Happy Days

A Memory of Mitcham.

Born 1943. I briefly attended Lonesome with Roger Watts. He lived in Eldertree Way and I lived in Eldertree Place. Then to Bordergate and Bond Road School in 1948. Met David Grayson, Dale Foster, Robin Theobold etc.. On Bordergate I played with Dereck Stevens, Alfie Sallis, Micheal Barnet and many others. We would hang around Stuart Place and the old rent office. We also roamed Mitcham far and wide. Fishing in the Three Kings pond, catching newts beside the railway in Fleming Mead, finding golf balls on Mitcham Common, climbing willow trees by the pond opposite Wilson Hospital and sliding on the ice on the Seven Islands. Also helping the coalman with his deliveries and hanging on the back of milkman and bakers carts wearing roller skates. Spent many hours at Saturday morning pictures for 6p and the swimming baths for 2p. The attendant 'Mr Smith' would be angry when we forgot our locker numbers. The older boys would get a 1p dollop of bryl cream from the dispensor. Sharing a bag of yesterdays cakes and or a packet of fags before playing in the Armfield Crescent lifts till the caretacker chased us. Then through the chalet to Steers Mead where we dared eachother to knock on old mother Cotton's door. She could be heard shouting and was reputed to chase kids with a chopper. Got hooked on fishing (no pun intended) with school mates at Western Road; Ken Cannings, Brian Nightingale, David Grayson etc. Then on to motor bikes and eventually cars. Frequented cafes near St. Heliers Hospital opposite Leos and the saltbox at Biggin Hill. Spent many summer evenings at Box Hill with Ronnie Lovegrove, Tony Hamilton, Dougie Garside, Barry Lacy and girlfriends. Other popular haunts were the Red Shed, Black and White cafe and Capstan Youth Club. I then married in 1966. If any of this rings a bell, leave a comment.