Tottenham memories
Here are memories of Tottenham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Tottenham or a Tottenham photo.
A Long, Long Time Ago
We were a dyed in the wool London family, some time before World War 11, 1939, we moved from Earlsmead Road to Breamar Road off West Green Road and lived there at number 73 untill 1951, when we moved out into the country to Waltham Cross. I was born in 1945 and had two older brothers Bill and Brian some 7 and 9 years older than me. Even though I was only 6 when we moved away I have some vivid memories of Tottenham. We lived directly opposite Seven Sisters school and my mum used to tell us that during the war a doodle bug came over and the engine cut out, it glided down and crashed into the school playground blowing all the windows of the house out. We used to go to the public baths at Tewkesbury Road once a week whether we needed it or not. I can still remember shouting to the attendant "more hot water in number 6" we had no taps on the baths it... Read more
Growing up in Tottenham
I spent the first eleven years of my life in Tottenham. We lived above the PDSA dispensary in Seven Sisters Road. My father worked for the PDSA as a vet, and I remember very clearly the queues of people waiting to have their pets treated free of charge. My mother used to take my brother, sister and me to Finsbury Park often, and to the Rec. Many photos were taken of us on the Green. My great-grandmother Louisa Upward lived in St Margaret's Road, and we walked to her home to visit and for my mother to listen to her gossip. I was always fascinated when she lit the gas lights and the soft hiss from the gas mantles could be heard. I remember the fog, I was only about five years old when my father took me to school one morning, and left me at the door. He disappeared in a second into the murky pea souper and I felt very alone. I went to The Green School, the... Read more
The Crescent
I was born in The Crescent, South Tottenham in 1945. I went to Crowland Road Primary School and later Markfield. My mum, Glad, worked at the Jewish Hospital in Stamford Hill. I remember going to Saturday morning pictures to the Super and paying sixpence to get in. There were not too many cars on the road then so we were able to play in the street quite happily or go to the rec in Crowland Road. I loved the jumble sales at the hall at the end of the road. All in all my brother Jimmy, Mick and I had a good childhood in Tottenham.
Ashmount Road
I was born at no 7 Ashmount Road N15, went to Earlsmead school, all the roads was open then due to me being run over when very young so all residents got together and got the roads closed to through traffic. The small park was our playing field for football and other sports, unofficial of course, in winter we kids used to make ice slides down the road, it was great, not so many cars on the road them days, kids was quite safe on the streets then. I had a real good time when I was young, Tottenham was a terrific place to live and bring up kids. My grandparents brought up eleven kids there, they lived in St Loys road near Bruce Grove, they were bombed out during the Second World War, the eldest is still alive at this moment in Adelaide in Australia, she is 95 and still going stron,g three other sisters are still living, all in Norfolk. Tottenham must have been good in... Read more
Stewed Apple And Custard
I was born in Bersteds hospital although I'm not jewish, St Anne's was full in 1964. My mum was daughter to George Wilcox, the builders of Seven Sisters Road, then married Fred Taylor. They had 7 children.He sadly passed young and Mum remarried my dad Tommy Saunders who sang in the Seven Sisters pub and was a builder. I remember Mum working in Plasmics factory down Gorley Street and we'd go to Alan's cafe on the corner of Elizabeth Road for pud, I'd have stewed apple and custard. I went to Seven Sisters School and I still remember the smell and the dinner lady who gave kids lemon sherberts. Also going to the dolls hospital in West Green Road and smelling the perfume wafting down from Lentherics Tweed springs to mind. I loved shopping with my mum, we were so close, sadly I no longer have either. We lived in 617, a three storey house, with grandad and nan till I was 9 then moved to Chester Road but it... Read more
Tewkesbury & Station Road, Tottenham N15
I was born in 1938 in Tewkesbury Road,Tottenham. When I was of age I attended Stamfordhill School, in Seven Sisiters Road. I remember they used to have a Barrage Balloon in the playground and we often had to seek shelter there whilst the war was on. At the weekend a man used to come round with his barrow selling cockles and winkles which we always had for tea on a Sunday, we also had a man come round with a horse and cart, the cart was like a roundabout and we used to pay him a penny or a clean jam jar for a ride to the bottom of the road and back. In 1946 at the age of 8 years my family and I moved to Station Road, Tottenham Hale. I had 9 brothers and 5 sisters, some of us attended Down Lane Junior school, sat the 11 plus and then went to Page Green School (which was demolished for new flats to be built) opposite Gestetners in Broad... Read more
Devonshire Hill Lane
1970s - We lived at 117 Devonshire Hill Lane N17. My uncle Bill used to work at Budgens. We would have a grass area outside our house, shape like a square. Would love to see the family again who I used to visit a few doors down.
