Penge - the revival starts here

[ice-is-forming]

Beating Of The Bounds outside Crystal Palace Hotel. May 1908

 

[ice-is-forming]

my great uncle, defusing of an unexploded bomb in penge!

 

[ice-is-forming]

my dad is like an unofficial collector of all things penge and crystal palace he even has this family tree going waaaaaaaaaay back, i'm a Penge princess me

 

[spanglechick]

Wonderful photos! We're at the top of the hill in the crystal palace/sydenham hill hinterlands, but I do like penge. I feels very different to Sydenham, though. Much more suburban. We did look for houses in penge but tbh I couldn't have brought myself to say I lived in penge - nothing to do with what the place is like - it sounds nasal and sneery, like "minge".

 

[ice-is-forming]

This is my great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother on my mothers side, from the 1880's.
The Hendersons were kings pipers in scotland and because of their allegiance to the king they were banished to Ireland and during the uprising some of them returned to Glasgow. Which is where my mum came from. Although she ended up in Penge married to my dad...

 

[ice-is-forming]

Wonderful photos! We're at the top of the hill in the crystal palace/sydenham hill hinterlands, but I do like penge. I feels very different to Sydenham, though. Much more suburban. We did look for houses in penge but tbh I couldn't have brought myself to say I lived in penge - nothing to do with what the place is like - it sounds nasal and sneery, like "minge".

My Grandad and great grand dad worked on the building of the crystal palace, on the towers and the underground railway. My dad remembers seeing it burn down. This is my granddad, he's the one with an eye patch. The story goes that as a lad of 12 he heard gun shots coming from maple road area. he went to investigate and a Dr , who lived in a large property with a walled garden, was taking shots with an air rifle at some boys who were scrumping his apples. Apparently a pellet bounced off the sign that said 'no scrumping' and took my grand dads eye out he went on to take over his dads dairy, Reeds dairy , it was the only dairy in Penge untill iirc he sold out to unigate in the 1960's.

Gentryfying Penge! its always had gentry

from left to right is my mum, my nan, my sister, grandad, my aunty lilly and uncle ted. must have been a couple of years before i was born as my sister is 5 years older than me. mum died in 2006, nan died in 1970, grandad got motor neurone disease and i remember him being nursed at home with a confusing arrangement of pulleys and chains that ran across the ceilings as a lifting device, he died in 1966. Aunty lilly is still going! aged 95 and happily demented in a nursing home in Cornwall and uncle ted, died in ummm..not sure, He was an umpire at Wimbledon and we always got 2 free tickets every year for it. They were my posh aunty and uncle.

It looks like a day trip to Brighton.

 

[ice-is-forming]

Men enlisting for the army at crystal palace, in 1916.

 

[ice-is-forming]

this was taken inside the palace, up in the rafters.

 

[TruXta]

Cheers, icey! Some wonderful shots you've posted here. spanglechick get yourself and the OH down Penge way - live dangerously and go for a drink in the Alexandra

Alternatively we can seek safety in the Grape & Grain.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Cheers, icey! Some wonderful shots you've posted here. spanglechick get yourself and the OH down Penge way - live dangerously and go for a drink in the Alexandra

Alternatively we can seek safety in the Grape & Grain.

What's the Alexandra like then?

The Crooked Billet (I think) looks a bit like a candidate for the 'inviting pubs' thread.

 

[TruXta]

What's the Alexandra like then?

The Crooked Billet (I think) looks a bit like a candidate for the 'inviting pubs' thread.

I've actually not gone in yet, but it's looked fairly quiet when I've walked past it. Online reviews are not pleasant reading. My next exploration will be the Golden Lion closer to Anerley Station I think.

I was in the Crooked Billet on Friday evening as I was on the way home from town. Friendly enough staff and punters, altho I suspect they were all more than half pissed. The Pawleyne Arms looks nice from the outside, but once in the reality of a completely botched redecoration job hits you. Shame really. I've yet to try the Moon and Stars (which looks very nice) and the Goldsmiths (probably the finest looking pub building in the area).

 

[_pH_]

nothing to do with what the place is like - it sounds nasal and sneery, like "minge".

Et si ça se prononce comme 'mensonge'?

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I've actually not gone in yet, but it's looked fairly quiet when I've walked past it. Online reviews are not pleasant reading. My next exploration will be the Golden Lion closer to Anerley Station I think.

I was in the Crooked Billet on Friday evening as I was on the way home from town. Friendly enough staff and punters, altho I suspect they were all more than half pissed. The Pawleyne Arms looks nice from the outside, but once in the reality of a completely botched redecoration job hits you. Shame really. I've yet to try the Moon and Stars (which looks very nice) and the Goldsmiths (probably the finest looking pub building in the area).

Good scouting.

