Happy Memories
We moved to Mitcham from Streatham in 1963. My sister and I went to St. Marks Primary School which was not too far from our home in Gaston Road. I remember my first teacher was Mrs Carmichael. What a lovely lady she was! It was a small school and I can remember the cloakroom with wooden benches, wire netting and pegs. The toilets were outside, boys and girls divided by a door. Everything was green and brown tiles. While I was there new toilets were added with new corridor for coats, and a new staffroom. I remember queueing for lunch and delicious butterscotch tart. The playground had 2 climbing frames and I used to sit at the top of one and my friend Philip Hawkins used to sit on top of the other. Mr Freemantle, a teacher, used to keep ringed collar doves, and there was a cage with a rabbit in. Mr Eriker was the caretaker and they lived in the house which came with the school. I remember they once told us they had mice. I have such happy memories of my primary school. There was once a jumble sale and I bought a little plastic dalmation puppy - disneykins - for one penny, and I still have it. I remember Miss Drake the headmistress. I played the recorder and we went to Wimbledon to a large hall to be in a production about Red Indians. I sat on my recorder and broke it. I also had clarinet lessons and remember squeaking through assembly. I remember Mrs Norman the dinner lady although she was the mum of my sister's best friend. Across the road was a place with a lot of car tyres which caught fire. I think Miss Roach was also a teacher there, and I remember going to Chessington Zoo for a school trip. I won a drawing competition. Next door I think there was a church hall, it had a Laburnum tree in its garden. Down the road towards town were some delapidated houses which I remember going into. Makes me feel naughty just thinking about it.
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RE: RE: Happy Memories
I too went to St. Mark's Primary School from aged 5 in l952 until I went to Western Road County Girls Secondary School. My memories of St. Mark's are the same as yours - I also remember Miss Kay, Miss. Ball, Mr. Freemantle, Mr. Harrington and Miss. Bowlie the Headmistress with her little yorkie dog sitting in her office. I grew up in Mitcham, first in Woodland Way and then in Armfield Crescent but left when I was 16. My parents stayed in Mitcham so I visited frequently. I went back for a visit a couple of years ago and was horrified by what I found. So much had changed (in my view not for the better) such as The Three Kings Pub now a Chinese Restaurant etc and so many buildings gone. Thank you for sharing the old photos of how I remember Mitcham. It was a lovely safe area to grow up in. So sad to see it totally changed.
Comment from LINDA RICE Nee MASON on Thursday, 24th May 2012.
RE: RE: Happy Memories
ps. My mum was a cleaner at St. Mark's P.S. up until about the mid-80s. I used to go to Saturday morning pictures at the Majestic Cinema and remember the delapidated houses you refer to in St. Mark's Road. Also the little row of shops, with Bacon's sweetshop, a funeral parlour, a record shop (where I bought my first record) and another little sort of grocer's store with an elderly man who use to sell a glass of lemon or cherry ade for I think 3d !!! Could go on and on with happy memories and places etc.
Comment from LINDA RICE Nee MASON on Thursday, 24th May 2012.