Bromley Borough Local History Society

Bromleag Extra!

For one reason or another we can't put all the research and information we receive in our quarterly magazine. This may, for example, be due to the length of the article , the quality or size of pictures or just a lack of space.

On these pages we hope to improve this situation by posting material our Bromleag editor was unable to include, much as she may have wished to, in our magazine. We also include some black and white magazine pictures which were originally in colour.

In the March and July 2000 issues of Bromleag, there was some discussion about a roadside café called Johnson's and its precise location.

In November 2021, Chris Pratt sent us a picture of his father, Earnest Henry Pratt (b. 19-04-1912) outside the café with his Morris 8 car around 1935. This seems conclusive that it was near Badgers Mount roundabout, on the then new Orpington by-pass (A224). It is thought to be on the site of what later became a garage, then a carwash and is now the location of Nesbit House Care Home. It is not clear if Badgers' Cafe and Johnson's were part of the same business but the patio arrangement suggests they were separate.

If anyone has more information, please let us know.

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Original plan of a carriage constructed for the new Bromley (SER) railway in 1878. It was 20 feet long and seated 32 people.
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Signal diagram of Grove Park station in 1896 prior to the widening of the line (to four tracks) showing the brancd to Bromley (SER).
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For more information, see article in the June 2021 issue of Bromleag.

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This is a picture of Bromley Home Guard during WWll kindly sent to us by Martin Cooper which includes his grandfather Leslie. We also know Kenneth Hopkins, third from left, second row (thank you to his daughter Jane). And we know it was led by Captain Bernard Finnie, later a mayor of Bromley, who is also in the second row, 17 from left with the natty moustache. See page 18 of the March 2021 Bromleag for more.

Can you put any more names to faces, if so please let us know? For a larger version of the picture, click on the image above or download it here.

Bamfords, bakers, of Widmore Road around 1903. Thy were not there very long but the shop remains, it is No. 29. Click on the photo for a larger picture. See page 14 of the March 2021 Bromleag for more.
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Another photo of the Bamford Bros. shop with a model of the very new town hall in Tweedy Road. One assumes it was edible. Click on the photo for a larger picture.
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Gadsden School Hayes in 1955

As mentioned on page 16 of the March 2021 Bromleag, David Hinton, a former pupil at Gadsden School in Hayes, has this picture of his class and teacher Mr. West in 1955.

He would like to hear from anyone who has memories of the school, especially if they are in the photograph. David is in the front row, extreme right, not looking at the camera.

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