Robertson - Printer -Glasgow to Bermondsey / Southwark

[bendywendy]

Hi Bill
Don't apologise for doing a brilliant job with your wife, I too have a partially disabled dau and her husband has to look after her, their dau and works full time in the forces, I know how demanding the caring side is.

Back to business..
Thanks for all the info, tis fascinating that so many folk are looking for ancestors on Drapper Place.
I have been trying to find any info regarding Printers etc in that area but to no avail??

Bermondseyboy is very good.

As for Millstream Road, this is further along the railway side travelling north north west, not far from Drappers Way
according to google maps abt 800mtrs apart, sited in triangle of what is now B202 Abbey St and Tower Bridge Road. 
 http://lyons-family.co.uk/Lyons/bermondsey-history/Lyons-homes-bermondsey/millstream-road/millstream-road.htm
again Bermondseyboy with mention of Millstream Road and photo of nearby and a map which show Print Works on Stanworth Street...which is next street off Millstream Road...the area looks to be industrialised now.
http://www.bermondseyboy.net/2010/08/16/bermondsey-yesterday-and-today/page3/
so is this the Print Works I am looking for, can anyone help with a name???

Quote " Stanworth Street.  Today Stanworth Street is a small turning off of Milstream Road and joins Gedling place before it rejoins Abbey Street.
Originally Stanworth Street lay at the botton end of The Grange at a point where it joined Riley Street the old Metal Box Company factory was on the right hand side.
The whole area was bombed heavily during the war which caused lots of damage.
The bomb site between Stanworth Street and Larnaca Street after being cleared became the home of Bermondsey Greyhounds Cycle Speedway Club where a track was built from the ruins".  Unquote

Can anyone help with this quotation "In the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, Harmsworth Quays Printing was used as the scene for Carver's print works" taken from http://www.bermondsey.biz/historyofrotherhithe.htm
and this one
"Bermondsey is in SE1. It is composed of Victorian warehouses, print works and the old leather market" from Welcome to Bermondsey Guide.

British Listed Buildings    http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-471158-former-clays-printing-works-1-2-and-3-be/osmap                      Description: Former Clays Printing Works 1, 2 and 3 Bermondsey   Grade: II   Date Listed: 17 Sep   1998    Location: Paris Garden, Camberwell, Greater London SE1 9DJ        Locality: Bermondsey
Local Authority: Lambeth        County: Greater London    Country: England           Postcode: SE1 9DJ
This is not far from Millstream Road.

This also was former printworks Lion Yard, 8 Blue Lion Place, Long Lane, Borough, London SE1 again not far from Millstream Road.

Is it possible that those at Metal Box (which produced tin plate printing) would be called Printer or Printer compositor for census purposes http://www.bermondseyboy.net/2010/08/16/bermondsey-yesterday-and-today/page12/

Bendywendy

[QueSera]

I lived at 9 Drappers Road from birth in 1952 until we moved out in 1966/7 prior to the demolition of the old Victorian "Airey" houses so the council could built the current blocks of flats. The "Airey" houses (named after the architect) were the type with steps down from the street to the basement entrance and another short set of stairs up to the main front door in the style of "upstairs/downstairs - tradesman entrance). The street numbers on the east side of the street would have run from number 1 at the Lucey Road (northern end) to 13 (?) at the Alexis (previously Alexander) Street end. So your relatives home would have been on the other (west) side of the street. I'm not certain, but I think the numbers ran from low at the south/Alexis St end to higher at the north/Lucey St end. I think number 18 was directly opposite us. Number 10 was destroyed during WW2 as was (if my numbering is correct) 14 through to 17.

Drappers Road on OS maps of the period is divided between London sheet 77 (Bermondsey & Wapping) and sheet 90 (Old Kent Road). I think I have only seen one clear picture of Drappers Road on the web and I think that was on Pathe or Getty when a blind/blinded man who lived there was a news feature. I will do a search and see  the pix shows the houses or if there's one in my old "shoe box!"

Edit:
Here's a link to the Pathe news clip showing the north-west side of the street (ie the Lucey Road end):
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=41444

I know I have a photo's of the rear & garden of a couple of houses in the street if they are of interest!

Regards
freddie

[bendywendy]

Thank you very much QueSera, interesting that you also lived there and interesting info too.
Did you enjoy living there?? and did you have a garden?? Was the houses privately owned or council??
The description you give of the Airey homes sound wonderful, upstairs/downstairs, I lived in a Victorian Town house for some 14 years with ground and 2 upper storeys, I do so miss that dear home.
Bendywendy

[QueSera]

For a couple of other enquiries mentioned in this thread:

The print works of Stanworth Street would almost certainly been a part of the "Metal Box Co". Many metal can & box manufacturers set up in Bermondsey for the packing of food stuffs that Bermondsey was famous for. There were many other printing companies in the Bermondsey & Southwark area and remember that Fleet Street isn't that far away!

Harmsworth Quay (and printers) was used for James Bond, but these are modern sites only created with the LDDC after the Surrey Docks closed.

The houses in Drappers Road did not have bathrooms, central heating or running hot water. Bath time would most probably be Sunday evening, with everyone taking a turn in the zinc tub filled from a kettle (or pots & pans). The outside toilet was quite a long walk from the top floor and cold at night so everyone's bedroom would house a potty, jerry, po or "goesunder" under the bed!

Edit:
Just read Bill's replies above, which confirm my numbering for Drappers Road

[QueSera]

28 & 29 Drappers Road and the backs of houses in Lucey Poad, Bermondsey c 1950/60

[bendywendy]

Hi QueSera
Sorry but your pic won't upload....
Bendywendy

[QueSera]

Hi Bill & Wendy,

The whole of Drappers Road was one continual terrace on either side of the street (although no 10 next door to us was demolished). When I lived there, the Snell's lived at number 18, which was the start of the terrace on that side of the road due to the demolition of 14-17 after enemy action in WW2.

No 18 had the stairs to the basement to the left as you looked at the front of the house and no 19 to the right (just like the end of terrace in the picture above.

Wendy, if you still cannot see the picture posted above, let me know your E-mail address or other and I will send a copy if you want.

Regards
freddie

[bendywendy]

Hi Freddie
Thanks for more info, tis fascinating.
Sorry but pic still won't open. I will PM you my email address.
Wendy

[PeteAdd]

My Grandmother lived at Number 18 Drappers Road ,one of her daughters Rene lived on the first floor and her son Charlie on the top floor.