Mitchem In The 60's And 70's

My parents lived in Streatham Road from late 1965, opposite the junction of Barnabus Road. 115 bus linked us to Mitcham Fair Green and cricketers. My brother and me went to Gorringe Park. Mr Comer was the head master. He sorted out my dinner money when we were short. Over 35 noisy kids like me crammed in a classroom and then rushing out to play when lessons finished. I usually ended up in a scrap. We never got bored and we made friends easily. I spent hours on Figgs Marsh, playing endless games of football. A few mates later went on to sign for professional clubs. From our front window I used to watch the mods drive up the road in gangs heading off to the ice rink or the ballroom in Streatham. We had the sweet smell of the Pascals coming over sometimes, as well as the black smoke from the one tower chimney, I remember it being knocked down at the same time Concord flew over a broke the sound barrier.I recall the Dutch Elm disease on Figgs Marsh, killing numerous trees and playing inside the bunkers.

My brother took me to Tooting and Mitcham for my first ever game in 1967. He was ten and in the days when parents were not always around. I remember the Bog End and how we later sneaked in to a few games. The thin paper programmes costing 6d. The big white walls around the ground and sometimes running on the pitch like lunatics.
We always had friends who lived close who went to the same schools and we always walked in together and back home up Streatham Road. We used to go to Tooting market on Saturday with our Dad, who used to eat the live eels. I preferred the chips from the chippy in Gorringe Park Avenue. We shopped at Bristows and the greengrocers next door, which was run by Kim Torch’s family.

I loved Mitcham swimming baths, and have the memory of sickly chlorine in the water and the pungent smell of disinfectant in the mens changing room. The cleaner was nicknamed “Happy “ because he wasn’t. We used to tease him, but he was OK.

I spent loads of summer holidays messing about on Mitcham Common, exploring seven islands and I had 3d to buy a Jublee ice block on the way home. We took our bikes up there and did scrambling. I joined the local Scout group.in 1970 where I was taught a little discipline and had a great deal of fun. We did the annual parade through Mitcham with a band playing and we tried hard to march in step.Neil Morley sometimes came along to Scouts but the time we went off to Eastfields, life changed quickly. Mitcham was busier, locals were still around but the world seemed bigger, lots of strangers in the school. Atherton was the head and Turpin the deputy and enforcer. I remember the boys having really long hair, as skins had disappeared. Rock music was the thing.

What a brilliant town for a pub crawl, the Three Kings, The Beehive, The Red Deer, The Bull, The Kings Head, Burn Bullock and the Cricketer’s. As a 15 year old the public as turned a blind eye. Where ever you went , you seemed to know someone .

We left moved away in 1977 and I hold great memories of the people and the community

Hi Karl, I remember your name but not your face - perhaps because you knew Neil better. Great memories of Mitcham. I had a major run in with Mr. Turpin when he tried to cane me for something that I did not do - he actually ended up apologising to me and my mum. My brother Neil has lived in the USA for forty years. We see each other occassionaly but nowhere near enough. Thankfully we can now talk over Zoom. Hope you are well and I will tell Neil when we next speak. Kind regards.