“Fascinated by this house in Sydenham”

I’ve always been curious about this house on Perry Rise:

I doubt the story is that fascinating. The owner likes ivy. Trades in logs and firewood so stacks it up outside the house. Eccentric, sure. Fascinating? Nah.

I always wondered about it when I sat at those lights.

Used to own pigs too from recollection.

PS, isn’t that still technically Forest Hill, being SE23 and all.

even better from above https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.430763,-0.0384665,78a,35y,90h/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

I have to agree with Rachael…
Also call me old fashioned (and I am) but I’m not sure I’d like pics of my house (plus a satellite view) plastered over the local forum and being discussed like this. Two words spring to mind… nosey neighbours! Smacks of having a quiet day on the forum and nothing else to talk about…

Sad to confirm that the gentleman passed away in 2017.

Normally at this time of year the first of his blooms would be emerging and his flag would be flying.

Time marches on.

And thoughts to his family.

Aw, that’s sad.
I used to see the chap pottering about outside his mad-lookin house with bags of firewood and think to myself - ‘That man’s just sticking 2 fingers up to the rat race and doing things his own way without a care in the world; and he’ll probably live to 100.’
Shame.
I respected that man’s simple individuality.
He did it - his - waaaaaaaay
Fair play to ya!
R.I.P.

Had to do a little more digging - this time thank you Bing.

A sign of the colourful memories I have of this man’s work.

@anon30031319 - use Google’s historic imagery slider - you will see a well defined back garden and possibly pens in place in 2003. It is a very sizeable plot and according to Bing it is in SE23.

Oh dear, felt sure I had seen him earlier this year? In fact sure that quite recently the trailer had been restocked with logs. Perhaps the family are continuing the business? Believe he was a regular in the Prince of Wales.

I believe that is right - I had been advised of his passing by a neighbour - but it’s one of those occasions when it it would be really right to be wrong.

I am sad to hear of his passing - he gave a bit of colour and vibrancy to the area. I spoke to him about the wood once and asked if we could get some from him. To his credit he insisted that we had to have a proper wood burner installed and when I told him I didn’t have one he refused to sell me any!
To me there was something fascinating or mysterious about the place - I often sat at the lights wondering what it was like inside. Full of wood by the looks of it!

I loved his individuality as well - his house looked as mad a box of frogs. Good on him.

I’ve worried for years about the effect of the ivy on the structure of his house. Attractive, but potentially highly-damaging.

All depends on the type of mortar and the type of ivy.

English Heritage ran studies on the deleterious effects of ivy on rock, stone masonry and brickwork and in some combinations ivy actually offered protection to walls.

From my own experience some ivy can be extremely intrusive and work its way into the smallest of openings and then through growth, expand to cause major disruption