Pete
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Posts: 124
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Post by Pete on Nov 25, 2008 18:00:35 GMT 1
Hi.
Does anyone remember Cooter & Green, the JET petrol filling station on Upper Elmers End Road back in 1966-67?
I used to serve petrol there, one particular memory is serving Alan Clarke of The Hollies in his Rolls Royce; frustratingly, at the time not grasping who it was until my mate put me straight after he'd gone!
Anyway, he left me a handsome tip of 1/6d and I kept the empty can for ages - OK, years!
;D
I've lived away from the area for many years, so does anyone know when it ceased to be called Cooter & Green? Last time I passed by it was a car sales place.
Also, just up the road there used to be Fiveash's motorcycle MOT place, though I suspect that is long gone.
Thanks,
Pete
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Post by The Historian on Nov 25, 2008 21:36:33 GMT 1
Pete,
I seem to remember Cooter and Green being near Eden Park end of Upper Elmers End Rd. I dont know when it changed hands.
Fiveash was still around in the 80s and now is a Cafe. His wife ran the Eden Dress Agency a few doors away and is now a bridal shop.
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Nov 25, 2008 23:40:06 GMT 1
Yes, that's right, Cooter & Green's place was more Eden Park than Elmers End, just before Village Way. I'd forgotten about the dress shop next door to Fiveash, and yes, it was run by his wife.... funny how one thing leads to another!  Hmmm.. on reading your reply I now see you mention it as a Dress 'Agency'; maybe my memory is playing tricks, or perhaps they are two of the same? Not to worry, it's Cooter & Green that was my main point. |
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Post by The Historian on Nov 26, 2008 8:08:23 GMT 1
Pete,
The shop was called The Eden Dress Agency.
I think they had a daughter who went to Langley School.
The owner or manager of Cooter and Green lived next door to the garage. The garage today is part of The Masters Group and sell mainly Mitsubishi cars and 4 wheel drives.
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gus
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Post by gus on Sept 29, 2014 23:43:01 GMT 1
Pete, I seem to remember Cooter and Green being near Eden Park end of Upper Elmers End Rd. I dont know when it changed hands. Fiveash was still around in the 80s and now is a Cafe. His wife ran the Eden Dress Agency a few doors away and is now a bridal shop. Wasn't Fiveash taken over by Frank Dunstall as I know he had the bike shop on Elmers End Green parade but seem to remember he also had another bike shop towards the end of the Eden Park row of shops? |
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Post by caskmaster on Mar 5, 2015 14:13:06 GMT 1
Remember it well, used to live next door at 491 Upper Elmers End Road, when my family used to run it.
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Post by franhigg on May 1, 2015 18:01:14 GMT 1
Pete - if you were on the C&G pumps in 66-67, then you may remember my mother, who was the secretary there for nearly twenty years from about 1957. I did a spell on the pumps myself in, I think, 1973.
The business was run by Tom Cooter and his son Ray; there was at one time a Mr Green (before WW2, I think), but only for a year or two. Ray lived next door for some time, and ran the car sales side (Austin, Jowett, Peugeot), while his father was more involved with the servicing and engineering. When my mother first started, Mrs Izzard was the book-keeper, later to be replaced by Mr Pulley, who also often worked the pumps. The foreman was Freddie Turk, Jimmy ?Carter worked in the grease-bay, and Sid Rylance was the odd-job man and driver.
When my mother joined, it was an Esso petrol station - Extra, Mixture and Golden, all priced at about 4/2 to 4/6 per gallon. My mother used to bring the monthly petrol accounts home to type, and as a child I spent many happy hours by her side with a ready-reckoner, helping her to calculate the bills!
They stopped selling petrol because the tanks needed replacing and they were under the workshop, so that side of the business would have had to close down for about two months while the work was carried out; so they decided to abandon petrol sales to concentrate on selling cars. Tom Cooter had to retire due to ill-health, and his sone ran the business for a time, but eventually it was taken over by Masters - the garage down by the Rising Sun, which I still think of as Stonehams, because it used to be run by Ron Stoneham, who I think also had a betting shop and cafe.
Happy memories!
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gerry
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Post by gerry on May 11, 2015 9:43:50 GMT 1
I remember Cooters very well. My Grandad was quite pally with Tommy Cooter. My grandparents lived at 340 Upper Elmers End Road and my great grandparents at 282. Thanks for reminding me about Mrs. Fiveash - I went to the Grammar School with her daughter ...Jackie? I remember Ron Stoneham as well, got a feeling he was in the Chamber of Commerce the time my Dad was President. I expect we know each franhigg or know someone who knows someone.....etc!
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Post by franhigg on May 11, 2015 18:57:46 GMT 1
Gerry - Almost certainly my mother would have known your father! Tom Cooter was very active in the Chamber of Commerce - I think he was President one year - and also in the local Masonic Lodge. He therefore had many functions to attend, but Mrs Cooter, for medical reasons, was never able to go with him. So for many years my mother (a widow) would accompany him, and so many of his friends and acquaintances also became hers too.
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gerry
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Post by gerry on May 12, 2015 19:02:55 GMT 1
Of course - my Grandfather was a Mason - and I do recall Mrs. Cooter wasn't able to take an active part in these things, so I'm sure we have a connection somewhere! I'm the third generation - depending on your age, we may know each other or you may know some of the generation up from me. My grandparents had three children, my Mum (sadly no longer with us) another daughter and a son.