I tend not to read too much into online pub reviews tbh. Most people who write them just seem to hate everywhere.

 

[TruXta]

Good scouting.

I tend not to read too much into online pub reviews tbh. Most people who write them just seem to hate everywhere.

True to an extent, but if a place universally gets poor reviews there's often a reason for that apart from snobbery. Either way - the worrying part about going out in Penge on a Friday evening was moreso how dead it was - the Billet was half empty and the Pawleyne Arms had me and three old drunks in it. Does everyone go elsewhere or do they just sit at home?

 

[el-ahrairah]

I tend not to read too much into online pub reviews tbh. Most people who write them just seem to hate everywhere.

as someone who hates everywhere, i can tell a lot about a pub from the degree and style of negativity in the review

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

True to an extent, but if a place universally gets poor reviews there's often a reason for that apart from snobbery. Either way - the worrying part about going out in Penge on a Friday evening was moreso how dead it was - the Billet was half empty and the Pawleyne Arms had me and three old drunks in it. Does everyone go elsewhere or do they just sit at home?

Maybe everyone is out on the lash in Brixton.

 

[porno thieving gypsy]

Moon and Stars is a good Wetherspoons if you like real ale, also has a beer garden out back.
Crooked Billet is not unwelcoming but its just a bit weird in there - hard to explain why it just is!
Goldsmiths looks lovely on the outside but tends to feel a bit intimidating in there, at least when its busy anyway.

Great photo's though ice-is-forming really interesting seeing how things have changed.

I was only saying the other day how with the Turkish Super market, the Butcher's and Fish Monger's all side by side and doing excellent food you don't need to go anywhere else for yer shopping. I love Penge

 

[TruXta]

Moon and Stars is a good Wetherspoons if you like real ale, also has a beer garden out back.
Crooked Billet is not unwelcoming but its just a bit weird in there - hard to explain why it just is!
Goldsmiths looks lovely on the outside but tends to feel a bit intimidating in there, at least when its busy anyway.

Great photo's though ice-is-forming really interesting seeing how things have changed.

I was only saying the other day how with the Turkish Super market, the Butcher's and Fish Monger's all side by side and doing excellent food you don't need to go anywhere else for yer shopping. I love Penge

I get what you say about the Billet - I was given a nice enough welcome altho one of the old girls behind the bar kept talking to me even when it was obvious I couldn't make out a word she was saying, partly because she was pissed (as was I), partly because they had some horrendous techno on loud as fuck - which was all the more incongrous seeing as it wasn't very busy. It seemed a proper local tho - lots of people who obviously knew each other, which is nice.

I've yet to try the fishmongers, butchers or Turkish supermarket.

 

[porno thieving gypsy]

The Turkish Supermarket (opposite Sainsbury's) does the most amazing bread and baklava as well as amazing deals on fresh fruit. Murray brothers is the best butchers and there is only one fish mongers - its new but been a big hit!

 

[TruXta]

The Turkish Supermarket (opposite Sainsbury's) does the most amazing bread and baklava as well as amazing deals on fresh fruit. Murray brothers is the best butchers and there is only one fish mongers - its new but been a big hit!

I've only had positive experiences with Turkish grocers in the past, rather give my money to them than to the mega-supermarket corporations. Murray Brothers is the one close to the fishmongers yea?

 

[porno thieving gypsy]

yep

 

[TruXta]

It does look very inviting. Will have to give it a go soon. Have you tried the sausage shop in Beckenham?

 

[youngian]

Start pronouncing it in a french accent, Pan-ge

A favourite local joke, complete with an acute on the E.

I live in Penge and very happy with the way it is thanks, very affordable unlike Palace or Dulwich, so please no gastro pubs.
The Pawleyne Arms used to be run by some miserable old git who had given up the will to live but has a new landlady who knows some good bands she is getting down there. Not keen on the over priced Bridge House as it seems to close at 10.00 o clock in the week (woebetide if you dare come in at closing time) and often full of trendy mums with their horrible bratty kids running around.

It may not have been immortalised much in song like many other London areas but does get a mention in Let it Blow by Richard Thompson:

And she dragged her tail back to New Zealand
With threats of High Court and revenge
Meanwhile his eye did stray to the ample bust
Of a novelty dancer from Penge

 

[TruXta]

I live in Penge and very happy with the way it is thanks, very affordable unlike Palace or Dulwich, so please no gastro pubs.
The Pawleyne Arms used to be run by some miserable old git who had given up the will to live but has a new landlady who knows some good bands she is getting down there. Not keen on the over priced Bridge House as it seems to close at 10.00 o clock in the week (woebetide if you dare come in at closing time) and often full of trendy mums with their horrible bratty kids running around.

