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Tooting
Tooting maps
Historic maps of Tooting and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Tooting maps
Tooting area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Tooting and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Tooting
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memories of Tooting.
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My Teenage Memories....
From 1959 to 1973 I lived at Tooting Junction. '59-69 in Glasford Street opposite the police station, then when I got married in 1969 I moved one whole road away in Renmuir Street! Many local people may remember our big, black labrador, who used to bark and throw himself at the front room window if anyone dared to walk past our downstairs flat at 2 Glasford Street. My dad used to mend cars outside in the street, as well as working at Battersea power station for a living! My mum, little sister and I used to sit outside the Railway Bell pub with our bags of Smiths crisps and a pepsi or lemonade while our dad had his Sunday lunchtime pint (only the one). Mum would have half a pint of brown ale (Ugh!) outside with us. Sometimes, he would get a bottle of Tizer and a block of ice cream from Kings sweetshop to make fizzy sundaes for 'afters'!
We would ride down the hill at Longley... Read more
I Lived Above Tooting Police Stn
From 1954-1959 I lived at Flat 4 Tooting Police Stn. With my friend Richard King we spent many happy hours up on the roof throwing mud and moss down on the unsuspecting passers by below. Another trick was to throw stones down the chimney pots. My mistake was to pick the pot of my own flat which resulted in a load of soot spewing out into my parents bedroom. My Dad who was an Inspector at the Station caught us and put me in the cells for a few hours. Our crowning achievement was to set light to a small elastic driven model plane and launch it from the roof. Unfortunately it crashed into a passing trolley bus. Haven't been back to Tooting in 40 years.
Tooting Forever
What a delight to find this site. It reminded me of so much. My grandparents did a moonlight flit from Bethnel Green, walking to Tooting with four boys, one girl and a pram carrying Gran's pride and joy, a mangle. Three weeks later my father was born in Selkirk Street. They later moved to Thurso Street and Gran lived the rest of her life there. My father remembers playing in the fields of the Bell Farm before the suburb grew up. I was born in St. James Hospital Balham and lived in Rostella Road, off Garrett Lane, until I was twelve when we moved to Mitcham. Our lives still revolved around Tooting, though. That was where the shopping was done and where we went to the pictures. Going to the Granada was like entering a palace, what images one could conjour up walking past the 'thrones' and those lovely 'candle' electric bulbs. I... Read more
My Childhood in Tooting
Born in Wimbledon 1950, I lived in Trevelyan Road in Tooting until I was 10 when we moved to South Lambeth. My nan lived behind the Granada in Tooting and she cleaned there. She lived in Bickley Street. I went to Sellincourt Road School, buying sweets etc from Mrs Alexander's shop which was next door to Bernard Say's shop on the way to and from school. Mrs Alexander's husband also repaired shoes at the side. I well remember going through the market where I once got separated from my mum and remember crying. I also remember the live eels which were sold there, staring at them slithering about in large tin trays waiting to be sold as my mum was busy chatting to someone she knew. The Sunlight Laundry shop was on the corner of Charlemont Road where my mum would sometimes send her sheets and then pick them up done up in brown paper and string. The Mitre pub was on the... Read more
Old Tooting
What else has changed about Tooting? I'd be very interested to hear.
AMEN CORNER
CAN ANY ONE HELP ME WITH THE FOLLOWING - in the 1970s I was a student living in SLOSH, the student hostel just behind the garage on Amen Corner. I know it has all changed now - so can anyone provide me with details? When was SLOSH pulled down and when also did the garage disappear? I have fond memories of this area it was a second home to me -- I orignally came from Essex. Regards, Adrian
Living at Amen Corner
I was born in 1949 and lived in Crowborough Road, Amen Corner, went to Furzedown school. I used to know all the shops round to the police station, being sent down with a shopping list for veg etc, and to the garage on the corner of Rectory Lane in winter to get paraffin for the heaters, and to Coggers the paper shop for fags and newspaper for my dad. How I knew it has changed. I now live in Plymouth in Devon, have done for 41 years, I don't know if I want to go back to see the old place or remember it as it was. If anybody lived around the same place and time as me please get in contact.
Lessingham Avenue
I am so please to have found this site. I was brought up in Lessingham Avenue (off Franciscan Road) but moved to Chasefield Road when i was about 11. I remember going to Saturday morning pictures at the Mayfair and singing the Minors ABC song!!! I can even go back so far as buying all the latest clothes in Martin Ford and then Sybil Richards. I remember Pecry's at the bottom of Franciscan Road where Mum used to be able to put bits by and pay off for them. I just cannot remember what used to be where M&S was built. Have wracked my brain (but it's getting a little old now). If anybody remembers please let me know. I can remember going to the Granada as a cinema and the organ coming up out of the pit and then I can remember seeing Paul and Barry Ryan there. Can't remember who else was there but it was supposed to the... Read more
