Bladder Cancer

Hi Old Bob, and welcome.

                                          I was born at the Woolwich home for mothers and babies. I was actually baby of the week when born... ha. I grew up in Eltham so not far from where you worked. Jeeez i may have even come in and bought some brake blocks from you. 

   Sorry to hear of your losses to cancer and that yours is inoperable. Love the sound of the woodturning. I assume you have a lathe perhaps a bandsaw at your workshop.

   Nice to hear from you anyway. Cheers for now...Del.

Hi, Del. Nice to hear from you. Thanks for the welcome.

And yes I do have a lathe and band saw. and a circular saw. Plus several other tools.

I also lived in Eltham when I was very young. I think, from memory, it was Will Crooks Garden. or something like that.

I have no idea why we moved from there to a house in Plumstead that was bombed a couple of months after moving in. Then moved to Bloomfield road in Plumstead

Hi old bob,Welcome from me too.I hope you find this friendly group helpful.I’m so sorry for your losses and to learn of your ill health.It’s good to hear you are able to enjoy wood turning and gardening.My late father and grandfather were cabinet makers who came from Dulwich.Best wishes Jane

Hi Jane. Thank you for your welcome. I did visit Dulwich a lot when I lived in Woolwich as a close friend lived there. Not sure if he's still there....Bob

Hi Bob,I haven’t been there since I was a child.My paternal grandparents met when their families lived in the same road.Jane 

Wow Bob. Willcrooks Gardens was literally around the corner to me. It got a bit rough once you'd left...ha.

As a kid I was a milk boy and Willcrooks was right at the end of the round so i was always glad to get there.

Blimey mate. You had your house bombed too !!

I used to swim for Woolwich swimming club and we trained at Plumstead baths.

Sounds like a splendid array of tools there. I'm slightly envious.

As a teen i went to 'the Ship' pub on the edge of Plumstead common, a couple of times. But each time i went there were fights. So I stayed in Eltham and watched the fights there....ha....Del

Hi old bob and a belated welcome from me. Good to know you have a good hobby to keep you active and keep your mind off things. After getting an O level in woodwork, I have always been interested in it and regretted not having a career in wood. Saying that, during lockdown i started making various bits of garden furniture out of discarded pallets. Not familiar with your part of the world as I am from up north, but spent a few years in the 70s as a scaffolder, mainly in the City. Best wishes.

Hi Del, another thing we had in common, I represented S.E. Schools in several diving competitions.  I always used Woolwich baths. I don't think I knew there was a Plumstead Baths, at least I can't place it now.

From memory, the house we got bombed out off was in Tiller Road

Hi mate, Thanks for the welcome. Like you, one of my better subjects at school was woodwork plus tec drawing. I could hardly write my own name by the time I left school. I was a complete dunce. Fortunately, I joined the army at 18 and had an excellent education there.  While I was in the military I spent a week or so in Scotland.During the Meat Strike. A bit of time in Egypt then on to Cyprus at the time of the troubles. Came out after 3 years as a Sergent. Then after faffing about for a couple of years started my own business.

Cheers for now........Bob

Hi old bob. Doesn't "Sarf" London just rule the world? I moved from Woodford [too posh for my taste] to Addison Square Camberwell at 18 as I started my first job based in Lower Marsh besides Waterloo Station. After a year the charity sold the house so I got another place on Denmark Hill. My cousins still live in East Dulwich and Sydenham respectively and dear friends from my Camberwell days [44 years ago!] in Sydenham too. Lovely memories of the rhododendrons in bloom in Dulwich Park. East St market. Trekking to my GPs in the Wyndham/North Peckham? estate...

My husband goes to a thing called Men in Sheds, it is absolutely brilliant for him. They have a lathe and goodness knows what else power tools industrial grade. He's just finished renovating my granny's hardwood garden bench which we inherited years ago. New slats were one from an unwanted bed our neighbours passed on.

Enjoy your woodwork!

Denby