Holyport Road, Fulham

A Memory of Fulham.

I was born in 1961 in Charing Cross Hospital & spent my first 25 years living in Fulham - firstly in Holyport Road until I was about 17, then New Kings Road for a few years and then Hestercombe Avenue for another few years until I moved out of the area. I absolutely loved growing up in Fulham alongside mum and dad and my three older brothers. Apparently there were 10 people living in our house when I was born, but I don't remember that but I do remember the tin bath and outside loo. Went to Queens Manor school and regularly played 5 aside footie in the evenings there. Behind my house was a coal wharf and an oil distillery and the Thames. I spent many hours messing about on old barges on the Thames down by the Crabtree pub and even more time playing runouts until it was dark and messing the park keepers about in Bishops Park. I remember the ice cream van at Bishops park and also hanging off of Tony's ice cream van when it came around. Other people have mentioned the rec and I recall hanging about on the roundabout and witches hat down there. There was no constant parental control as such - just to be in by a certain time for food and bed time and that was that unless you were rude or crossed the line in another way. I still go to Fulham to watch the team occasionally and all my family still support them. I always get a buzz going back to where I grew up even though it has long been 'gentrified'.