Battersea Savona Estate 80s

A Memory of Battersea.

Went to St George’s school, had a best friend called Jennifer - she was always happy and laughing, but dippy - loved her, wish I could find her now, can’t remember her surname.
So the school is still there but nothing like it was in our days - Head Teacher, Mr Gibbs would smoke his pipe in his office - always stank of tobacco. He was very old fashioned - would pull u by your ear. I was lucky, but a boy called Simon, who was always naughty, wasn't so lucky - couldn't do that these days, the Head would be suspended - no real discipline these days. He would have the lions den on his office door - it really did feel like there was a lion behind the door if u were sent there.

We used to do rounders, cross country, country dancing - I’d be swung so hard my feet would lift from the floor - that’s was when I was partnered with Mr Gibbs. We all had to get a partner - if I didn’t find one quick enough I would end up with Mr Gibbs - he was big and tall, I was tiny and petite. Yes, he would join in the fun, he was a real sport - we loved it tho. He would put on his own firework night. Every year he would be there, red faced, all flustered stroking his tiny bit of thin hair over his bald patch, lighting the fireworks but looking pleased with himself once they were lit. He was strict, but such a good Head - one of the best I’d say. We would compete in most events sports day and yes we would get icepoles or iced lollys after. Carol singing at Christmas, cricket - he would drive some of the kids in his camper van and they would have to sit at the back where it was really hot in the back of them old camper vans, in a thick cricket jumper, sweating before you got to the the event, playing other schools for a cup. He took us on a trip to Wales for 5 days - one of my best memories.
I had a few different teachers - one of my faves was Miss Boyd, she always looked old. I remember her tooth falling out in front of the whole school during assembly and her trying to pop it back in - and her sharing some sweets if we were quiet and well behaved. We were only allowed one - just one - but we would have our hands in the tub if she went out of the room - grabbing handfuls and scoffing them.

In the last years I had Miss Park. She was new to the school - she was nice. I remember her catching nits hahaha but hey the school was running with them - get rid of them one day catch them the next.

So I grew up in the Savona Estate - donut factory around the corner. We would terrorise or steal donuts. A pub on the corner at the back of Wenham House - can’t remember what it was called, but I’d beg money off the smelly man - he always smelled like pee and be drunk, but he would give us money if we asked. I think he didn’t want us terrorising him. Some of the other lads on the estate would spit on him, poor man. I never did, we just wanted money for sweets. We would see if we could get anything out of the phone box, or see if any change was left - sometimes we were lucky, even if it was just 10p. I'd run to the shop and buy a 5p icepoles and halve them with my best friend. Anytime I had money I’d knock for her and we would run straight to the shops - we didn’t really get much money when we were kids. If u did u knew your mum got double money that week - she would be able to cash in 2 giros, but boy we would suffer the second week. Chip butties for dinner if we were lucky or corn beef and rice - didn’t mind the corned beef, hated the shepherd’s pie, tinned peas and frozen mince - you would bite into gristle most of the time. I’d sometimes throw my dinner out my bedroom window if my mum let me eat it in there. One time my gold ring went with it - ended up in Herman’s overgrown garden -never did find it.
Just opposite his garden was a derelict space (now flats I think) where me and my sister used to carry crates from the factory there and build a camp - had hours of fun. My mum caught me playing with matches there once, lol I did get in a lot of trouble, I’m sure I got a hiding for it. In those days u could talk about it at school, getting a beating, and it was normal, nothing was ever said. It was spoke about aloud to your mates during lessons and it was normal. Where I lived, u can hear thumping u can hear your neighbours having sex. We would get the broom and bang on floor boards when we heard them doing it, lol. That was our neighbour, she was very loud lol. She had a son we used to sometimes play with - we would sometimes pinch some of his pocket money for sweets, or should I say me. I only remember when I done it - think I was the more daring one, but my mate would share the sweets with me tho not sure if she remembers that time.
I had one best friend from school and one where I lived in my block - then there was this other girl - she always had yummy stuff like jubblys. She never shared them - we always thought she was greedy, so me and my best friend kept our own and just shared with each other. The girl was on the pudgy side, I guess that’s why. Me and my mate would sometimes make up dances on the balcony. Some parents would lock there kids in the house so they could go to work - we would chat through the letter box - no one ever batted an eyelid, but we all looked out for each other. Neighbours would talk about each other behind thier backs, but still looked out for the kids, sort of.
We had a shop just across the road that was run by owners Michael and Sarah. I think Michael eventually died of cancer - he was Indian I think and so lovely, he used to call me 'trouble'. We would go there to get penny sweets - if it was your birthday u might get a free lolly pop, or if it was summer he would sometimes flick ice at u from the freezer. Then, when they left, it became Mohammed’s and his wife - he was nice too. He used to let my mum get food and fags on tick - by the time Monday came round on pay day, half of it was to pay off the shop keeper.
Me and my sister would also be out until we were starving, black hands from dirt, spending the whole day at Battersea Park at the adventure play ground. I remember one day Mum was on the balcony, worried, she was about to go to the phone box to call the police as we were so late home - she was fuming. She would scream over the balcony after us - u would hear her miles away - someone on the estate would tell us "your mum is calling u" - everyone knew it was her. We would run home and hope it wasn’t a call of anger and just a call telling us to come in. If she was in a good mood she would have her door wide open, Reggae music blaring and u would smell bleach coming along the balcony - she was on a cleaning frenzy that day. That usually meant her bf was coming over - she was happy, we were happy. Was a relief she wasn't throwing plates at our head because we didn’t do our chores.
Gosh I could write and write about old days - today kids are on tablets instead. I’m so glad I have lovely memories, I would go back and do it all over again. We don’t realise how great life was, it felt hard at the time but I now realise they were one of the best days of my life. Didn’t really have worries.
It’s sad seeing buildings disappear, It’s like watching history disappear.
I hope someone reads this and has some good history to write here. Feel free to comment .

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