Growing Up In Mitcham

A Memory of Mitcham.

I was born Leslie Dennis Crutch in Grove Road 1948. My brother Ken was born 9 months after dad (Ronald Kenneth) had gone to Normandy as part of the landings - I was born 9 months after he was demobbed (funny that) to mum Winifred Blanch Crutch nee Sanders. We moved into a nissen hut in Laburnham road where my younger brother Ron was born in 1950, we moved into Elm Court when the Armfield Crescent estate was built - it was wonderful, no more tin baths, no more using the wash house at Beehive Cottage which was next to The Beehive Pub and Sparrowhawks yard. The Cottage was a railwayman's house, Grandad Golden Sanders was a linesman. Part of the track he was responsible for was the stretch between Beehive Bridge and Blue House Bridge - it was known as suicide alley. Now the dreaded wash house and outside privy was terrifying to a small child, I swear the spiders in there were so big you could see the whites of their eyes. Nan Eliza used to say, if it wasn't for them you would be up to your knees in flies.
Mr Hendra had a sweet shop just along from Nan's, he was a war veteran, he walked with a stick. Ron and I would keep him talking while Ken was over the back fence getting empty bottles to get the threepence deposit - he got wise to this and inked the labels. I went to St Marks School, I remember Miss Mills, she had a soft spot for me. Mr Fremantle didn't, he would slap the back of your legs for minor offences - as for Miss Bowley and her dog, you behaved when she was around - brother Ken was one of her favourites, he used to caddy for her at Mitcham Golf Club.
Around 1960 we moved to Alexandra Road and I went to Gorringe Park school for boys. I still have my school bible signed by Mr G R B Hanson. I remember getting told off for going swimming in the Seven Islands whilst on the school cross country run. Some of the best memories of growing up in Mitcham was Saturday morning pictures, threepence downstairs sixpence up, up was better you could squirt your water pistols on those below. The film's were invariably awful so messing around was more fun. Then I started going to Capstan Youth Club - great weekends at Guildford, High Ashurst Box Hill camping, trip to Germany. Poor Dennis Reeve he was always sending me home, even from Germany, he used to say he'd seen better boys crawl out of mouldy cheese, but I have Dennis to thank for my love of classical music - he took us to The Albert Hall and Verdi's Nabucco at Wimbledon Theatre which sparked my interest. I used to play table tennis with Roy Erwood, Ray Cherry and Steve Rodway. We played in a league around South London, through Capstan we also became Thames Young Mariners at Ham yacht basin. I think it was with Steve I went to The Swan when we're probably 15 and asked for two halves of brown and mild we were thrown out not knowing at the time you only get pints of brown and mild. What a wonderful place Mitcham was to grow up post war. Les Saunders I did change my name.

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