William Tjaden Senior Executive at the Treasury, Taxonomist, Gardener, Writer and DIY enthusiast.
The Lewisham Train Disaster
Wednesday 4th December , 1957.
Foggy most of day.
Evening. Leave office at 6.20 because expect a fog service. Board train on platform 1 at Charing X. Leaves at 6.30 ( concourse crowded). Take 1 ½ hours to London Bridge. Then hear of bad accident at the flyover at St John’s. No more trains. So tube to Elephant—walk to Bricklayer’s Arms (8.30). Stay in B.L. for a bite and a drink till 9.10, then luckily catch bus which crawls steadily to Eltham Church ( ar. 10). Walk home in fog from there (ar.11). Madge gets to Catford & walks from there in the fog.
Over 90 killed in the accident (steam train hits stationary Hayes train & knocks bridge down).
Thursday 5th December
Evening. Home about 7—trains both ways tolerable in view of the accident.
Christmas Celebrations, 1957.
Wednesday 18th December.
Lunch hour. Buy few toys at Hamley’s, then “ Eugene Onegin” at the EMG shop (£6.6.0 odd ! 3 records & libretto).
Evening. Treasury Cocktail Party (what a waste of money & time. I keep very sober)…trains still very poor.
Thursday 19th December.
Lunch hour. Visit Selfridges aimlessly with Don…
Sunday 22nd December.
…Cycle to Jack & Annes’s (via Douglas & Joan’s) with Xmas presents. Of course watch some TV. Home again about 10…
Tuesday 24th December.
Privilege Day. Nice & mild.
Leave home usual time—train to Hailsham via Eastbourne. Arrive at Aunt Win’s about 10 to 12. Spend afternoon with her—go shopping in afternoon.. Leave at 5.45. Catch 6.45 at Eastbourne, but it’s ½ hour late, so get back home 9.30 pm. Mum is already installed comfortably for Xmas. Put up decorations.
Wednesday 25th December.
Another nice dry mild day.
Quiet Xmas with Mum & Winnie staying. First light Hurdapta for first time—also the paraffin convector heater. Jim H rings. Put up a few more decorations in front room. Spend rest of morning in the Waldor knocking out chrysanthemum stools and putting them together—interrupted by Ted & Janet, and later John & Shirley.
P.M. After excellent Christmas dinner, listen to wireless & Eugene Onegin on records. Tea also enjoyed because I didn’t eat too much dinner.
Evening. We all “ do” the Times Xmas Puzzle.
Thursday 26th December.
Nice day.
Up 8 ish. Tea for mum. After breakfast we see to greenhouses & bicycles. Mum & Win go home at 10.30 We leave for Woodford on our bikes at 11. Delayed for 10 minutes by my 3 speed control collapsing but get to Edna’s just after 12.30—with a bunch of Fred Shoesmith & Late Delight, which I arrange for while dinner is being served…
P.M. Sit in armchairs & are entertained by the children. Jean has very good memory & Mary good at joining in too. We cycle home successfully at 10.45 but don’t arrive until 12.30…A very nice day—glad we cycled.
Friday 27th December.
Have to go in ! Of course, no work at all is done. Chat to G.R.B. in morning. Shop at Liberty’s Sale, lunch time.. Buy Chester Davie suit for £22. 10 & some ties. So visit to town not entirely wasted. Leave office at 3.30. Arrive home at 4.30 and find Edna Marshall plus Leslie & Graham who we haven’t seen for 7 years. Nice kids. Don, Gertie & children arrive 5 pm. E. M & hers leave shortly after. Look at a few of Don’s children’s film strips with my projector. Play canasta after children go to bed, until 1 pm.
Saturday 28th December.
Gertie takes children shopping. Jack, Anne & boys arrive at 1. P. M. Another “ Xmas “ dinner—10 of us. Play with children in the front room—and show film strips again…
Tuesday 31st December.
Evening. Paint dustbins another coat. Bed as usual about 10.45—no heathen celebrations for us!
R. M. Healey
Notes:
William and Madge Tjaden lived at 85, Welling Way on the Falconwood Estate, southeast London, from around the late 1940s until Madge, who had married William in 1945, died in 1974.Both were keen gardeners, although William, who worked at HM Treasury in Whitehall, seems to have been obsessed with exhibiting prize chrysanthemums and gladioli at a number of flower shows in his local area and in London. Towards the mid fifties he became fascinated with succulents and cacti and following Madge’s death he met and subsequently married Elsie Early, another keen gardener with an interest in cacti. William died in 2006, aged 93 and Elsie followed him in 2010. The four volumes of diaries were discovered in 2017 and are now in a private collection.
At this time the Tjadens had no TV and no car. However, they did occasionally watch TV in the homes of their friends, made full use of lifts when plants needed to be carried to exhibitions, relied on public transport and were keen cyclists, thinking nothing of cycling long distances in the dark. They had no children of their own but seem to have enjoyed the company of children generally.