Tooting In The Early Seventies

A Memory of Tooting.

I SPENT A FEW YEARS IN TOOTING, AND LIVED IN ASHBOURNE ROAD, TOOTING. THIS WAS NEAR TO A TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE AND MANY SHARED THE HOUSES IN THAT AREA AS STUDENTS. I HAD MY FIRST CHILD THERE AND KNEW MANY PEOPLE IN THE AREA, PARTICULARLY AT NUMBER 7 ASHBOURNE ROAD, THOUGH I HAD FRIENDS DIANE AND BRIDDY BIRD IN ACACIA AVENUE WHERE THEY LIVED WITH JULIAN DANTE BIRD WHO PLAYED WITH MY DAUGHTER, THERE WAS ONLY ONE COLOUR TV AT NUMBER 7 WHICH BELONGED TO 'AMBULANCE MAN JOHN' AND WE WOULD CONGREGATE THERE ON THURSDAYS AT 7.30 TO WATCH TOP OF THE POPS IN HIS TINY ROOM; THIS WAS A SPECIAL TIME BECAUSE DAVID BOWIE WAS IN THE CHARTS WITH 'STARMAN'. JOHN SHARED A HOUSE WITH BIG JEFF WHO WAS ABOUT 6.6FT AND WORE HIS HAIR IN PLAITS. THERE WAS ANOTHER JOHN UPSTAIRS WHO SHARED A ROOM WITH HIS BROTHER, AND JOE WHO HAD A ROOM IN THE FRONT. IN MY HOUSE AT NUMBER 36, THERE WERE VARIOUS INHABITANTS AT DIFFERENT TIMES LIKE DUNCAN AND SARA, JOHN SALUKI AND HIS GIRLFRIEND PETA, AND DAVID ASTON, AN ACCOUNTANT, WHO HAD A ROOM UPSTAIRS. THIS WAS AT THE TAIL-END OF THE SIXTIES AND A VERY STRANGE TIME TO LIVE THROUGH. I THINK BIG JELL WENT TO CANADA BUT I KNEW HIS GIRLFRIEND JILL AND WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. FROM CINDY D'LEQUEZ-SAGE.