Tooting Holy Family Convent

A Memory of Tooting.

Oh dear Tooting, I have wonderful memories of that place. We moved there from Stepney in 1956 and used to live in Graveney Road, just off Selkirk Road. I remember the Fountain pub in Fountain Road just round the corner. When I turned about 15 I worked Saturdays in O'Grady's Cafe in Tooting Market. The cafe was very popular with the younger generation because there was a record shop opposite the cafe, does anyone remember me, shortish in height, mediterranean looking, with dark long hair, this was about 1963 onwards? That cafe has changed hands about 3 times. The butchers next to it is still there.There was the key shop which always seemed to be busy. There was also Eggies where we bought our eggs to go into the sandwiches. Tooting Market was a very busy place but if you go there now it's deserted. I worked in that cafe during school holidays as well, and on Saturdays after I left school until I reached 23. Maggie was in charge and she was Patrick O'Grady's sister, he also owned the pet shop opposite Eggies. His daughters were Jackie and Patricia, very pretty things they were. I first went to St Boniface School in Undine Street where a Mrs Murray was a strict but fair teacher. I then went onto the Holy Family Convent which has now been turned into flats. I remember Sister Philomena, Sister Francis and Sister Arthur. Mrs Heanan was the History teacher and she was extremely strict, but I liked her as she was complimentary if you did well. The school still looks the same on the outside. I can well remember the teddy boys sitting under King George's statue watching us in our school uniforms but I have to say they were well behaved. My friend and me used to visit the toilets downstairs to have a sneaky cigarette. There was Martin Ford where I shopped often and also Chelsea Girl. Dolcis was opposite the station and I remember around 1963 they had a window full of the latest fashionable white stilettos, my dentist was just upstairs to that. Harrington's (the pie and mash shop) was in Selkirk Road and it's still there doing good business). I remember seeing Lulu at the Granada and I actually talked to her when she came to the stage door.
Tooting Broadway market looks just the same and we went there at the beginning of December 2011 but a few shops have now shut. I well remember the tiny record shop and Frankie Vaughan was there one Saturday promoting his record, unfortunately only a handful of people turned up and I felt very sorry for him but he was extremely nice. The eel shop has gone. I can't remember what was there before Marks and Spencers on the corner of Langney Road but M&S has gone and Primark is now there. The jewellery shop on the corner of Undine Street has gone too. The bakers next to the Granada I think has gone too, we used to get penny rice buns after school to tide us over before going home. We walked everywhere and felt really safe and my mum never worried about me if I went to Tooting Bec lido, walking came naturally and my dad never gave me a lift in his car. On Sundays all shops including the markets were shut. I can well remember when we had the usual smog around November and Guy Fawkes night always seemed cold and foggy. My brother Les and me made a tidy sum on that day, him outside Martin Ford and me outside the pub opposite, the Castle. Yes, Tooting was a great place then and I think a new generation of people will certainly have different memories than the ones we have but I don't think they will be as good as ours.