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Eccentric Forest Hill
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baggydave


Posts: 390
Joined: May 2004
Post: #1
03-04-2008 09:48 PM

Bernedict Le Vay (now there is an eccentric name) has written a book on eccentric London (Bradt publishing ?info@bradt-tavelguides.com). A whole section on Dulwich, but nowt on SE23 apart from Horniman museum. Even Penge gets a mention (Harriet Staunton murder in 1876 that resulted in a change of Street name from Forbes to Moslea Road). Peckham has the library. Sydenham has a certain Paxton creation from the mid 19th century.

So who/what is our favourite eccentric person or place in SE23? The guy who mailed himself? The folly on top of the hill. The gent who used to race huskies (on a wheeled sledge). Surely we can get ourselves properly into this book. A vote could follow if there is some collective imagination.

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Ghis


Posts: 321
Joined: Jan 2007
Post: #2
04-04-2008 08:15 AM

The Honor Oak Park 2-String-Guitar-Playing Troubadour

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nevermodern


Posts: 653
Joined: Feb 2007
Post: #3
04-04-2008 08:40 AM

I quite like the toilet that's now a home.

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dita-on-tees


Posts: 46
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #4
04-04-2008 11:49 AM

Yes Keith Richard's long lost brother is a genius and cheers my mornings when he plays outside the bus stop.

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baggydave


Posts: 390
Joined: May 2004
Post: #5
22-04-2008 09:17 PM

Can Steve Grindley remind us of who the gent was who posted himself. Perhaps that would inspire some imagination elsewhere

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #6
23-04-2008 09:19 AM

The Wrens steeple now in someone's back garden somewhere up near Round Hill. That surely deserves a mention. I've been in FH for 23 years and only learned about this last year. Does anyone know if you can visit this on selected Open House days, if not it might be an idea to suggest this to the owner- whoever they are. I would love to see it.

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pattrembath


Posts: 16
Joined: May 2005
Post: #7
23-04-2008 11:10 AM

St Antholin's Spire is available to all as it is in a square in front of houses off Round Hill - you will find a small Sydenham Society plaque on it - sorry it is actually in SE26 - but, please do visit.

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blushingsnail


Posts: 371
Joined: Dec 2005
Post: #8
23-04-2008 01:56 PM

Picture of the spire here.

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Perryman


Posts: 820
Joined: Dec 2006
Post: #9
24-04-2008 01:36 PM

W Reginald Bray (1879-1939), the man who posted himself.

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stevegrindlay


Posts: 104
Joined: Oct 2006
Post: #10
24-04-2008 08:55 PM

baggydave wrote:
Can Steve Grindlay remind us of who the gent was who posted himself. Perhaps that would inspire some imagination elsewhere


Perryman's right, he was W Reginald Bray. There is a website devoted to him here and I have written about him here


For a random selection of items on local history visit my blog at:
http://sydenhamforesthillhistory.blogspot.com/
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