Sandy Lane North

A Memory of Wallington.

I moved to no. 6 from Thornton Heath, aged 3, with my parents, Sylvia and George. My maiden name was Ruthven. My brother Keith was born in 1958. I initially went to Bandon Hill school, but my brother got pneumonia just after his 1st birthday and they transferred me to High View, as there was lollipop lady and my mum wouldn't have to take me. One of my favourite memories is of Sunday School at the Methodist Church by Mellows Park. Our Sunday School teacher would regularly lay on tea and table-top games evenings in her home close to the church, which were terrific. I also loved going to Beddington Park and remember rowing in the boats by the Grange. Visiting my grandmother at Richmond Green in Beddington and going to Wandle Valley Park just along from there are also very happy memories, along with shopping and going to the cinema in Croydon. I remember the bread strike, but don't know what year it was. We had an old Ford Anglia which we'd driven into Croydon to buy bread, but it broke down on the way back and we ended up pushing it! When I first left school in 1969 I went to work as an office junior in Clarke & Smith Manufacturing in Wallington and in 1972 I went to work in the offices of British Gas in Katherine Street, Croydon. I finally left Wallington in 1975 to live in Swindon, where I still live.