Happy Memories

A Memory of Tooting.

I lived in Tunley Road, Balham from 1938 to 1949, I remember the day the V2 hit at the end of the road, and I lost friends. I went to Ravenstone School until 1949. There were 3 of us, Maureen Smith, Maureen Green and me Valerie Smith, we were a real "gang". Mr. Fish was the Head, and Miss Taylor and Mr. Stanly Tench were the teachers I remember. Of course our "gang" made up wonderful romance stories about the two of them. We really gave them a hard time. Then I went to Rosa Bassett School on Furzedown. Tooting was the favourite place to go on Saturday, the market, the stores and of course the Granada. Go and see the films and watch the organ come up from the pit. They once filmed a TV show there and Mum and I were in the audience. My Grandma was shocked to see her family on TV. Reading all the memories on this site has got me thinking back, it is so long ago and far away, I am now in Canada. There was a little off-license not far from the underground station where you could get your bottle of Baby Sham for my mum and Tizer for me, and of course, Smith's Crisps with their little blue package of salt. Our neighbour, what my Mum called a "wide-boy" used to go up to Tooting to the public baths, he wouldn't do anything on a Saturday until he had his bath there.
I remember going to the movies one day and half way through the show we had to leave because the fog inside and out was too thick to see. I don't know how we got home that night. I can still see the old "pea-souper" with the conductor walking in front of the tram with flares to show the way. I can remember the night of the last tram, we stood there cheering and saying goodbye as they drove the last one by the crowds. They say you can't turn the clock back, but I have had a great time going back with my memories. If any of the old gang is there I would love to hear from you.

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