A Blissful Childhood

Dear Rite - Thank you for a wonderful (almost 'mosaic') memory of Sutton. I am researching the name of the school that was near Crown Road and which is now long closed. A friend of mine went there in the early 1970s and I thought it was 'Sutton District' - as I think I saw the name written down somewhere! Still, nothing on the internet as of yet. Today, we live in St Alban's Road - West Sutton - and my partner also attended Nonsuch School for Girls in the later 190s early 2000s. I suppose there is the 'old' Sutton (pre-1966) before the area became a Borough of Greater London - and the 'new' Sutton - or that which then followed! The old Gas Works that were next to Crown Road are now a 'giant' Sainsburys! Even though my connection with Sutton is really only from the late 1980s onwards - I too, felt the wondrous spirit of the place - as if there was no limits to what could be achieved!

Hello Adrian, sorry, I cannot help at all with Crown Road. Manor Park Road (?) was Sutton East School, a friend I met later in life taught there, you went through the park and turn right. I cannot recall the Gas Works and I have asked my father (97) on both and he cannot recall either now. I have not been back to Sutton since about 1972 and keep the image of old Sutton in my mind. Yes, it was a very good place to live. 20mins by train to Victoria and the West End. 20mins to Banstead and the Heath. Was shocked to hear of the fire a few days ago but did not recognise the road from the TV News. Sainsburys used to be a shop that you waited in a queue for your butter to be patted, your cheese to be cut and you paid at the window at the end of the hall. It was somewhere between Renee Shaw Clothes and Shinners. Waitrose was about half way down the High Street and tucked into a side road on the left going down, about level with Woolworths and BHS. Terrific memories. All the best.

I lived in Carshalton from 1941 to 57 so I remember the old Sutton. 2 cinemas.Granada & Gaumont. I went as a 11 year old to a wedding reception in the Granada dining room upstairs. Later as an early teen I ,& many others went to the first house at 4:00 PM on Sundays. Met some nice girls there.
We, 10 or 11 of us went in from Carshalton to see Elvis Presley in "Love me tender " I think it was at the Gaumont.
When we came out we got a bit ? rowdy & one of our crew ( we were mostly " Teddy boys " ) stood in the middle of the road & shouted " I am in a family way " & ten voices echoed back "You are in every f ***** s way. We were all fined a weeks wages which at that time for us was £2:00 & bound over to keep the peace.The lad who did the deed later commited suicide. Family troubles I understand.
anyway not long after that I ,with my family moved out of the area. That was 1957. I have never been back since.
I understand that the Granada is now part of Throwley road
& is the Police station opposite where the Cinema was ?
Some good times had in Sutton.
I have just remembered .my father took us from Carshalton to Sutton Gasworks in the winter of `47 for a load of coal.We took an old pram & waited what seemed like hours.
I was only 8 at the time so it is all a bit vague now at nearly 83.
Anyway thankyou for reading my little tale about Sutton. All a long time ago. I now live in Devon & have done so for 45 years.But some of the good times still come up in conversation now & then.

Wonderful memories, Anton. Thank you for sharing and take care of yourself. Best wishes, Rita

I went to the Crown Road Junior school and the next door wilcocks Road Infants school having lived nearby on Beauchamp Road. The schools were always known as the Crown Road schools (even in my mothers day) however I believe they were part of the Sutton West schools. From these schools most children carried onto the Sutton West secondary modern boys school on Thorncoft Road or the girls school on Clyde Road. Both these latter schools joined together the 1963/64 school years. My last day at the boys school was 1963

I used to rent a Studio flat in Sutton Court Road back in 2012, number 26 - a lovely old Victorian house which I imagine was one family home at one point. Would love to hear from anyone that used to live in Sutton Court Road and what it was like back then, maybe even some photos?...