Bob Monkhouse - Syd man or not?

[stuart]

Never rely on Wikipedia. Here it says he was born and bred in Mayow Road:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydenham.

Here it says he was born in Beckenham:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Monkhouse

One must be wrong. But which?

Stuart

[sarahc]

Hello Stuart,

I remember quite clearly being in labour and watching a Bob Monkhouse tribute show and it said he was born in Beckenham.

I'm sure someone else will be along with more info.

Sarah

[Pat Trembath]

I think he was born in Beckenham, too - no one has ever claimed him as a Sydenham resident.

He was educated at Dulwich College and lived in the Monkhouse family home - one of the large Georgian houses opposite Dulwich Picture Gallery. The Monkhouse family were the "Monk" part of Monk and Glass Custard

[Steve Grindlay]

According to the Dictionary of National Biography (perhaps the most reliable source) he was born at 168 Bromley Road, Beckenham on 1 June 1928. This was between the bus garage and Randlesdown Road, and is actually much more Bellingham (or even Catford) than Beckenham.

[Steve Grindlay]

...and I think whoever made a reference to Mayow Road was confusing Bob Monkhouse with his close friend at Dulwich College, Dennis Gifford. Gifford, a cartoonist, journalist and film historian, was born in Bampton Road. He also has an entry in the DNB.

[MartinH]

Yes Bob did live in Bromley road but the Bromley road between Beckenham and Shortlands.

[Steve Grindlay]

Yes Bob did live in Bromley road but the Bromley road between Beckenham and Shortlands.

You're absolutely right; I've just been woken up by the realisation that I got the wrong Bromley Road

[Rebelmc]

...and I think whoever made a reference to Mayow Road was confusing Bob Monkhouse with his close friend at Dulwich College, Dennis Gifford. Gifford, a cartoonist, journalist and film historian, was born in Bampton Road. He also has an entry in the DNB.

The Mayow Road reference was Bob's Grandfather who had a large house on that road and the Christmas visits to that house he describes, in detail, in his autobiography; I don't have my copy of it to hand, but Bob definitely describes himself as being from Beckenham.

PS; No mention therein of a family house near Dulwich Gallery, Pat, only the one on Mayow Road, and he was only partially educated at Dulwich College, he got expelled for a misdemeanor I can't, at this moment, remember the nature of.

[Steve Grindlay]

Thanks for that, rebelmc.

It lets me identify Bob's grandfather as John Monkhouse, who lived at 6 Mayow Road (three houses from the Perry Vale junction) from about 1911 until his death in about 1937. John's oldest son was Wilfred Adrian Monkhouse, Bob's father.

Interestingly, before moving to Mayow Road John Monkhouse lived at 1 Bovill Road from about 1901, where the family is recorded in the 1901 census. This is less than 50 yards from the house in Gabriel Street where Spike Milligan lived some 30 years later.

[Rebelmc]

Thanks for that, rebelmc.

It lets me identify Bob's grandfather as John Monkhouse, who lived at 6 Mayow Road (three houses from the Perry Vale junction) from about 1911 until his death in about 1937. John's oldest son was Wilfred Adrian Monkhouse, Bob's father.

Interestingly, before moving to Mayow Road John Monkhouse lived at 1 Bovill Road from about 1901, where the family is recorded in the 1901 census. This is less than 50 yards from the house in Gabriel Street where Spike Milligan lived some 30 years later.

John Monkhouse is the man, originally a travelling grocery salesman who spotted a niche in the market and came up with dehydrated custard crystals; along with his business partner, Frederick T Glasscock, he set up Monk & Glass, manufactured many kinds of early convenience foods, and sold the lot to Birds in the early 20th century, which is probably how he managed to move from a sidestreet in Forest Hill to a mansion in Mayow Road.

As an even more frivolous aside, he apparently invented the multi-coloured decoration now known as 'hundreds and thousands'.

Your death date of 1937 seems about right, Bob's memoirs place him at about 8 or 9 when he recalls the funeral.

I didn't know about the Spike Milligan connection though; shame on me, two of my comedy heroes.

[Sherwood]

I have heard two different rumours about Bob Monkhouse.
One said he cheated in an exam.
The other involved a young lady from a nearby school!

[Eagle]

I am not sure we should drag up dirt about a deceased person who cannot answer back.

[Nature Boy]

As an aside this reminds me of a joke Bob made being interviewed by Parkinson or someone like that. Monkhouse was asked about his upbringing. He said where he was from but then said "funny thing is a lot of people think I come from Kent....at least I think that's what they shout at me in the street!"

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Hill Dweller]

I daresay this is on iPlayer by now


http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServl ... llpage.jsp

The Secret Life of Bob Monkhouse

Saturday 05 February
7:30pm - 9:00pm
BBC2

[Jacquie]

Bob Monkhouse , He did live in Beckenham in the tudor looking houses at the side of Kelsey Park opposite the Chinese garage, I know about that one because my dad done some private carpentry work for him.