hello all, just registered in order to join in this thread, I grew up in and around se26/23.
My world spanned Adamsrill road to Kirkdale for most of my life

@Emmasouthby if your step-father was Bruce Daniels his shop was in Catford by the railway over bridge; I remember him well, as I bought my first big bike from him, about 1966 and another a few years later; I still got the receipt for the trade-in somewhere.
In Dartmouth road the dealer was Harold Daniells he was the very famous TT rider and several times winner, I too remember the cartoons of him around the shop. He was a Norton agent primarily, and tuner of Manx Nortons.
Another big motorcycle dealer in the area was Streamline motorcycles in Lordship lane, opposite the pub.
John Surtees dad also had a motorbike shop further down Stanstead road.
I use to go to Scouts in a hall opposite the Telegraph pub.

A bit farther down Dartmouth road was a tailor where we school kids would get autographs from Freddie Mills the boxer, who was a customer.
Nearby a cycle shop which had wooden rims on show in the window.
Near that a school outfitters;
further down, David Greig, grocer, Mac Fisheries, Home and colonial, which I think was the source of the coffee smell.
Under the Dentist, about where the hairdresser is, was a pre tesco supermarket, or at least a self service store, Bass stores was its name.
The Veg stall round the corner I also knew, and WH Smith was in a wooden shack a relic of the war, I did my paper round [ 9 bob a week] from there.
Down the alley behind what's now the bookies the veg stall man kept his stall and discarded stuff, I used to scrounge wooden orange boxes from there, my Mum would make bedside cabinets for us kids from them. A good one would go for a soapbox cart, or trolley as we called them.
I'm sure I recall another stall there but can't remember it.

There were actually two Sainsburys side by side, one did dairy and meats, I can remember buying butter and cheese off the blocks in there; also suger in blue paper bags.
When it got turned into a charity shop,late 60's, a novel idea then, my brother bought his first motorbike from in there, a James, around £15, wetsuit and helmet thrown in.
The cinema I remember as ABC? not Capitol? our treat was Saturday morning pictures, the kids would queue right round the side. After I'd spend my penny bus fare on a doorstep of bread and dripping in the cafe next door which is now Home Accessories [all thanks to google street view this].
It was a badly bomb damaged building that I think had some kind of restaurant above?
Station back then was still tatty bomb scarred, a greasy spoon cafe inthe courtyard next to it; us hooligan kids could sometimes snaffle empty coke bottles from behind and take them back in for a deposit return.
The other side of the station was a huge railway goods yard, where in a hard snowy winter once I had to go to collect coal from there with my mum and help her push it up Dartmouth road to Kirkdale in my brothers push chair.
Loads of memories coming back, but hard to put a name to some places, I am just old enough to remember a ride in a tram up London road.
A pet shop on the corner of Waldram place had a monkey in a cage for an attraction, and at the other end that big yard was a council rubbish yard where the small dust carts they used then would tip their contents, smelt a bit ripe at times!
Devonshire road was a bit of a dive and one house at the begining was reputed to be a brothel, at least, the scary woman that lived there had a yen for young lads it was rumoured.

The old Bird in Hand pub used to have a hefty wooden post outside with a lot of deep grooves in it which I was told was a remnant of mooring ropes from the old canal.

My Mum lived in Stansted Road for many years till she died in 2007, I haven't been back since, I find it all much changed and a bit disappointing to be frank.
Best bit of my memories was Horniman Museum, where I spent so many happy hours but even thats changed now.