'Stories from Keble Street' Guided Walk

Constructed alongside the new St Mary's Church, the first residents moved into newly-built Keble Street in 1904. The recently released 1921 census shines a light on these early inhabitants, putting their lives together after the First World War decimated this locality. A road bounded by five pubs, laundries, the box factory and the Summerstown Mission, this was a period of great upheavel and economic hardship. This unique Walk will go from house to house, telling the stories of these families, envisaging how they dealt with further turmoil and how the course of their lives might have changed over the following decades. Families like the Roberts at No23 where Dad Fred, a 'hot water pipe fitter' was conscripted in his mid-forties and left behind wife Louisa and six children. He survived the War and came back to have a seventh and all nine of them were still there one hundred years ago. Quite a few residents worked at the nearby Corruganza carboard box factory and some were possibly involved in a historic strike there by young women workers, commemorated a few years ago with a blue plaque. Electoral rolls show that many of the 1920s families were still there by the late sixties, having lived in the street for nearly half a century. They witnessed the arrival of Wimbledon Stadium, greyhounds and speedway. They saw the Wandle flooding and nearby streets washed away. They were joined by new migrants; people who came from Europe or former British colonies to staff the new National Health Service and construct roads and houses rebuilding a shattered city. Bringing their culture, food and music, they livened up the gloomy post-war decades. Narrowly missing a V2 rocket which landed on nearby Hazelhurst Road, Keble Street was untouched by any Second World War bombing. Apart from a bit of cladding, pebble-dashing and a considerable number of attic extensions, the street looks pretty much the same today as it did when it was built.

Geoff Simmons runs a community history project in south west London called Summerstown182 alongside his job as a graphic designer. This involves Guided Walks and Talks, working with schools and putting up plaques. Over the last ten years a trail of these have emerged along the Wandle Valley, shining a light on some of the lesser-known history in this area. Have a look on Geoff's blog for more details or follow @summerstown182 on social media.

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Host or Publisher Geoff Simmons, Summerstown182