1950s And 60s In Sw17

A Memory of Tooting.

We lived in Mitcham road, Tooting, opposite St Boniface church hall. I went to Franciscan school in 1957, then switched to the JB school in 1958. Memories of playing in the school orchestra, playing in the school playground, Mr Davies the welsh teacher who taught us to play skittleball and being part of the team which won the south London skittleball championships at Effra school in Brixton..... Teddy Wilson who used to say
"I'm going bowling woodies wiv me luger" which, translated means I'm going to kill some woodpeckers with my catapault....playing knock down ginger, playing flick (cigarette) cards against one of the playground walls, buying home made lollies from the shop opposite the school gates...our class teacher Mr F Green saying....
"Make your colours thick, rich and creamy, boys" ...and practising saying the times tables out loud in class;
Mr Coombs was the headteacher when I was at the school. Sports Day at the Tooting Bec track (where Gordon Pirie used to train) and, btw, the famous John Tarrant (the "ghost runner") used to live in one of the streets very near the school ...and the lunatic asylum (or whatever it was called) by the common. Tooting Central Hall where we had concerts; buying a 19 shillings and sixpenny japanese transistor radio at Stones at Tooting Broadway... and in Tooting market seeing a stallholder cut up live eels on a slab. I could go on but I'll stop now...anyone else at Franciscan JB school from 1958-1962 ....?

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