You are here:
Clapham
Clapham maps
Historic maps of Clapham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Clapham maps
Clapham area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Clapham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Clapham
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Clapham.
There are 10 shared memories to read.
Add your memory of Clapham
or of a photo of Clapham.
Benfield Street, Battersea 1950 - 1961
My earliest memories were of the surrounding streets, Barmore and Ingrave, York Road and especially the "Monkey Stairs", a set of steps off both York and Lombard Roads leading to flats on the first floor. We had tons of fun running up and down these steps, probably annoying the residents. There was the Bagwash shop, on the corner of Ingrave and Creek streets, and the old, dark Bric-a-brac shop on the other corner. I remember the Thames flooding in 1953 and the awful yellow fog that descended with alarming regularity during the autumn. There was always a game of "knock down ginger" - where you took turns knocking down a small wicket made of sticks and then had to re-build it before you were hit by the "catchers" ball. There was so much to do we had a hard time doing it all! As mentioned in previous memories, there wasn't a time I can remember when doors were locked, day or night, during these years... Read more
Happy Memories of Maritime House
Maritime House used to house the National Union of Seamen but I believe it is now occupied by the Railway Union. My grandfather Sir Thomas Yates was the General Secretary of the Seamen's Union until he retired around 1960. He had been a seaman himself for a number of years before becoming a Branch Secretary to the Union in a number of different locations and working his way up to become the General Secretary. He was knighted by the Queen some time in the mid 1950s for his service to both the Union and for his work as the Leader of the Trades Union Congress also.
My mother, my sister and myself worked in the offices there for some years and thoroughly enjoyed it and made many good friends there.
My father became the Caretaker there in 1948 and we as a family lived in an adjoining flat to the main building. We grew up and went to school in Clapham at Clapham Manor School, which used... Read more
Clapham Common Playground
I remember the playground - I went for a walk past it yesterday as it happens, although I felt it had changed. I remember the big slide (I thought I had just got bigger but no it was a huge one). My grandmother would take me there, she lived on the North Side at No 78 for 46 years, leaving to decamp to Croydon of all places in 1994. How I miss Clapham, oh what wonderful days.
Clapham Common Bandstand
Looking for some help really. My grand mother lived in Clapham for most of my life until 1994. I was born 1964 at 78 North Side, Clapham. I used to take the family dog for a walk every day 3 times a day on the common and I used to go with her most times and when I was older I would take the dog some times. I need help because sadly she died last year at 91 years and left me a lovely picture she bought I believe from Edwards on the rise - it's a snowy depiction of the bandstand done in Feb 1979 by Noel Ellis. I would like to know more about the artist Noel Ellis - was he or she local to Clapham? I am pretty sure my grandmother is in the picture as she would have been there. Thanks.
Larkhall Tavern
My brother used to live in Chelsham Rd. in Clapham, London, which runs from Gauden Rd. to Union Rd.
In 1960 & 1961, I stayed with him for a week's holiday. He was on British Rail at Nine Elms. He has since passed away
He used to drink in the Larkhall Tavern, in Larkhall Rise. I went back there a year ago, but couldn't find the pub. Has anyone got any memories of that area, particularly the pub & Chelsham Rd? I would love to get a photo of the Larkhall Tavern
Playground Apparatuses
How wonderful to have my memory jogged by the lovely pictures of Clapham Common. After school, most days we (my brother Lance) and my mother would have such fun. We would play spot the park keeper, (always nicely turned out in their brown suits) now sorely missed ! But the playground picture with the 'umberella' in the background(did anybody else call it that ) where you would sit on the ringed seat and hope a bigger child would push you around , backwards and forwards. Didn't you have to hold on for merry hell ! does anybody remember the 'banana boat'? like a enormous sideways swing. If you were really brave you'd sit on the end.Just as it was getting too high for comfort you wish you hadn't been so cocky, when the under part would bump onto the hard tar ground and bounce you several inches off your seat! Or the enormous slide. I remember catching my cardigan on there once, much to the annoyance of the other kids.... Read more
Christmas
I remember Clapham High Street well. My mum worked in Lyons Tea Shop that stood next to the bank. It turned into the butcher shop. I remember meeting my mum, she would have all left over cakes. We thought it was great - all the sticky buns and gingerbread men. It was memories of my childhood.
Happy Memories of Clapham in The 1950s & 1960s
I was born in Stonhouse Street in 1948, attended Stonhouse Street School and MacCaulay School. My father worked for Simonds Brewery on Wandsworth Road and my mother worked in the Sunlight Laundry in Acre Lane. Like other memories written about Clapham, I enjoyed playing on the common and in Grafton Square on the swings and allotments that used to be there and in the air raid shelter. Since getting married (in Holy Trinity on the common) and moving away in 1971, I have been back a few times, reliving really happy memories, but like everywhere else it has changed a lot.
