Long Live Our Tooting Woman Mayor!
Not that there ever was, but if there were any doubts about the exceptional character of Constance Agatha Cummings-John, they were put to one side, when a few weeks before the unveiling of her plaque...
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Stories
Exploring the lives and heritage of Summerstown, from the trenches of the Great War to the vibrant streets of today.
Seeking Sir Patrick’s Statue, Mumbai Police Chief from Kilskeery
Last summer a striking bronze statue was revealed on Lake Road near Ricards Lodge School in Wimbledon. It was of Sister Nivedita , an Irishwoman who did great work as an educationalist and champion...
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Freddie the WW2 tortoise
Its been a few years since I first heard a remarkable tale about a tortoise that had ‘survived the Blitz’ and was something of a local celebrity in a quiet corner of Tooting. It took a while to track...
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476 Garratt Lane
Take a walk down Garratt Lane and ask anyone of a certain age if they remember ‘Barney’s’ and a warm smile of recognition is sure to flitter across their face. Whether its the memory of that first...
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Rollissons Tooting Nursery
There is a network of streets on Planet Tooting that produce the occasional flourish of most unusual planting, some of which would not be out of place on a tropical island or in a rain-forest. There...
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The Corruganza Boxmakers
The Corruganza box factory in Summerstown, south west London, came onto my radar when I was doing a local First World War centenary project. Going over 1911 census records I was surprised how many...
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Totterdown Fields Forever
Exiting Tooting Broadway tube station, the imposing bronze figure of King Edward the Seventh seems to gently usher visitors towards the delights of Upper Tooting Road. Like some over-sized regal...
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The People of Wardley Street
The stretch of the Wandle Valley near where I live has a cluster of Victorian cemeteries with enough history to keep any graveyard sleuth fully occupied for several lifetimes. They each have a...
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Toots Musical Roots
Its about half way down Mitcham Road heading south of Tooting. The colourful yellow, green and black façade of Mixed Blessings West Indian Bakery will soon be further enlivened by the addition of a...
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Marc Bolan’s Teenage Dream
Growing up in Northern Ireland in the early seventies, we needed an injection of glam rock more than most and ‘Top of the Pops’ was my weekly shot of escapism. Slade, Sweet and Wizzard were all...
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Flower to the People
Raising spirits as we went into lockdown, this spring saw a glorious carpet of historic daffodils emerge all over Tooting and along Garratt Lane. A blast of sunshine cheering people up on their daily...
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The Village People
It was approaching the longest night of the year as a rainbow of sweetly-scented summer flowers ushered me into the Dairy Walk. Barely a tennis ball’s throw away from the world famous tennis courts,...
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