Relinque Road in Sydenham

[melaniepotter]

Hi

My mum is doing her family tree and is trying to find out all she can about
Relinque Road which was where her Dad lived growing up.
It was bombed during WWII.

Does anyone know where I maybe able to get hold of any photographs of the road around 1910-1940?

Many thanks

[Falkor]

I've not seen any unfortunately--only from the surrounding roads--Maddin, Porthcawe, Winchfield and the bottom of Sydenham High Street; here's a map of the Bell Green slum area from 1919, a couple of decades before all the houses were swept away, leaving behind only the church hall and adjacent outbuilding of some kind. The area now contains large blocks of flats, ie. Byron Close, and looks even worse than before.

[melaniepotter]

That's a good help - thanks very much

[Falkor]

I bet your Grand Father visited that church hall at the western end of Relinque Road, which as I've stated is the sole survivor from that lot, so maybe you could go and visit it sometime? Not many people know it's there; it's not mentioned in Spurgeon's book on "Discover Sydenham and Catford", although it mentions just about every other Sydenham survival.

[DebMitchell]

Hello, My Mum and her family lived at 2 Relinque Road and they all have lots of memories of the people there. She also moved to Porthcawe Road after Relinque Road was bombed, their house was the only one with running water apparently - but the postman told them there was an empty house in Porthcawe Road so they moved there. My Mum and her family were the Hollis sisters. Contact me if you need any more info. Best regards. Deb.
p.s. I won't tell Mum she lived in a "slum area" though ;o)

[Falkor]

I got a better scan of the following (click picture for larger image):


The view above is looking south with Bell Green Lane on the left. Notice the Hall on the extreme right (west).

Here's some photos I took yesterday mainly looking north, east and west:

Coming from Fairlawn Park (looking east).


Retaining wall between Home Park and estate (looking north-east).


The tall flats that have replaced the victorian houses (looking north-east).


Emmanuel Hall (looking north-west)


Emmanuel Hall and the single surviving victorian house (looking west).


Emmanuel Hall and house (looking south-west).

EDIT: got my bearings mixed up

[alanh]

I was born in 80 Porhtcawe road, but don't remember thast much about it, My mother says it was on the corner of Porthcawe and Relinque, although I don't know which corner. But do know that by 1957 the upstairs was absolutetly uninhabitabe.

Alan

[Falkor]

Source: Sydenham And Forest Hill Past By John Coulter


Source: Forest Hill & Sydenham By John Coulter & John Seaman

[DebMitchell]

Hello. Mum's had a look at the pictures that you have put on this forum (thank you for that) and she says that the rather messy yard at the front right hand side of the picture taken in January 1961 is what was left of Charlie Wilson's scrap yard. The Wilson's owned a greengrocer's, which was situated on the other side of the road, just where the small white car is passing. This is the building that took the direct hit from the V1. Mum's house was situated at the opposite end of the road, just about where the pavement runs out to the right of the derelict house on the left hand side of the picture. This derelict house had a family called the Thorne's living in it. There was an alleyway, which ran parallel to the wall that runs up to the large building on the left, this is Kent House Lane. The playing field is where the American's were based during WW2 and Mum and the other children used to buy fish and chips for the soldiers and get pocket money from them. If anyone has any other memories of this part of Sydenham then it would be great to hear from you. Deb

[Falkor]

Can anyone figure out this viewpoint?

Bell Green Development 1961

[Falkor]

Looking north across the Home Park Depot. towards the park itself with the backs of Fairlawn Park houses on the left?