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Marlwood Close, SIDCUP, DA15 7ND

A suburban road that actually merits the name "avenue".

In the corner of this small line of "units", in the 1940s (maybe earlier) and through at least into the 1960s, was the "Tuck Shop". Juniors, at the school (fifty yards to the right at the end of the street) having asked permission of the dinner ladies, were allowed to come round at lunchtime for our black-jacks, sherbet dips, penny chews, bootlaces, aniseed balls, gobstoppers, chewing gum (discouraged), lemonade powder, liquorice (lickerish!) wood, shrimps etc. Update 2020. They've all been demolished and two houses built, but that same featheredge fence remains! See Streetview or https://i.imgur.com/oYOPt7W.jpg

In this corner of a small line of "units", in the 1940s (maybe earlier) and through at least into the 1960s, was the "Tuck Shop". Juniors, at the school (fifty yards to the right at the end of the street) having asked permission of the dinner ladies, were allowed to come round at lunchtime for our black-jacks, sherbet dips, bootlaces, aniseed balls, gobstoppers, chewing gum (discouraged), lemonade powder, liquorice (lickerish!) wood, shrimps etc. These small premises are under restoration, though I doubt they will be shops again. Strangely (or not) I can't remember what any of the other shops sold formerly. Can anyone help? https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/910867 Update 2020. They've been demolished and two houses built, but that featheredge fence is still there! https://i.imgur.com/oYOPt7W.jpg

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.