Growing up in Tottenham /Risley Avenue Area
Tottenham?? Oh boy, I was born in Risley Avenue, lived there till 8 years old then moved to De Quincy Road, Tottenham, this house was genuinely haunted and we had a lot of bad health and experiences when we all moved there. There was 9 of us in the family, good childhood and street. Memories of Tottenham growing up: I used to go to Rowland Hill School and my friend I sat next to was Mike Reid the comedian, being psychic I predicted he would be a star one day. The little 'rec was a nice playground, then you had the 2 parks which are now destroyed I hear. My best friend was Danny Bullen, does anyone hear of him? It was a happy life really for us street kids, always wandering around, going to the big Lido at the time. I was a bit of a terror in a way, Saturday nights before the Standard came around for football results I would walk up and down the streets... Read more
School Days
Is there anyone that attended Edmonton Secondary Technical School for girls from1956/1958. My name was Holmewood in those days. I remember Miss Evans was the Head Mistress, very strict. It was a sewing school. I wasn't keen on school, but to this day I still sew a lot and remember what I was taught by Miss Howard. Miss Cohn was my English teacher, Miss Bonnie - French, Miss Burgess - writing and Embroidery. I loved the school dinners. I rode my bike most days to school, but also caught the bus along the Great Cambridge Road Then walked down Church Street. I still have my tie and badge off our hat, also the sample embroidery with our name and date embroidered in it. I also have a photo with all the school students and teachers in it (black @ white), dated 1958. School Captain at the time was a Maureen. Some of the girls in my year were Shirley King, Carolyn How, Jennifer Dunne. If anyone can add... Read more
1960 to 1971
I lived in Elmar Road Avondale Road and Seaford Avenue. I attended Seven Sisters Junior school, West green Junior school and Belmont Secondary Modern. Had a wonderful time living in Tottenham, great memories of the park in Lordhip Lane the 'rec' where I learnt to ride a bike. Downhills park was a wonderful place, with beautiful gardens always well looked after with the most amazing displays of flowers and shrubs.... where we sadly tormanted the 'parkie' who had a wooden leg! During my childhood there I spent hours wandering around on my roller skates getting to know the area and never fearing my safety...great days...
Bruce Grove School - Royal Tottenham
I would love to hear from folk who like me went to Bruce Grove School. I went there from 1936 until 1944 when I left school, then danced at the Royal Tottenham. I lived in St Margaret's Road. I remember Ron West and his brother Albert West,m who lived just off West Green Road, and the rest of the gang, I would love to hear how they all got on.
Best wishes to all folk from Tottenham.
June.
Sheringham Avenue
My Dad was born in Tottenham sheringham Avenue
His Father was Maurice Redman and he
worked for the local council as a bricklayer. they had three boys reg maurice and gordon.They moved down to billericay about 1929.I wondered if anyone remembers the family.vicki
Memories of Greater London
Lyndhurst Road
I Was born in a house down Winchester Road in 1934. Then my parents moved when I was 3 years old to Lyndhurst Road and except for the war years did not move from there until I married at the age of 21 years.
I would like to contact fellow pupils from Sydney Burnell School where I went from the age of 11 years to 15 years as I believe the school's name has now been changed so I cannot look it up on the internet.
For a few years in my teens I was a great fan of the speedway racing at Walthamstow stadium. Is there anyone out there who was also a fan?
I worked in London after I left school and can still evoke the smell of the old steam trains.
During the war I was evacuated all over when the bombing was bad so my memory of those years are very muddled.
Is there anybody out there who has similar memories? If so I would... Read more
Edmonton London
I used to stay with my aunt and cousin Joy Culley in Shirley Grove. I used to go to meet my uncle Syd from work down Cuckcuhall Lane or maybe it was Nightingale Lane and have a ride home on his crossbar of his bike. I also remember the big chimney stack being taken down. Later my aunt moved to Enfield and had a grocery shop in Baker Street, it was called Culleys, and I used to go on deliveries with my uncle in his very old Ford car, then they moved to Suffolk to retire x
Happy Days in Edmonton
We lived with my grandmother who was not in good health. My dad worked at Lebus Furniture Factory in Tottenham and would cycle every day to work. Then he came into some money and bought a car. In the harsh winters of those days he would stick a small oil lamp under the car so that it would not freeze. Horror - he even stockpiled petrol in the shed during the Suez Crisis but only a small can. Christmas was Christmas in those days. Buying would start when the "Loan Club" paid out a few weeks before Christmas. I fondly remember Edmonton market stalls - lovely brown paper carrier bags with string handles. Mum would put the Christmas nuts behind the chair and Fido, our dog, would pinch them! Woolworths was certainly the shop in those days before supermarkets and shopping centres. How we respected our school teachers - and the stigma of the cane or 'getting your name put in the book'. We would all march to the swimming... Read more
Dudley James Brooks And Jessie Harris
I am trying to find my long lost family who has strong ties to the Edmonton area. They are Dudley James Brooks b. 1895 and lived with parents Thomas and Elizabeth (Ellen) at 29 Arthur St Edmonton, siblings Florence, Leslie & Archie. 1914-15 was in Herts Yeomanry and served in Egypt. Married Jessie Harris (b. 1895) 18 March 1916 in Register Office Edmonton. Her parents were Ludwig and Valsea Harris both born in Germany. She was born in New York, siblings Julie and Sidney. Dudley and Jessie lived at 7 Tillotson Road, Edmonton. And I can go no further. If there is anyone at all who knows anything about them, I would love to hear from you. Many thanks Rozanne from Australia argee@aapt.net.au
The Shipp Family
Does anyone remember The Shipp Family who lived in Raynham Road and who went to Raynham Road School during the 1920's/1930's? My mum, Lily Shipp lived at No.22. She had tap and ballet lessons at the Tilly Vernon school (Bruce Forsyth - Bruce Johnson as he was then - was another member of the group.) She is still alive and has a good memory so if anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to pass them on to her.
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