We moved to Althea Street about 1955 from a slum dwelling in Paddington I would have been 4 or 5 years old. We lived upstairs in 6a the bottom rented out to pay the mortgage. We had no inside toilet and so no bath, we would go to North End Road pool where they had hot baths, Then they built some in Wandsworth Bridge Road along with a new library. We played street football and cricket and I remember the lamp lighter coming to light the street lamps (I don't feel that old though)..The Tonibell ice  cream van was a delight. My cub group 45th Fulham met across the road in the church hall.

We went to Langford school, walking and stopping along the way at either Harry Wrights or Johnsons (newsagents) for sweets. I remember the walk passing Vince grocers on the corner of Hazelbury Road ( a couple of the  Fulham players lived down there) Harry Wright was on the other corner.  

We shopped on a Saturday in North End Road going to the pub (waiting outside while mum & dad went to the pub) The Jolly Maltster's did small pies that were out of this world. A stall sold ex juke box records with no middles so you had to buy little pieces to push into them. The swimming baths cost about 4d and with a tanners you could have a swim and a soup and roll after. I remember the 28 bus costing three halfpence from Wandsworth Bridge to the pool. The summer we would go to King Georges outside pool in Wandsworth. There were 2 cinemas in Walham Green, the Odeon and the ABC Regal, We were Regal people (ABC minors) on Saturday mornings.  .

After school I went to the London Nautical in Waterloo. I joined the gas board as an apprentice gas fitter, starting in Watson House then working from Walham Green yard by the Police Station. There was a large gas showroom near Fulham Broadway and a lunch room underneath where we played snooker at lunch time. 

My family lived in Althea Street until about 1970.I left Fulham in about 1971 joining the army..