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Oct 4, 2015 16:51:44 GMT 1
Wow! thanks for all the new replies to my Cooter & Green thread! Sorry for not responding sooner but work has kept me away for a while.... I'll try and add a few bits below. Historian:Yes, I have the Eden Dress Agency in place now, thanks. Gus:I remember Frank Dunstall's, but not in Eden Park - I thought his place was in Catford? I could easily be wrong there of course, but I do know he was responsible for the famed Dunstall Dominator, a souped-up Norton Dominator of course. Such a long time ago... good days!  Caskmaster:That's interesting, were you related to Ray Cooter then? I remember Ray very well, even though I was very young at the time - 16 I think. He was a nice chap, as was his father. I vaguely remember his wife, but not her name. Franhigg:Thanks for all the additional info, there's a lot in there I didn't know. I seem to recall a lady there, but only vaguely - may I ask your mother's name? I remember Mr Pulley, but not Mrs Izzard. I remember old Sid, who used to clear up I think, and sometimes drive the van. Then there was Big Stan and Little Stan, they were mechanics (father and son of course), and Sheila who used to go out for the spare parts... I think that was the same van (an old green Austin pickup) and I recall it being my sole ambition to drive that! Never mind!  I began there working on the pumps, but after a while I did the tyre repairs and de-waxing of the new cars as they came in. I remember quite clearly the delivery of the first new DAFs - you may not remember those but they were automatic (of sorts!) with one forward and one reverse gear, and sounded not unlike a lawnmower with a silencer! For some reason it seemed to be very old ladies who bought them, and I can remember Ray's father (Tom?) taking great delight in showing them how to get to grips with them - sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Good memories, how I would like to be back there now...  Gerry:Sadly I don't recall the Fiveash's daughter, although I feel I should.... I used to take my motorbikes there for MOT, as did my Dad, but I just can't remember her. I recall the name Stoneham now, although it had left my memory long ago... I never actually knew him, although I imagine I will have been in the Cafe at some point. I do hope you managed to establish your acquaintance with Franhigg! Thanks again for the posts, it's been great catching up on all this and sorry again for taking so long to reply. I'll keep a close eye on this from now on, like I always used to. |
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Post by caskmaster on Oct 5, 2015 12:12:10 GMT 1
My Dad is Raymond Cooter & Mum is Jean Cooter, both now living in West Sussex. Mum also ran the florist shop at 438 Upper Elmers End Road, which is now a vets. I also attended Eden Park Primary School which has sadly been demolished and replaced with a small housing mews. Anyone remember the pre-fabs in Eden Park Avenue? had a few friends that lived in them. Noticed the other day that "The Rising Sun" has been demolished. Another local community pub lost.
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Pete
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Posts: 124
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Post by Pete on Oct 8, 2015 12:04:54 GMT 1
My Dad is Raymond Cooter & Mum is Jean Cooter, both now living in West Sussex. Mum also ran the florist shop at 438 Upper Elmers End Road, which is now a vets. I also attended Eden Park Primary School which has sadly been demolished and replaced with a small housing mews. Anyone remember the pre-fabs in Eden Park Avenue? had a few friends that lived in them. Noticed the other day that "The Rising Sun" has been demolished. Another local community pub lost. Hi Caskmaster - great to hear from you - does this mean you are Christopher? If so, I think remember you - am I right in saying you were only just born in 1966? I seem to recall your Mum crossing the forecourt with a baby in her arms - I had forgotten her name, but with you mentioning Jean it rings a bell. It's great to hear they are both well - I doubt they will remember me but I loved working there and always drive by when I visit the area. I liked your Dad, but then I think everyone did. He treated us 'young ones' (as we were then, age 16!) well, unlike most adults at the time. Having said that, he was actually still very young himself!!! We respected our elders in those days, I have no idea where everything went wrong.... Anyway, it's good to see you respond to this, thanks! Pete EDIT: Have you spotted the photo of the garage (posted by Gus) on the Petrol Stations, Now Closed topic on the Questions and Answers page? |
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Post by The Historian on Oct 9, 2015 18:10:45 GMT 1
My Dad is Raymond Cooter & Mum is Jean Cooter, both now living in West Sussex. Mum also ran the florist shop at 438 Upper Elmers End Road, which is now a vets. I also attended Eden Park Primary School which has sadly been demolished and replaced with a small housing mews. Anyone remember the pre-fabs in Eden Park Avenue? had a few friends that lived in them. Noticed the other day that "The Rising Sun" has been demolished. Another local community pub lost. Hi Caskmaster - great to hear from you - does this mean you are Christopher? If so, I think remember you - am I right in saying you were only just born in 1966? I seem to recall your Mum crossing the forecourt with a baby in her arms - I had forgotten her name, but with you mentioning Jean it rings a bell. It's great to hear they are both well - I doubt they will remember me but I loved working there and always drive by when I visit the area. I liked your Dad, but then I think everyone did. He treated us 'young ones' (as we were then, age 16!) well, unlike most adults at the time. Having said that, he was actually still very young himself!!! We respected our elders in those days, I have no idea where everything went wrong.... Anyway, it's good to see you respond to this, thanks! Pete EDIT: Have you spotted the photo of the garage (posted by Gus) on the Petrol Stations, Now Closed topic on the Questions and Answers page? I remember the prefabs well. Had a few friends who lived in them. There is some photos on this site in the Eden Park album that would interest you also The Rising Sun one. Go to the main site and follow instructions, if you have any photos to share that would be great. I can upload them to the site. www.beckenhamhistory.co.uk |
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Pete
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Post by Pete on Mar 6, 2016 21:56:08 GMT 1
I'll have to think about photos Historian, I must have something in my collection!
I'll get back to you on this.
Pete
UPDATE (13th May) - I haven't forgotten about the pics, I just haven't had the time of late.
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