Here's Professor Branestawm, the creation of my childhood hero Norman Hunter, who lived at The Firs in Venner Road - in a house now long gone & replaced with a block of flats ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Branestawm
Childhood Heroes
Childhood Heroes
This one's for Eagle, because we were talking about Norman ...
Here's Professor Branestawm, the creation of my childhood hero Norman Hunter, who lived at The Firs in Venner Road - in a house now long gone & replaced with a block of flats ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Branestawm
Here's Professor Branestawm, the creation of my childhood hero Norman Hunter, who lived at The Firs in Venner Road - in a house now long gone & replaced with a block of flats ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Branestawm
Re: Childhood Heroes
William Brown.
Re: Childhood Heroes
Thanks Mary .
I am amazed that this bit of Venner Road history has passed me by. I must be quite frank and say I have never heard of this gent.
I can concur that where The Firs currently is was prior to 70's an extensive Victorian Mansion lived in ( certainly in the late 50's and 60's ) by family called Platts . I guess the gent you refer lived there in 30's and 40's maybe.
I am amazed that this bit of Venner Road history has passed me by. I must be quite frank and say I have never heard of this gent.
I can concur that where The Firs currently is was prior to 70's an extensive Victorian Mansion lived in ( certainly in the late 50's and 60's ) by family called Platts . I guess the gent you refer lived there in 30's and 40's maybe.
Re: Childhood Heroes
Hi Eagle
Steve has pointed out that when Norman Hunter lived at No. 43 it wasn't called The Firs. I was completely convinced I had a document that had him living at "The Firs", but I haven't been able to find it, so maybe it's a false memory!
These are the details Steve has kindly supplied ...
The Platts family business looks like the sort of thing that may have fascinated the young Norman (though it's probably not as Branestawm-ish as I'd like to imagine. I just found this in Grace's Guide to British Industrial History ...
Steve has pointed out that when Norman Hunter lived at No. 43 it wasn't called The Firs. I was completely convinced I had a document that had him living at "The Firs", but I haven't been able to find it, so maybe it's a false memory!
These are the details Steve has kindly supplied ...
Actually, I'm even more excited now ... because my great-grandfather lived at 26 Peak Hill Gardens - though sadly not when Norman's father was there!His [Norman's] father Joseph, a fire insurance clerk, moved to 35 Peak Hill Gardens in about 1880. In 1881 he moved to Rosemount, 43 Venner Road where he was still living in 1915. Norman Hunter was born there in 1899.
The house that eagle refers to was 45 Venner Road. It was called Hazelwood and was occupied by Henry Charles Platts (a local councillor) and his family from at least 1902.
The Platts family business looks like the sort of thing that may have fascinated the young Norman (though it's probably not as Branestawm-ish as I'd like to imagine. I just found this in Grace's Guide to British Industrial History ...
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Platts_Split_Packing_CoPlatts Split Packing Co
of 45 Venner Road, London, SE26
Manufacturers and suppliers in Great Britain.
1908 Company established.
1914 Engine and pump packing specialists. Specialities: Platts' split packing for engines, pumps, accumulators, steam hammers. [1]
1937 Hydraulic and steam packing manufacturers. [2]
Sources of Information
↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
Last edited by marymck on 24 Mar 2014 22:23, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Childhood Heroes
Conker - you may enjoy this! Six days left on the i-Player ...Conker wrote:William Brown.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jg5cp
Re: Childhood Heroes
Thank you Mary, but you are talking to a fan, or should I say overgrown kid.
I have all the books in their original form, all the films and most TV series and tapes.
Quite sad isn't it,?
I could not, as a child work out how he got into so much mess and trouble without getting the walloping I got for less.
10/10 to you for guessing who william Brown is,, and its almost local, being Bromley. Funny, but when I read them I always had Bromley common and surrounding area in my minds eye, even though I never found out how true that was till much later in life.
I have all the books in their original form, all the films and most TV series and tapes.
Quite sad isn't it,?
I could not, as a child work out how he got into so much mess and trouble without getting the walloping I got for less.
10/10 to you for guessing who william Brown is,, and its almost local, being Bromley. Funny, but when I read them I always had Bromley common and surrounding area in my minds eye, even though I never found out how true that was till much later in life.