Orpington Booklet for DVD.Pub

We gratefully thank the following for their help and support in this project. Bromley Archives British Film Institute Odeon Cinema The family of Spencer-May Bromley Museum Holy Innocents Roman Catholic Church Kent Advertiser Orpington Rugby Club Boots the Chemist Wheeler systems Ltd Ideal Homes Ref: Dorothy Cox, The Book of Orpington Sponsorships: Bromley Arts Council Awards for All, lottery grant. Kindly arranged through the Bromley Borough Local History Society. And to the many others who have been interested in this project and kind enough to help. In association with Films from the archives of Bromley Local Studies Every effort has been made to locate the copyright holders of the original material, and permissions to use it obtained wherever possible. Copying or use of the material included in this DVD is not permitted without the authorisation of Footprint Productions. LOCAL HISTORY MAY CARNIVAL QUEEN A VISIT MADE TO CROWNING LOCAL FACTORIES FOOTPRINT PRODUCTIONS Producer and star of “Chance of is a small group of film- a Lifetime” Bernard Miles and makers based in West his wife Josephine Wilson, Wickham, Kent, who have visited local factories on 26th worked closely with June to talk about his film which Bromley Local Studies to was showing at that time at the Commodore cinema. create videos of old cine films dating back to the late Bromley Archives are situated in Beginning their tour at Klingers 20s, held in their archives. Bromley Central Library factory, Sidcup by-pass, they walked round the canteen and We believe that old films recording The London Borough of chatted to the workers. local events are an important part Bromley was created in 1965 They also visited Electro of our national heritage and a out of the former Beckenham Lana Morris Dynamic Company Works at valuable resource for historians. and Bromley Boroughs, Orping- St.Mary Cray, where the factory They are also of great interest to ton and Penge Urban Districts, In May 1950, Miss Madeline gardener presented to the general public but, as film, and part of Chislehurst U.D.C. England of Chelsfield was Miss Wilson, a bouquet of roses viewing was virtually impossible. crowned as the Fifteens’ Asso- picked that morning. At the same time Bromley ciation Carnival Queen. There Now, however, the films have transferred from Kent to Later, 300 or so employees was prolonged applause as Lana been digitally transferred, re- become part of Greater London. gathered for the opening of the Morris placed the glittering searched, and are being made into new canteen at Farnborough crown on Madeline’s Head. DVDs, to help Bromley Local Stud- Penge had been in Surrey engineering works, where Miss After the crowning Miss Morris ies make them available for public before 1889 and in the County Wilson cut a white ribbon and was presented with a bouquet viewing. of London until 1900. Bernard Miles claimed to be the of carnations by Mr.Frank first person to eat there by beg- This, the first of the series, covers Before Beckenham [in 1935] Davies, manager of the ging a sandwich from one of the Orpington from the late 20s, and and Bromley [in 1903] gained Commodore Cinema. works people. includes new material showing their Borough status they were Born on March 11, 1930, in some of the places in the old film Urban District Councils in their Bernard James Miles, an English Ruislip, Lana Morris was a popu- as they are today, along with a own right. In 1934 there was a character actor, writer and lar film, stage and television commentary covering the many series of changes when director, entered the theatre in actress during the 50s and 60s. events depicted. Orpington Urban District was the 1930s, and was made a formed from the major part of As her roles in films became CBE in 1953. We hope you enjoy the fruits of Bromley Rural District and the less she became a TV panellist. our labours and trust you will find former Chislehurst Urban In 1969 he was knighted and in the events of yesteryear as fasci- District was amalgamated She died suddenly in Windsor, 1979 was granted a life peerage nating as we do. with Sidcup. at the age of 68 and was sur- as Baron Miles, of Blackfriars vived by her son. in the City of London. Page 2 Page 35 1950 COMMODORE CINEMA ORPINGTON HISTORY (IN BRIEF) 15’S ASSOCIATION If you dear Sir, will deign to From this time developers began The Fifteens Association was pass a day, in the fair vale of to take an interest in Orpington founded during World War II and Orpington and Cray… as a potential new suburb, named after the Warden 15 Post. several buying land along the The Association was a local Rev. Francis Fawkes, Vicar of east side of the railway line and group who