Wednesday 4 November 2009

No 31 Albury St . Mrs Gittins House


That's where she lived when we were growing up. My Nan lived next door. The porch carvings I believe are not the originals. In Fletcher's book "The London Nobody Knows" it shows different porch supports. The originals had cherub heads either side so I suppose these are replacement carvings. Steve who took the photo was aware of this also. I now know the owners of the property removed some of the porches in the late 60's for storage but some were misplaced from their yard. They then had to employed a master carver down the west country to re-carve the supports, but obviously placed these ones in the wrong place or the different design was somewhat cheaper without the carved cherub's. Any comment or info?



My thanks to Steve for permission to use his photo. He has some great photos regarding Fletcher's book. Follow this link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_way/3379105391/
 

5 comments:

shipwright's palace said...

story goes that having removed the brackets for safe kkeping they were then 'lost' by the GLC. when the buildings were auctioned off by Greenwich University, the new owners were invited to collect their brackets. Sufficient historical records exist to prove which brackets belonged where. As you say, they were dished out on a first come basis and who could deny that the cherubs, with their shipwrights and mariners tools and charts were not the most enticing. However when the rightful owners of the cherubs informed their neighbours of the historical inaccuracy and rashness of their choice they were rebuffed. the rightful owners at no. 27 then had a pair cast not carved, so the pair of cherubs at no. 27 are not carved in wood. Deptford's caucasian chalk circle........

Andy said...

I can imagine the hate in their eyes every time they went in and out their house thinking I want that it belongs here....boy I bet there was some real narking going on.

iridessa said...

Mrs Gittins was my Great Grandmother :)

Anonymous said...

Mrs Gittins was my grandmother

Deptford researcher said...

Mrs F A Gittins was also my Grandmother! would love to know who posted - Anonymous and iridessa because we must be related.Can remember the inside of 31 from when I was growing up too.