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<br/>Most of the housing in this quarter of the square was built in the mid-late 1930s, and most is semi-detached, often extended now from 3 to 4 bedrooms. The original very durable concrete (with pebble-chip) road surface remains, patched occasionally. The original grey 1930s heavy paving slabs have been relaid after cable TV installed their pipes and other equipment. The pink ones are post-war replacements for cracked slabs. Parking restrictions and yellow lines appeared in the 1990s.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km north<br/>The housing in this quarter of the square is almost exclusively semi-detached, built in the mid-late 1930s, with a lot of the chalet style buildings fashionable at the time. Some were sold in 1937 for £700 (2007 price un-extended, around £300,000) The road surface (apart from patches) is still the original hard concrete packed with tiny stones and pebbles. Many of these three bedroom semis have been extended.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km north<br/>This quarter of the square is almost exclusively made up of 1930s semi-detached housing, much in the fashionable chalet style with downstairs toilet and bathroom. Since the 1970s many have been extended in a variety of ways. This image shows the original shape, and one which is now four bedroomed. The house by the telegraph pole still has the original 1937 castellated brick garden wall.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.3km north<br/>The householder at 146 Imperial Way, New Eltham, Kent has wisely had solar panels installed on his roof: if recent energy price increases are considered, he could have made a very wise move. Meanwhile, a pensioner waits for a bus on Route 162.
©Dr Neil Clifton
Dist:0.5km north<br/>A sign at the end of Gravelwood Close (cul-de-sac) still points to St Aidan's church, but it was demolished a few years ago and replaced by these nondescript houses.
©Stephen Craven
Dist:0.7km north<br/>
©Stacey Harris
Dist:0.8km north<br/>
©Stacey Harris
Dist:0.8km northwest<br/>
©Stacey Harris
Dist:0.8km south<br/>Trees have been planted along the edge of this attractive open space. The bus is on Route 162 which has a surprisingly frequent service.
©Dr Neil Clifton
Dist:0.9km northwest<br/>
©Stacey Harris
Dist:0.9km north<br/>This functional building has obviously been the subject of attention by sad yobs who have nothing better to do.
©Dr Neil Clifton
Dist:0.9km east<br/>Seen here on the Woodside Crescent side. The original Edwardian buildings on the left have been extended right across the original (infants) playground to the replacement cast iron fence (which no longer sports the spikes on top!). I realised some years back that one of the two magnificent conker trees had gone, but the other is intact. I suppose kids are still barred from chucking sticks and stones to get the conkers down, but have they also been banned from playing conkers, it being FAR too dangerous? Poppycock!
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.9km east<br/>The Edwardian school was built in stages in 1905, 1907 and 1910 to replace an earlier temporary hutted building known locally as the 'tin school', the roof being made of galvanised iron. The school (1905 bit?) cost £3,822 to build. Other extensions and additions are late 20th century, maybe even after 2000. Until 1935 children up to the age of 14 were accommodated here, initially opening on 23 October 1905. This is the view from what was part of the junior playground. The recent brick entrance with extension on the right hides the original juniors entrance by which a six feet high wall ran northwards to the "air raid shelters" (?) near which was around arched doorway into the infants playground. A matching infants entrance was situated on the main building on the other side of the wall. Both entrances led to cloakrooms, then into the main hall. Very practical, those targets on the wall, one of the few windowless surfaces at which a ball could be thrown. We didn't have those in the 1950s. Which bright spark decided to impede their use by putting a bench table in the way? Notice the horizontal black bricked line along the building, angled at 45 degrees. We used to throw a ball from about five metres (or yards, as we called them!) and catch it as it rebounded back into the air. Counting in fives the game was to succeed in achieving this as many consecutive times as possible without missing the bricks and the ball touching the ground, or dropping the catch. Then your mate had a go. I wonder if the bell is still in the bell tower. I never heard it ring. (Thanks to the school's own website for some of the historical information).
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.9km east<br/>Viewed from the rear in Woodside Road. The school was built in stages in 1905, 1907 and 1910, and has had several other extensions added at various stages in the third quarter of the 20th century. The original sash windows have been replaced (hardly surprising after 100 years). Formerly all the large windows were divided into 16 panes, so the lower sections now being a single sheet of glass is unauthentic. It seems this side of the building is now considered the main entrance, whereas formerly used separate infant and junior entrances (via playgrounds divided by a six foot wall) on the north side. Incidentally, the whole original building is aligned north-south rather than parallel with the access streets.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.9km east<br/>In the post-war period this was part of the junior playground, which was separated from the infant area by a six feet high brick wall. We were forbidden to enter the brick structure in the centre of the picture, which had entrances but no doors. I'm not sure whether it was actually part of the wartime air raid shelter facilities, Strangely, we were all scared to go in, and I don't know of any kids (naughty or otherwise!) who did. I recall when the stumps were first painted on that wall. Bats were considered too risky during playtimes, but football-cricket with underarm bowling with a bouncy rubber ball was the easy option. (I learnt spin bowling here and scored one century!!) Kicking into the road was a problem (scoring 4 or 6); permission was needed to retrieve the ball. Left footers like Peter D. could hook it right over the wall into the infants' playground for 6! That was a bigger problem if Mrs T. was on dinner duty. Slinking into her territory was scary. I notice that someone has decided a bench and some flower containers look nice right in the way of the game. Typical. Just like on the other side of this playground where the same fool has placed a large table/bench seat right in front of the targets painted on the wall for throwing balls at. I've met that kind of mentality before among school-teachers of a certain genre.
©Roger Kidd

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