Walking my girlfriend home from school

What great memories I have of Patcham! I can remember walking my first girlfriend home from school (Patcham school at the top east side of Ladies Mile Road where Warmdene Road intersects) We used to walk across the back of Mackie Ave where there used to be a chalk pit years and years ago. I can remember playing with my friends up the far end of Mackie Ave (the “Dee Side”). I lived on Sanyhils Ave. #4.

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  • I lived on Sanyhils Ave too. I remember the chalk pit, the chattri, Ghost Lane, the clock tower. John – I bet your piano teacher was Mrs Ashton. Maybe your friend Billy was my brother.

    By Paula Taylor (nee Redhead) (28/03/2004)
  • I remember Paula (then Redhead) – yes, Billy and I were great friends. We used to play at each other’s houses. Paula, you also have a sister Laura. Please contact me if ever you get to read this. My email is hutcj@perkinscoie.com. I even tried writing to Billy a number of years ago but the letter came back ‘address unknown’.

    By John Hutchings (01/07/2004)
  • I moved with my family to 51 Braeside Avenue in 1950 as a child of 4 years and lived there until I left for university in 1965. My parents continued to live there and I visited regularly until my mother died in 1997 when we sold the house. I loved Patcham and had a great childhood there – and still retain strong memories of all the places and people. I don’t remember Ghost Lane though – tell me more.

    By Brian Richards (21/07/2004)
  • I remember Brian Richards and his sister who lived next door to my late husband (49 Braeside). Was Ghost Lane the tiny steep alley that ran up nearly opposite the Old School in Old Patcham and came out somewhere near Patchdean, opposite Patcham School playingfields?

    By Christine Martin (24/05/2007)
  • Does anyone remember Sweet Hill, I remember going on the bus with mum every year that the blackberries were in season to Sweet Hill. We used to take a picnic, which I enjoyed more than the blackberry picking! Wasn’t there a murder commited at one of the pubs in Patcham?

    By Sandie Waller (30/05/2007)
  • Yes Sandie, there was a murder. It was in the car park of the Black Lion pub. I was there that night – a woman was shot, I believe. It was I think in 1976.

    By David Maynard (25/09/2007)
  • Please. If anyone remembers me, email me when you read this. I can remember quite a few friends that lived around Pacham: Raymond Berg, Sharon Kingman, Nigel Garbett, Judy Hardwick, Geoffrey Street (a cousin of mine), Andrew Hooper, Billy Redhead and his sister Paula. I could go on but, oh well. John Hutchings is me, and I lived at 4 Sanyhils Avenue from 1956 to February 1967. Went to school on Ladies Mile Road near the green roofed nursery.

    By John Hutchings (21/02/2008)
  • Hi John. It’s Andrew (Hooper) from 80 Mackie Avenue. I remember you very well and, if I recall correctly, you breaking your leg, care of Roger Black(?) trying something out on you after he had wanted to try it on me! I hope you are well. My grandparents lived in Sanyhils for a while and my grandmother is still going strong at 105! I still come back to Patcham as my mother lives there, although no longer in Mackie. Best regards.

    By Andrew Hooper (24/04/2008)
  • Re Ghost Lane: Never heard of this place, but I wonder if its the twitten with the dog leg in it that drops down to The Old London Road from Highview Avenue South. I recall a derelict building there with what appeared to be a skull set into the window sill. I passed it again several years ago but can’t tell whether the skull was still there because the window had been boarded up.

    By Roy Grant (28/07/2008)
  • I happened upon your comments, very interesting! Although I am not Patcham born and bred I have lived here for 4 years and am very interested in local history. I am intrigued about the private house road on Old London Road at the back of the post office. Do you live there? How long for? Do you recall when there were more houses there? Also does anyone have any more information on the murder? Why did it happen?

    By T Lloyd (30/07/2008)
  • We used to call it Ghost Alley, and it was the footpath that climbed up from Old London Rd opposite the Peace Gardens and came out at Highview Ave South. Roys right, there was a skull set into the sill of the old house. As for the woman who was shot in The Black Lion car park, I am certain it was 1971 and her name was Barbara Gaul (I think).

    By Martyn Strudwick (20/02/2009)
  • Hi Andrew (Hooper). I have finally got back onto this site. I saw that back in 2008 you answered by comment. If you ever read this please send me your email/address/some way to get in touch. Best regards.

    By John Hutchings (24/09/2010)
  • My Grandmother lived at Sweet Hill before moving to Patchdean. Although we lived on the outskirts of London, I remember so much of the area. I spent most of my summer school holidays there. I was even christened in Patcham Church. My Grandad and my uncles all played for Patcham Cricket Club for many years.

    By Linda Ball (03/01/2011)
  • Yes, I certainly remember ‘Sweethill’, fond memories of the late 40s when I was courting my wife. A bus ride out to Patcham and a short walk up the main Road usually on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

    By Ken Burt (02/08/2011)
  • Yesterday I recalled the shooting at the Black Lion. I don’t know why. I could remember some vague details. I recalled I had heard a bang in the evening. The next morning I was doing my paper round and saw mention of it in the papers. When I finished my round I cycled over there to have a look. There were chalkings on the car park surface. I think from memory there was actually the chalk outline of where the body had been on the ground (like in films) but no-one around. I did my paper round from 1975 to 1979 I reckon. So I was pretty sure that it happened in those years.

    By Cliff (11/01/2012)
  • I remember blackberrying at Sweet Hill, a walking stick was an essential tool for hooking those big fat berries just out of reach. I used to deliver the Argus from Salmon’s up Ladies Mile, Vale Avenue, Barrhill, Mackie Avenue and many of the avenues off Mackie. My last delivery was at the Ladies Mile Pub and on Friday evenings Mr Attwater, the landlord, would give me a huge bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, and I hated milk chocolate. Mum was grateful though.

    By June Churchill (26/02/2012)
  • I added a comment yesterday about (Alfred) John Gaul.

    Editor’s note: Sorry Robert but we have no intention of publishing your defamatory comments about this individual.

    By Robert T (02/03/2012)

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