Tulse Hill In The 70s And 80s

A Memory of Tulse Hill.

I lived in Tulse Hill from around 1970 to 1990, at first on the Tulse Hill Estate (Booth House) and then Gaywood Close up the hill. My abiding memories centre mainly around my time at Dick Sheppard School - now sadly just a memory - and especially the time my gang had a fight with another school in Herne Hill one lunch time that eventually escalated into a pitched confrontation in Brockwell Park involving hundreds of pupils from a number of schools in the area! More everyday was the lovely 2b routemaster running up to St Martin's Library, Flo's newsagent on Elm Park, Andy the barber - opposite Allied Carpets, and of course the Tulse Hill Tavern. Everyone got along - especially as kids, but propaganda and cultural peer pressure changed some as they entered adulthood. The Police were universally mistrusted and disliked - following years of experiencing endless stop and searches, racist attitudes, rudeness and just plain arrogance. Looking back now, I realise I got into a hell of a lot of scrapes there, but it was my 'manor', and I always felt safe there.
I haven't been back for years - maybe because I know it just won't be the same; I'll always have the memories though - that's my Tulse Hill.