It may not have been immortalised much in song like many other London areas but does get a mention in Let it Blow by Richard Thompson:

And she dragged her tail back to New Zealand
With threats of High Court and revenge
Meanwhile his eye did stray to the ample bust
Of a novelty dancer from Penge

I'm happy without gastro-pubs too, plenty of those further west and north if I feel the need. I have to say tho that whoever did the last refurb of the Pawleyne Arms left a lot to desire. The Bridge House is just too fucking far away, unless you're coming out of the station or living nearby. Has anyone been to the Anerley Arms? Sam Smith's isn't it?

 

[youngian]

If its Sam Smiths I'll give it a wide birth. I live in the Penge West end, near Penge East as well and a 176 stop so transport is a breeze. Its still got an affordable High street for food and both Croydon and Bromley are a breeze to reach if you need shopping centre stuff.

Yes Beckenham sausage shop is great. Beckenham Road in Penge also has a teddy bear shop and not many areas can make that boast.

 

[TruXta]

If its Sam Smiths I'll give it a wide birth. I live in the Penge West end, near Penge East as well and a 176 stop so transport is a breeze. Its still got an affordable High street for food and both Croydon and Bromley are a breeze to reach if you need shopping centre stuff.

Yes Beckenham sausage shop is great. Beckenham Road in Penge also has a teddy bear shop and not many areas can make that boast.

I walk past that shop most days - it's certainly an original feature. As for Sam Smith's I don't mind them occassionally, one thing they've often got going for them is taking over nice old buildings and retaining the old charm - see the Princess Louise in Holborn for a sterling example.

 

[ice-is-forming]

When I was a kid the Pawleyne Arms used to be the IRA pub. It was the only pub my dad wouldn't take me in as, he explained "they don't like kids or women drinking there just in case you over hear their plan"s..or something

I have some great memories of growing up in Penge. i think the thing that stands out the most was that it was the 60's yet WW2 never seemed far away. We had to cross a bomb site to get to most things there was a great one we crossed to get to the library or the Market in Maple rd, . It used to stretch from the high street, opposite where Mcdonalds got built, up by Fosticks, right across to behind Maple rd library. There were just huge piles of rubble and amongst it all was a house that had been blown clean in half, you could see into the bedroom and the bed was still there and the flowery wall paper and even curtains still at one of the windows. and of course there were always kids playing on them getting squashed by falling rubble or locked in old fridges and dying.

and there were always air raid shelters in peoples back gardens, the biggest one i knew of was down beside Penge Congregational church (i was baptised there) the scouts and cubs used to have it as their meeting place. I was always jealous because i was in the brownies and we weren't allowed to into cub stuff. My best friends mum was the akayla (sp) or cub leader though so we got privileges

there used to be a police station on the corner of green lane and the high street and it had a Dr who type phone box outside.

My dad used to have an allotment up Percy rd, as did most of the men, i think its where the whole idea of man sheds originated from, because I never saw any women up there, in fact i never saw many vegetables either, they used to mostly sit around in deck chairs 'testing' each others home brewed beer whilst us kids dug holes My grandad used to grow his own veggies and own pigs and chickens in his house in clevedon rd! My cousins still live there.

The best shop in the world, as far as i was concerned, was the Tuck shop. it was a sweet shop opposite Kentwood school for boys, it had all the jamboree bags and penny sweets and big jars of pear drops and kola cubes and imperial mints.

Kentwood school now seems to have become an adult education centre and Royston primary school. Which is most strange as I used to go to Royston and it defenitly used to be opposite my house in Westbury rd. Well the back of it did, the front gates were on croydon rd. There seems to be a citizens advice bureau there now.We lived opposite the playing fields, which see are still there, I'd cross them to get to school. There was a little gate that they'd lock at night and there was a big stone wall around the playing fields, same one my dad sat on to see the palace burn down, and on long summer evenings the dads would hoist us kids over it and we'd all play cricket.

Just down the rd to me was the Frank and Peggy Spencer ballroom dancing studio. the coaches with the dancers on would park outside our house, by the school fields, it was always the most glamorous part of the week! I remember being fascinated, i'd be supposed to be in bed but I'd hang out of my window watching them all walk down to the hall in their ball room dancing attire, one evening i leant out too far and fell! luckily i fell into this huge lavender bush we had in the front garden. After that my mum made dad put bars on my bedroom windows

 

[porno thieving gypsy]

Thanks for sharing your memories

 

[Pat24]

My boyfriend used to live in Penge back in 2006, so I spent a lot of time there. It was kind of grim and a bit of a shit hole, but glad to hear it's going to be on the up now

 

[TruXta]

there used to be a police station on the corner of green lane and the high street and it had a Dr who type phone box outside.

The police station sits empty now, which is a shame. Was the Penge Trades Social Club at the end of Royston Rd there when you grew up?