Doug White of Perry Vale, Forest Hill, has been researching the businesses occupying his road in times gone by. Here he shares with us what he has found ...

The first list shows the businesses on the now even-numbered (station) side of Perry Vale in the years of 1909, 1925 and 1935. It appears that the area containing shops 2-14 in that parade (which now has a fried fish shop at one end and a curtain shop at the other) was originally called "The Pavement". The seven shops were built in 1875 and were let on a 99-year lease with the proviso that they could not be used as a tavern, public house or beer house and that no noisy or dangerous trade be carried out.

The second list covers the opposite side, now with odd numbers, up to Church Vale and covers the years 1884, 1894, 1909 and 1935. Before 1909 what is now Westbourne Terrace (from Westbourne Café to the hairdressers) did not exist, it was just an empty space.

Perhaps the longest established business in Perry Vale was that of Alfred Fitch, a saddle maker who occupied number 1b in 1884. In 1929 he moved to number 8 on the opposite side of the road. By this time his son Claud had joined the business and it was now called Fitch and Son. In 1950 Claud retired and the shop was taken over by Mercury Television.

James Agate, a jeweller and watchmaker, had a business at number 28 next to Gasson Lewis, a timber merchant. He later moved to number 10. When he died in 1972 that shop was also taken over by Mercury Television. Gasson Lewis's Timber Yard which was between Agate's and the station also existed until quite recently.

The other long established business was that of T. Smellie. A "Fancy Repository". He had taken over from Edwin Adams in 1884. The business continued to run under the name of Smellie until about 1960 but was then listed as a newsagent and stationer.

It is interesting to note that on one side alone in that short stretch up to Church Vale there were two tailors, two bootmakers, two tobacconists, five pubs and a brewery.