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 including
Woolwich & Districts
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The Goldstein Family
My
family were 3 generations in Plumstead where my
Grandfather set up shop in Lakedale road.
The family business was glaziers and builders
merchants. My dad was one of 11 children. We were
Jewish and great grandfather came from Russia due
to the pogroms and was nationalised British in
1901.
I am 81 born 1940 the year my grandfather, David,
died whom I’m named after I grew up in dads
Paints and wallpaper shop at 102b plumstead high
street.
We lived over the shop with brother Martyn 9 years
younger sharing a bedroom intercommunicating with
our parents bedroom. In the early days we didn’t
have a bathroom we had a galvanised bath which got
filled and we all had to use it when hot for
economy.
In the shop called the "Do-it Yourself Shop" we
sold these baths plus galvanised coal bunkers to
store coal no one had central heating back in the
40's. We even sold gas mantles for lighting as
some houses didn’t have electrics. The
tram stop was virtually outside my bedroom
window over our shop a noisy place to sleep.
Lakedale Road was the shopping road a short walk
away.
I had a very happy childhood and getting A penny
or two was a real treat you coukd buy a gib
stopper for half a pence.
I attended Conway Road primary
school (The
Headmaster at the time was Mr Bull) before
leaving at 11 years old for Bloomfield Road
secondary school and left age 17 no
qualifications but a job as office boy in
Hamptons estate agents St James, SW1.
Barclays Bank was opposite Lakedale Road
and the fire station. I joined that bank at 17
years and been with Barclays ever since. Our shop
was on other side of road close opposite the Red
lion pub next to cinema and adjoining the
Conservative club corner of Conway road.
I got married at 22 ie 1962 and bought my first
house a great 3 bed semi in Clay Hall, Ilford,
Essex for £7500. My elderly neighbour bought his
new for £1000.
I worked in london as a negotiator for estate
agents dealing in commercial properties on salary
plus commission.
I’m now 82 and consider myself “plumstead boy done
good” living in £3 m house in Regent’s Park.
London.
David Goldstein
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