Old Kent Road (1970-1979)

Unissued / unused material.
Colour item.
Old Kent Road, London.
Travelling shots from vehicle driving down Old Kent Road showing school, road systems, wasteland, shops, blocks of flats, pubs, bus stops and advertising hoardings. Various shots graffiti on front of shop reading "Millwall".
FILM ID:3348.11
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British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpathe.com/

[@patgard36]

lived in 33g deacon st se17 during the blitz remember watching the v1s above saw and heard a few come down think sometimes i preferred my london as it was then how it is now at least we we knew who our neighbours were, im a bloke nearer 8o years now and i despair at the state of this country now.

[@krisyung]

Yea mate the Africans took it over because a crafty Pastor turned the empty industrial units into churches and they live in them too and he collects their benefits and drives around in a rolls royce preaching the gospel ? The authorities were after him but nothing would stick as he said was doing the Lords work feeding and clothing his flock lol...

[@adanis0197]

So do most of us mate.

[@rogerdoger3347]

People really have issues with black people in the UK.

[@daveberry2177]

my wife lived in larcom street

[@Mr121john]

Lovely old memories of london long gone. Thomas a beckett old london pub off the old kent road many true boxers trained there and many publicans and locals drank there god bless them all characters and faces true south london never forgotten.

[@toffeemanlondon9905]

Thanks for uploading, I drive down this road every day, it's changed a lot

[@krisyung]

yea you nearly hit me

[@jacamo1993]

I live on kinglake Street. absolutely amazing bear In mind I pass this every single day.

[@dfddwm]

Very interesting round the Bricklayers Arms.

[@user-oh4cw6rj9x]

Breaks your heart to see it now. I wonder how many could recite the National Anthem. Remember change is good.......... apparently

[@jaspal201]

Red indians share your sentiment

[@Butlins14]

At least we're not speaking German 😬😬😬😬😬

[@Take_Me_Back_To_The_1980s]

@@jaspal201 Yes they get to live in the most liberal country in the world with the highest household wealth. How awful

[@jamesmurray2345]

​@@Butlins14Rather that

[@Steven_Rowe]

Some infamy old the Old Kent Road, there was a rope manufacturer there called John Edgington, of the rope he made was for thexhome office and export He made hangmans rope.

[@Modmart]

I would date this as Autumn 1971/72 as they pass a poster for a Joan Collins double bill for QUEST FOR LOVE and REVENGE both from 1971. I reckon a double bill re-release the following year making it likely 1972 the latest. I came from this area and it all looks pretty much as I remember back as a kid then. Still see it regular visiting my Mother In Law who is still down there but it is sadly not the same any more.

[@krisyung]

how is she these days ?

[@michaelkenny8540]

The billboard at 0:44 has a poster for 'Say Yes To Europe'. That is the 1975 referendum

[@dfddwm]

So you'll remember the four main schools in the area, Paragon (mine), Walworth, Bacons, Tower Bridge, plus the two girls schools in New Kent Road St Olaves and Trinity.

[@malcolmking7886]

I used to work in a second hand shop in Albany Road in the late sixties, and occasionally saw Henry Cooper arrive in his Rolls Royce for training at the Thomas a'Becket.

[@MichaelTicli]

Hi-im very interested in London 60's and 70's and have heard of the Thomas A'Beckett but dont know what it is was? Could you shed any light? Thanks Mike

[@adanis0197]

Jan 2023 I'm working there now thought I'd take a look to see what it was like and my god how worse it has got now, an absolute depressing dump covered in garbage and graffiti.

[@ladyout2crush735]

Whoever the powers that be are they have purposely let south London be destroyed for whatever reason.

[@virgil7100]

The whole area is much, erm, darker now compared to when I was born in '52 Fortunately I did a runner in '87.

[@Channel567-7]

It's a super area now, I'm in Bermondsey and love the place.

[@footballsoccerx2021]

Poor you! So insecure of yourself that have to be surrounded by err milky bar kids just to feel like you're somebody. Glad you did your runner. The area doesn't need people with your attitude in it

[@jaspal201]

I love it now. Its full of life and vibrancy. Gone are the old farts and paedos once native to the area 😊

[@belkentens]

@@jaspal201 Absolutely It’s much more stabby now as well!!

[@belkentens]

@@Channel567-7 ‘I wanna live like common people’

[@user-fn1kc5sj2z]

I went to school at start of this film near flyover Searles rd paragon sec school 67 till 72 great area

[@dfddwm]

The flyover/roundabout was completed by the GLC about 1971, so this looks to me as it is still fresh, filmed about 1974

[@michaelkenny8540]

The billboard at 0:44 has a poster for 'Say Yes To Europe'. That is the 1975 referendum.

[@dfddwm]

@@michaelkenny8540 Well spotted. I went to school round there, Paragon, and sometimes we sat on the landscaped "island" at the Brick's roundabout and had lunch. The GLC did some major road improvements at the time which haven't been replicated since. In fact, the roads in London have got worse and the so called improvements have spoult everybody's journeys.

