Memories Of 1950's And 1960's

A Memory of Streatham.

I lived at 4 Bungalow ,Christchurch Road which was a prefab
Next to the prefab was an old victorian house occupied by the Knights Youth Club
I belonged to the cubs at Christ Church
A crowd of us used to go to Saturday morning pictures at the Regal cinema.
I went to school at New park Road and then went to Battersea Grammar in 1953 until 1958
I had lots of good friends at Grammar school Derek Nimmo, Tony Rowley, Steve Skinner, Peter Simmons
In 1957 I went to Streatham Hill Theatre with a girl called April Jolly to see a charity variety show and the compere was Bruce Forsyth I still have the program.
One New Years eve I went to Streatham ice rink and by midnight the ice had melted with the number of people there and the dye from all the streamers had gone onto the rink.
There used to be professional wrestling held at Streatham baths and I remember seeing Mick McManus fight
I went to Streatham Locarno with my sister Morag and her friend Jackie Collins , her father was the band leader Bill Collins.
I joined the bowling alley when it opened with 40 lanes on two floors and played in a team named the Terrapins.
Battersea Grammar used to hold dancing classes on a Friday night only 5th and 6th year pupils could attend and some of the local girls schools could attend. I went to Garganico and Bishops dance school above Burtons tailors .
I played a lot of Tennis and belonged to a number of clubs St Leonards which has long gone, Thornton Heath and Grafton again a lot of names come to mind Peter Pearce, David Clarke, Tommy Mallet ,Ann Debus, Peggy Dicker , Stewart Dimmock and Janet Manning were just a few.
The Odeon cinema would put on stage shows and I remember going to see Salad Days and I think they did a ballet.
There were a number of coffee bars but we used to go to one opposite the bowling alley and they had an American style duke box and i remember Acker Bilk Strangers on the Shore being played 1961

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