Benfield, Barmore And Verona

A Memory of Battersea.

I was born in Benfield Street in 1946. We lived in a house which was condemned due to either bomb damage or shock, as there were large splits in the basement walls. My first memories of the street were playing cannon and marbles, trying to climb the "stink pole " outside number 35 and the shop at the Ingrave street end of the road. I think it was run by the Mayles family. Some of the things I can remember were that never was there a locked door during the day and grown-ups would wander in at any timet to have a chat. Our playground was the bombed out houses between Winstanley Road and the road behind Ingrave street, the recreation ground at the top of Lombard road and (would you believe ) the pig swill depot across from the flats. The church of St Marys, just round from Sir Walter St Johns (sinjuns) was another favourite hang out, where we could play on the banks of the Thames, I don't know if this is too much of a memory, but I will hopefully continue this tomorrow as its quite late and I'm not a youngster anymore!