Long & Lazy Lewisham

Image from Building News 4 Oct 1878, showing a group of large Victorian houses on a junction.

A lost corner of Lewisham Park.
Built in the late 1870s, this north-east block of houses surrounding the park survived WW2 but were demolished in the 1980s to be replaced by flats.
If they'd last a few decades more they would have probably been saved by inclusion in the local Conservation Area.

Map of Lewisham Park conservation area, showing that the area of the block of flats is not included, while remaining Victorian houses on the south eastern corner are.

The block (south of the junction of Lewisham Park and Thornford Rd) is pointedly not included in the Lewisham Park Conservation Area lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/p...

Three-storey red-brick block of flats. Image from Googlemaps.

Here is the view today - the modern buildings were built by Royston Summers, more famous for the houses at North Several, overlooking Blackheath www.ribaj.com/culture/obit...

Image from Building News 4 Oct 1878, showing a group of large Victorian houses on a junction.

A lost corner of Lewisham Park.
Built in the late 1870s, this north-east block of houses surrounding the park survived WW2 but were demolished in the 1980s to be replaced by flats.
If they'd last a few decades more they would have probably been saved by inclusion in the local Conservation Area.

A look at Lewisham town centre and market street works - Murky Depths A look around at progress on a £24 million project covering much of Lewisham town centre including the High Street and market

A look at how Lewisham town centre works are shaping up.

£24 million project covering the market, High Street and library

New paving, street furniture, market pavilion etc on the way

www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2025/10/03/a...

Construction work begins on Lewisham's new-look library - The Greenwich Wire Construction work has begun on Lewisham’s new library, two years after the old facility closed as part of a major refurbishment of the town centre. When finished in autumn next year, the new-look…

Construction work has begun on Lewisham’s new library, two years after the old facility closed as part of a major refurbishment of the town centre.
greenwichwire.co.uk/2025/10/03/c...

The scene pre-dates the temperance billiard hall (now the Tab church), which opened in 1910. Seen here is all its glory:

Nice view of workmen building the road on Lewisham High Street, at the junction with Ladywell Road - sometime before 1910.
Buildings on the left still remain, most on the right destroyed in WW2 or demolished since.
Dress style for road-layers has changed somewhat.

In the late 1930s, Freda Clarke bought an 18 room house at 10 Leyland Road, where she taught for 25 before the Leegate centre was built on the site. She later taught at Lochaber Hall.
Freda lived in Lewisham until her death in 1987.

Slightly unclear picture of Freda Clarke, prominent local dancer and dance teacher, dancing as an oyster in 1925.

Born in 1905, she grew up on Lee High Road and taught dancing locally from the early 1920s to at least the 1960s. Freda herself performed in Lewisham and across London until the 1950s.

Here's the 58 Rushey Green Sainsbury's closer up in the 1920s and 1950s, from @sainsburyarchive.bsky.social

Then and now, around 100 years apart - the former J Sainsbury's at 58 Rushey Green, with its Co-op neighbour now replaced by Aldi.#Catford #Lewisham

Great article from @oldebor.bsky.social on JT Hearne, the cousin of the Catford Hearne brothers. Jack played in the Test match that Alec, Frank and George G all played in.
(we met the Hearnes in my post:
longlazylewisham.wordpress.com/2025/08/13/w...)

YouTube video by British Pathé Lewisham's Pride (1916)

The Battle of Loos in September 1915 was a big moment in the history of the Blackheath & Woolwich battalion, which included many Lewisham men.
A few months later they paraded guns captured at Loos through Lewisham, seen here on Loampit Vale just opposite St Stephens church:
youtu.be/yS7oNWghCMg

Recruiting on the Quaggy, part 1: the London Regiment, March-May 1915 Long and Lazy Lewisham – part 4A: outside 45 High Street by the Quaggy At the end of March 1915, a new building appeared on Lewisham High Street, outside Chiesmans department store. Just visib…

You can read more about them and him in my blog post on the 1915 recruiting efforts: longlazylewisham.wordpress.com/2023/04/28/r...

Photo of a young man in army uniform, Private Thomas Tindall Goldsack.

Photo 5 young men in army uniform from local newspaper under heading "Lewisham recruiting tent"

Among those from Lewisham who died on the first day of the battle (25 September) was Private TT Goldsack, whose body was recovered after the war still wearing his gas mask. Earlier in 1915, he had been recruiting men for the battalion on Lewisham High Street:

YouTube video by British Pathé Lewisham's Pride (1916)

The Battle of Loos in September 1915 was a big moment in the history of the Blackheath & Woolwich battalion, which included many Lewisham men.
A few months later they paraded guns captured at Loos through Lewisham, seen here on Loampit Vale just opposite St Stephens church:
youtu.be/yS7oNWghCMg

Lewisham's Bakerloop BL1 bus will be free for its first week - The Greenwich Wire The new fast Bakerloop bus service from Lewisham will start on Saturday – and will be free for the first week, Transport for London has confirmed. London mayor Sadiq Khan launched the BL1 route,…

The new fast Bakerloop bus between Lewisham and the Elephant & Castle begins on Saturday and will be free for its first week, TfL has confirmed.

The BL1 is intended to be a stop-gap before a Bakerloo Line extension is built.

greenwichwire.co.uk/2025/09/24/l...

Victorian black and white photo of Lewisham station. Large crowd of men in suits and hats in platform.

Colour photo of deserted modern railway platform, just about recognisable as the same station

Two historic views of Lewisham station, specifically of platform 2.
First from the 19th century, second from the start of the 21st.

After the war, he moved to nearby Ellerdale Rd with wife Ellen and worked as a tram conductor. I wonder if any of his passengers knew he was a war hero? He was still working on the trams in 1939, by when they had moved to Algernon Rd where AJ Fellows lived until his death in December 1956, aged 61.

Arthur James Fellows was awarded a second Military Medal for 'bravery in the field' after his work fixing communications wires under heavy shellfire in Sept 1916. He grew up on Marsala Road #Lewisham and worked as a telegram boy and a clerical assistant to a local baker before WW1.

Nice then-and-now photo of St Mary's Lewisham from the top of Ladywell Fields in 1874 and 1904

St Mary’s Church in @lewisham.gov.uk hosting a Heritage week ( @nationaltrust.org.uk ) w displays&events. @Lewisham @longlazylewisham.bsky.social @lewishamlocal.bsky.social @ladywell-live.bsky.social @ladywellbowlsclub.bsky.social @lovese4.bsky.social @janecandose4.bsky.social @salamandernews.org

Come to this important public meeting if ur concerned about this jewel of historic @lewisham.gov.uk .
Sat’y 4/10 11-3 is a Community day in Grounds of this iconic building. @longlazylewisham.bsky.social @salamandernews.org @janecandose4.bsky.social @lovese4.bsky.social @ladywell-live.bsky.social

Great 1920 advert for hats at Sainsbury's at Lewisham Obelisk

Doesn't look like it was too popular locally! (Clipping from 1949)

Not sure this would be considered a good idea nowadays

Not sure this would be considered a good idea nowadays

#ott #offtopictuesday

Slightly diminish a band: Joy Brigade

May be of interest to @oldebor.bsky.social and @acscricket.bsky.social - both of whose great work is referred to.

When Catford was the home of Kent cricket Introduction If you believe in such things, there is a parallel universe somewhere where Catford is home to a third major cricket ground in London. Home to Kent County Cricket Club since the 1870s,…

New blog post on @kentcricket.co.uk's time 150 years ago based at Catford Bridge, which sadly did not result in a third major cricket ground in London

longlazylewisham.wordpress.com/2025/08/13/w...