Maybury Street, Tooting.

A Memory of Tooting.

I was born January 1945 and from the age of three I often went to stay with great-aunt Lizzie in Maybury Street, Tooting (possibly house number 23.) My great-aunt, was Mrs Reader, a widow, who lived downstairs in the house, while a Mr and Mrs Dobner lived upstairs. Their apartments were not self-contained, but privacy was respected despite certain practices that took place such as the one where each morning Mr Dobner, after getting up, would make a pot of tea. He would take a cup of tea to his wife in bed, come downstairs and take another cup to aunt Lizzie who was still in her bed in her front-room, and then return to drink his own cup in his kitchen while reading his newspaper. Veronica lived over the road in one of the houses since demolished. She was a year or two older than me, and being brought up by her grandmother. I sometimes went in to play with her. I was on occasions taken by aunt Lizzie to the mission hall, around the corner, in Aldis Street. It was run by Mr Walker then, who would ride up on his bike, take off his trouser riding-clips and open the door to let us all in. Apart from the informal church services that were held in the hall there were also jumble sales and whist-drives. Maybury Street was a very friendly community after the war; everyone seemed to care and look after each other.