually used the same building?
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Steve Grindlay
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
That's Fir Lodge, a large private house built about 1853. The school occupied the house from 1866 until 1896, when the building was demolished. The Sydenham Public Hall was built in its place in 1897.
Fir Lodge was a prep school, many of its pupils going on to Dulwich College and similar places. Their most famous pupil was Sir Ernest Shackleton who was there before going on to Dulwich College.
The Sydenham Public Hall was not a success, and by 1911 the building had become the Sydenham Telephone Exchange. When a new Sydenham Exchange was built in the 1930s, by the railway bridge at the end of Lawrie Park Road, this building became the PO Telephones Training School.
One of Shackleton's biographies has a school photograph taken outside Fir Lodge, but it shows little of the building:
Fir Lodge was a prep school, many of its pupils going on to Dulwich College and similar places. Their most famous pupil was Sir Ernest Shackleton who was there before going on to Dulwich College.
The Sydenham Public Hall was not a success, and by 1911 the building had become the Sydenham Telephone Exchange. When a new Sydenham Exchange was built in the 1930s, by the railway bridge at the end of Lawrie Park Road, this building became the PO Telephones Training School.
One of Shackleton's biographies has a school photograph taken outside Fir Lodge, but it shows little of the building:
Greetings Steve and thank you very much indeed for the photo and all the information! I still find it hard to believe you know so much about historical Sydenham after studying for only 15 years and not being brought up in the area. I've been studying another subject, intensely, for 13 years. However, you know your subject a lot better than I know my subject.
Some people may think 15 years is a long time, but the way Steve shares new information is like he's been studying Sydenham all his life. I get people telling me all the time "I've had over 20 years experience in the business", when they haven't got a bloody clue.
Anyway, that's a very helpful and comprehensive reply, and answers my question perfectly.
Some people may think 15 years is a long time, but the way Steve shares new information is like he's been studying Sydenham all his life. I get people telling me all the time "I've had over 20 years experience in the business", when they haven't got a bloody clue.
Anyway, that's a very helpful and comprehensive reply, and answers my question perfectly.