organised the annual Orpington 1774-1777. starting to build before the First Orpington Carnival and May World War. (The population in Queen Festival. The first record of the name 1911 being around 5,000, rose Orpington occurs in 1032, when to 49,500 by 1939.) The Palace Cinema originally King Cnut’s treasurer gave land opened as a roller skating rink. at ‘Orpedingetune’ to the Monas- Development continued through- In 1911 a cinema replaced the tery of Christ Church at Canter- out the interwar years on both Commodore Cinema rink when Albert Spencer-May bury. The parish church also pre- sides of the High Street. The Orpington High Street (landlord of the Old White Hart) dates the Domesday Book. High Street itself changed from a opened the Picture Palace on village street to a suburban Over two hundred years ago the premises. Refurbished in shopping centre complete with Orpington was almost entirely its own cinemas. 1951 it was renamed the self-supporting, producing its own Carlton. Finally closing in The Commodore Cinema was fuel and lighting. In the early 1959, it became a garage but built in 1933 by the local 1800s Orpington was described was soon replaced by shops Spencer-May family . It was as a picturesque little village with adjoining Carlton Parade. intended to be a more modern quaint old houses, but in 1868 alternative to their Picture Palace the South Eastern Railway arrived at the other end of the High linking Orpington to central Street. It was designed by archi- London and Sevenoaks and life tects Leslie H. Kemp and began to change. F. E. Tasker. The Walnuts c 1900 Further expansion of the In the 1960s the Commodore was railway led to much housing sold to the Shipman and King development. In 1904 the Some pre Victorian buildings chain and later passing to EMI, it station was rebuilt and enlarged, survived in the High Street into closed in May 1982 , the intention allowing the train service to be the 1970's but many of these being to convert it to a bingo hall, improved considerably. were swept away by the the fate of many of its contempo- Walnuts development, to the raries. This never happened; in- east of the High Street, which stead it was demolished and re- consisted of shops, offices, a placed by a branch of McDonald's. large college of further educa- tion and a new police station. Palace Cinema—Orpington Page 34 Page 3 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ORPINGTON After many years of breeding ORPINGTON CENTRAL SCHOOL poultry, Mr. William Cook produced the Buff Orpington hen making Orpington famous CORONATION TREES throughout the world, and in 1897 produced the Diamond PLANTED Jubilee Orpington Hen which To commemorate the Coronation trees in the district, including was presented to Queen Victoria. of King George V1 and Queen those along the highways. Landing of Standard Imperial Airways—1930 Elizabeth, nine English grown The Orpington Car, made by The captains of the boys and trees were planted in the playing Frank Smith and Jack Milroy, fields of the Orpington Central girls on behalf of the staff and was shown at the 1920 Motor Flying has had some important School. (Now a housing estate) scholars, handed Mr.Mansfield Show. It was a two-seater con- connections with the area. a framed photograph (an aerial vertible, with a dickey seat, and They were gifts from Mr.William view) of the school and the a 10 horsepower (7 kW) engine. Amy Johnson made a force land- Mansfield (Chairman of the trowel he used which had been Although briefly successful, ing in 1936. Orpington Group of School made in the metal room of the Smith and Milroy could not Managers) Mr.E.H.Joynson and school. compete with mass production Land speed record holder, Sir Mr.E.Thompkins of Chelsfield, and the last car was built in Malcolm Campbell, practiced fly- school managers. Cheers were given for the man- 1925. Unfortunately, there are ing from the fields at Broom Hill. agers, and later the school choir no surviving examples. The majority of the trees were sang songs, including George A Standard Imperial Airways planted on the eastern side of the Dysons’ Thanksgiving. plane was forced down near school. Goddington Park in 1930. Beautiful sunshine prevailed while In World War 2, the town the trees were bring planted. And suffered incendiary bomb Mr.Joynson planted the first tree, damage, as well as V1 and V2 a cedar. Mr. Mansfield said the attacks, because of its location The Orpington Car trees would commemorate the on the flight path to London and Until recent times the valley of Coronation of their Majesties and its nearness to Biggin Hill. Orpington was wet and water the growth and development of each tree which would be would flood the main street.

Load more