[@squekeypip]

i was born and lived in leroy street se1 which you see just afer the roundabout on the film etc // we all had to leave because of the fly over in 1965 etc many moons ago

[@krisyung]

leeroy street still there

[@juliesmith5567]

What a sight over that bridge it is nice and big place

[@tonelemoan]

1:44 renamed the Old Kent Road Gin Palace, had a late license in the 80s. Spent my 18th birthday in here getting completely wasted. These are the memories that matter 🍺🍺🍺

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

The Kentish Dovers, Samson's, the Oasis night club, etc. Spent most of my nights out in the 1980's down the Old Kent Rd. Unfortunately all gone now.

[@Isleofskye]

@@trytellingthetruth.2068 Frog and Nightgown, Lord Wellington (later "The Henry Cooper) Thomas A Beckett, Green Man, Duncow, Apples and Pears and saw Groups or Comedians in most of them.. I moved just 11 miles to Bexley mate, in 1983 so 40 years ago. Did you move out and, if so, where to, please?

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

@@Isleofskye I moved to Blackfen in 91, and I've been slowly moving further out into Kent since then. I now live in a small olde worlde village, it's absolutely beautiful around here. I remember all those pubs you mention, used to love going down the old Kent road but it's not the same anymore. Drove down there a couple of years back and couldn't believe how much it's changed. All the best for Christmas and the New Year to you and yours.

[@Isleofskye]

@@trytellingthetruth.2068 Thanks,My Friend. live on the cheap side , around 80 yards from Danson Park to the same house that I bought in 1983 and love it. Was in the Park @8am this morning with my 3 dogs and I often take 5 all tunning around. Blackfen is slowly changing as Turkish, Chinese(in particular) Indian Communities have evolved, and some Nigerians.Welling, ethnically,is unrecognisable from when I moved but after the park I went to Tescos and Lidl in Welling and they are 2 different worlds as Tesco is 90% White indigenous customers still and Lidl isn't. lol My problem will always be living over East Lane Market with OKR at one end and Walworth Road at the other and I even find The Suburbs really quiet. When I leave my road on Monday morning,I will be lucky to see one person out of around 200 houses in the 4 roads combined,where I live. lol All the best to you and yours,as well,mate:)

[@trytellingthetruth.2068]

@@Isleofskye I don't know if you've ever thought about moving, if you do at some point try and move out to the sticks, it's like stepping back in time. Where I live the demographic is 99.7% indigenous, I'm surrounded by fields with plenty of open space with woods to walk for dogs. I have been down this way for more than 26 years, and don't always appreciate where I live, but driving through Sidcup, which I did last year, it made me realise how much, as you've already mentioned, the area has changed for the worse, and how lucky I am to live in a place were the only time I get stuck in traffic is when I'm behind a farmers tractor. There's always a place down here for people like you my friend.

[@Geffo555]

You can see a bit of the Grand Surrey Canal at 03:34. I can remember watching swans go along there when I was a teenager. They must have been well peeved when it was filled in.

[@conradd1134]

I lived on Ethnard rd 1976 🇬🇧

[@net4216]

Can find any footage of new cross before 1980

[@tobsmonster2]

3:38 St James's Rd!

[@norman9792]

Done my early drinking in the Castle. owned by Gerry, hope he's still with us, but probably not.

[@emmanueladeyosoye3607]

Great up load was trying to get my bearings but where tesacobis now was barren land

[@michaelkenny8540]

The billboard at 0:44 has a poster for 'Say Yes To Europe'. That is the 1975 referendum.

[@user-jt7gq3yy7p]

It's a dirty depressing road now, it needs updating and if possible brightling up a lot.

[@miaahern3566]

Grew up down East Street

[@alannorthdevonuk763]

I worked on Roat's stall in East St for 4 years while at school. Roats had a shop and stall selling women's and children's clothes. Great memories.

[@nevittwoods1730]

is a place there called Rodney terrace

[@alannorthdevonuk763]

Close by, was.

[@krisyung]

@@alannorthdevonuk763 no Dave uncle albert said

[@norman9792]

Off Rodney rd towards the Heygate estate.

[@krisyung]

Lived there for a while and all the pubs gone except the Thomas Abecket opposite a big tescos and car park and over the road a big park thats not too bad in the day time but the traffic jams phew the transit and lorry motor sales still there too and liked the blocks of brick built flats but high rise horrible and a lot of Africans moved in to Mandella house and up Peckam Rye all African shops now but the Nags Head still going cushty luvly jubley and all millionaires now but no Billionaires lol...😄.

[@13strange67]

'orrible place

[@krisyung]

pollution yuk crime yuk drugs yuk unemployment yuk yuk yuk yukky

[@norman9792]

A happy place to live in the 70's.

[@grandpahickory613]

I went down a road in america......A lonely widower with a cane was walking along.......His tears ran down, and he was bent with age.....I treated him to tea, and we talked awhile.....I soon realized he was so much like me......I looked again, and realized it was... me !

[@jaspal201]

Did he happen to be a true native, a true patriot or the children of European immigrants?

[@grandpahickory613]

@@jaspal201 all of the above sir !

[@SE16Proud]

Best night on the Old Ken Rd when Millwall got promoted to Div 1....ffs every boozer in area drank dry few Millwall players in boozer The Dun Cow pissed up bodies everywhere 🦁🦁🦁