Tooting Forever

A Memory of Tooting.

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 remember the eel stall in Tooting Market and my
feeling of having to look at the eels slithering away in their metal tanks. It gave me the frights, but I just had to look. Remember the grocery stall at the end of the market in Undine Street. I have forgotten the name of the stall holder but he had a large mural on the wall saying 'I Serve The Poor'. I remember our school, Ensham, held their carol service in the Central Hall every Christmas. Every Christmas, there used to be a Father Christmas outside the Central Hall collecting for charity. I couldn't understand why he was asking for money as he was the one suppose to be giving. I remember collecting jam jars to try to get a few coppers at the pie and eel shop in Gatton Road. One of my memories of the Co-op at Tooting Junction was a midget who used to ride a triang green and red tricycle. It was one of the very small ones for children. He wore black tights and did his shopping there. I never asked my mum about him but I was convinced that he was Rumplestiltskin. Saturday morning pictures was wonderful. I couldn't wait to be old enough so I could go with my brother. If one purchased the tickets the night before, one went straight in and didn't have to queue. It depended how my brother was feeling on Friday night whether we went straight in or not. My mum loved Greasby's auction rooms and spent time there. I have been living for 45 years in Australia and love it here, but I was able to get back to London in 2000,2003 and 2005. I love Tooting. I know it has changed, but I still love it as it is. It was a great disappointment to see that the Central Hall had been pulled down and replaced with a M & S. I understand now that that is being demolished, no loss, in my opinion. I went to visit Smallwood Road School and saw that the
big water tanks built for the War have been removed. My ambition when I was a kid was to climb in, but I was too afraid in case I could not to get out.
I remember in 1953, when Everest was conquered, the whole school was taken up to the Mayfair, Upper Tooting, to see the film footage. Miss Brabham was the headmistress then. I remember swimming lessons at Putney Baths. Mr. Holland used to take us and we were allowed to spend fourpence in the bakers nearby after we had had our lessons. We all used to buy bread pudding, lovely and warm.
After I started at Ensham was when we moved to Mitcham and I found it a wrench.
I was back to the old neighbourhood as often as possible. The Mitcham Fair was always a pull. We used to save up our pennies so we could go. I always had a let down feeling after the money was gone and the noise and lights had gone. The last time I was there, the Three King's Pond was crowded with Canada geese. They make such a mess and the locals don't like them. At night you can see their white shapes sleeping on the common. Yes, lots of things have changed, but when I die I think they will find Tooting engraved on my heart.

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