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Southfields memories

Here are memories of Southfields and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Southfields or a Southfields photo.

 

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Memories of Greater London

Wandsworth Church

St Thomas A Becket Catholic Church c1955
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The church in this photograph is the Catholic Church of St Thomas รก Becket on West Hill.   

Thames at Wandsworth

By The River Thames c1955
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This is a view of the riverside walk in Wandsworth Park on Putney Bridge Road, looking towards the 'Iron Bridge', the railway bridge across the river just downstream of Putney Bridge.

Wandsworth Town Hall

By The River Thames c1955
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My great-grandfather was the Wandsworth Town Hall Keeper at the old Town Hall until about 1929, and my mother was born in the building. Later they moved to the Municipal Buildings where my grandfather took over the role from his father and continued the family tradition of Town Hall Keeper. They lived in an apartment at the top of the Municipal Buildings with a large balcony area we used to play out on. I remember the wonderful smell of wood and polish through the corridors (which were all angled like the sides of a threepenny bit) as we had to go through the building to get to the flat. Great-grandfather was Walter Henry Clarke and grandfather was Walden Clarke (better known as Bill). Great-grandfather retired to Somerset in 1929 and Bill died in 1958. My grandmother, Peggy Clarke, moved across the road to the flats on Fairfield Drive opposite the Municipal Buildings. I have wonderful memories of the old swimming pool and the brewery and the smell of hops in... Read more

Secret Garden in Spencer Park

I lived in a prefab in Spencer Park. There is a secret garden in the middle of Spencer Park, the iron gate entrance is just off Windmill Road. We used climb into this garden to go scrumping soft fruit. We were often chased out by the wealthy residents. We used to play football in the 'frying pan', this was a dis-used water lake built by the railway that the windmill pumped water in for the locals.

Spencer Park

I lived in Spencer Park during the 1960s and early 1970s. Our family lived in one of the 3 blocks of maisonettes built along Windmill Road. I lived in the block opposite the common, the second block we called the Blue Flats and the third block we called the Yellow Flats. This was because the front doors were painted that colour. Our gang also went to the secret garden many times during the summer holidays. Not only was there a gate just off Spencer Park but also an entrance opposite the Blue Flats between the gardens. However we preffered the obstacle of the wall in the Yellow Flats car park. We too were always chased out, usually by a dog. There is also a tennis court in there and a gardener's shed which we painted pychadelic without the consent of the owners. We sometimes had bonfires in the frying pan on firework night. There used to be a park keeper who collected the leaves and once the pile was big... Read more

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