The 40/50s

A Memory of Mitcham.

It was the 118 bus Colin. It went from Clapham Common to Mitcham Cricket Green. I also remember well those wonderful Leo's ice lollies. After those awful slabs of lard between 2 wafers that went soggy they were magic - Walls's! My family moved from Northborough Road to Rosemead Avenue in March 1940 as all the Lcc schools were closed. My sister and I went to Pollards Hill School. Both of my brothers went there or to Alfred Mizen some 10 years later. I went on to Rutlish in 1946 on the 152 bus from Fair Green up Western Road past the school and the gas works when we all held our noses. The first love of my life went to Western Road School, her name was Lileen Townsend and her father was a coal merchant. She gave me my first kiss ....aah.
I recall the first post war Mitcham Fair at Three Kings which took over from the fair which was held on the road to Thornton Heath. Every schoolchild in Mitcham got one free ticket for a 'ride'. We ALL wanted bumper cars or dodgems - I got a swingboat ticket.
In 1940 we were deeply involved with the blitz and the battle of Britain. We stood at the corner of Rowan Road, Northborough Rd, Wide Way and Manor Rd, hiding behind the letterbox and telephone box. The letterbox had funny paint on top to detect gas. Our house was first damaged by a land mine in the back garden of no30 Rosemead Ave. Then by a flying bomb that actually lodged in the branches of an enormous oak tree at the corner of Manor Way and Rowan Road. My Father claimed it saved our lives. It was then again badly damaged when a "V" demolished houses in Rowan Road opposite Sunnymead Avenue. I remember those round-roofed pre-fabs and I am sure they were built by Italian prisoners of War who used to talk to us through the wire fence. we did see German prisoners too but I don't know where they went.