History of Eurotraveller Hotel building, Old Kent Road

Hi, can anyone help me with my quest i am trying to find out what the Euro traveller building was, down The old Kent road.
I have found out it was at one time South London Pistons
but would like to know what it started life as?
Quite a nice looking building looks like a department store.

Thanks WIZ

Possibly the old dhss building...income support was nearby I think.

Hi WIZ,
At one time I'm pretty sure they were Council offices. I vaguely remember going there with my dad just before we moved from Danson Road, (1957,) to the little street full of prefabs that was then called Minnow Street. (Now Minnow Walk.) The very end office was where we went upstairs to either pay the rent in advance on our new accommodation, or tie up the tenancy. One of the two. Where the building ends and then dog-legs, (going New Cross direction,) used to be Dolcis shoe shop back then. (Do you remember that, Jan?)
I don't know whether or not that entire building was Council, but I'm sure the local authority would have records going back that far and could probably help.

Hi, thanks Jan and Chalkey for your replies, seems like the building has connections to the council!
I will try to find out more via the local authority, if i find out anymore i will post the information on here ,thanks again for your help.
WIZ

Was that the block once known as "Pillar House"? That was the home of the road lobby apologists of British Road Federation for most of the 80s and 90s.

They were my arch-enemies in my long-lost days as an eco-warrior.

Am in derby at the moment, was that 202 old kent road Lang Rabbie?

According to Google, the old postal address for the BRF was Pillar House, 194-202 Old Kent Road

Just found a letter to my brother in law ( now deceased) about claiming sickness benefit..in 1954.
202 Old Kent Road, was the Ministry of National Insurance, also on the letter was the instructions that he must remain at his home address! and of course not take any work for more than 20 shillings a week, unless it was carried out in a hospital rehab type of environment...original back to work scheme I suppose..

Hi Jan , that,s interesting it seems that building has had connections to government offices, going back quite a long time now. Just out of interest,
when people were unemployed in the 1950s was it called the National assistance Board, where they went for help? i think it has had a few names over the years.
Wiz

Hi Wiz,

The letter for Bill stated the name as Ministry of National Insurance. The pre-cursor to a benefits office in Tabard street near st.george the martyr was known as the United Assistance Board, that would have been very early 50's, my Mum lived in fear of the U.A.B finding out she had a cleaning job that paid about one shilling an hour, two hours a week. It may have been renamed at some stage, but uab was the common name by which it was known by to us.

My father had a girder fall on his head during the war and was not able to work so Mum was on the uab and bring up 4 children on the real pittance which was provided by the state impossible unless you ducked and dived! live was really really hard for people after the war.. I should try and sort out all the postings and put them in a book!..