My house (pictured below) was opposite Althea Street. It had the street name plate on the wall underneath our front room windows. I believe it is still there although the walls have now been painted. I could see Fulham Power station from the window and actually watched them take the big chimneys down. I can't remember the year. The view was never the same if you could call it a view.

 

The house was devided into two flats. We had the upstairs flat and Mr and Mrs Butler had the downstairs one. I called them Uncle George and Aunty Mary. Unfortunately, they have both passed away. When we had a party (and we had quite a few) we would open the whole house and had a barrel of beer on the bottom of our stairs.

Both flats shared the garden. it was a bit like a zoo. My dad raced pigeons so we had a big aviary at the bottom of the garden. We also had chickens for the eggs, I loved rabbits and had a special shed with hutches built in. I had about nine different breeds. We also had a small pond with gold fish, a tortoise,  terrapins, a dog called Spot and a cat called Boompsy I also had two hamsters and a guinea pig. I still have a love of animals but today keep it down to just a cat who is very special to me. 

                                          

We didn't have much money when I was growing up but lots of love which made up for it. I have two brothers one who lives in South Africa now. I can remember him telling me that when a bomb was dropped near the Shell Mex depot in Townmead Road he helped drive the petrol tankers clear. I wasn't even born then.

Looking at the picture again I noticed how empty the street looks without cars, I have spent many happy hours playing marbles in the gutter. I was quite good at marbles and used to beat the boys but they wouldn't always let me play. We did swaps and we all had our favorites and lucky one's. We also played rounders in the street, "knock down ginger" and two balls- a game where you put a ball in a stocking and with your back against the wall used to bounce it on the wall. I do feel that children are missing out on the simple things sat in front of computers. 

I went to Peterborough Road  Primary School, stopping at South Park to drink at the water fountain by the gate. I then went to Hurlingham Secondary School. I left there 1964/1965. Never did like school and couldn't wait to leave.

I married a boy from the opposite end of Stephendale Road and we moved up to Newark in 1969. We were married for 39 happy years. He passed away in 2003.