Pooles Park School / tollington Park School

Cookie · May 2011

My first school was Pooles Park in 1961. I went to Tollington Park in 1967. Would love to know if they are still going. Was born and bred in Fonthill Road. My Parents bought our house when they married in 1949. It cost them just over £400! They found an old motorbike in the basement when they moved in. Wonder How much both of them are now worth?

Arkady · May 2011

Where are you now Cookie? I'd love to hear what the area was like in the '60s.

Cookie · May 2011

I now live in Essex close to the Suffolk border, so lots of beautiful countryside.
As a child in the 60's, we did not appreciate living in London, but you have set me thinking.Hope that this will whet your appetite. At the bottom of Fonthill road was the amazing Astoria Cinema. It was a masterpiece. Above the screen was what I can only describe as a Spanish or Mexican 'village'. It was built to look as if there were houses there, and I remember seeing a rug draped over a rail as if someone was living in there. It never ceased to fascinate me. and as a child I really wanted to visit this 'village' .

Arkady · May 2011

The 'village' was resored by the Evangelical Church when they took over the building. Lots of links to pictures on this page: <http://cinematreasures.org/theater/1243/>;

becky · May 2011

Pooles Park primary school is still here. You can see it on [google maps](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=safari&q=N4+3NW&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=London+N4+3NW,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&ll=51.564693,-0.112159&spn=0.006189,0.01929&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.564761,-0.112018&panoid=pEX9QLp3SQOvzNgS7ZB8uA&cbp=12,359.11,,0,-2.5). There is reference to Tollington Park School on this earlier [thread](http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/2540/tollington-park-school/). I believe Tollington Park School became George Orwell School, which is now called Islington Arts and Media School. The site still has Victorian buildings, although most buildings are more modern. There is a Tollington Schools [website](http://tollington.com/).

Cookie · May 2011

Almost forgot to mention, I remember when The Beatles arrived to do a concert at the Astoria. I was just a kid but I remember the noise of the enormous crowd waiting to go in. Finsbury Park had never seen anything like it ! Met a lady, a pensioner, a couple years ago who now lives in Essex, and she was one of the screaming fans.
Does anyone out there remember Linda the Chimpanzee in the 60's?
Linda was housed in a cage, in a type of garage in Moray Road, with a talking Mynah bird for company. Linda however was considered to be a family member, and as such, used to spend time in the house of her owner. She escaped one day, which caused absolute chaos until she was caught.

R&J · May 2011

Frank Zappa broke his leg at the Astoria (then called the Rainbow). Someone in the crowd threw him off the stage

Cookie · May 2011

Of course! I had forgotten that the Astoria became the Rainbow, but that was after I left . One of my favourite groups of the early 70,s was Focus. I believe that they played there too. Would love to have seen them. A friend of mine was a fan of Frank Zappa. Personally, I could not get into his music. Wonder why he was thrown off the stage? Was it his wife for calling their son 'Dweezel'

Ali · May 2011

Hocus Pocus brings back the memories 2nd ever album I bought after Imagine bright purple cover if I remember correctly also brings back memories of ELP, I wonder what happened to them. They were great in concert with Mr Emerson and his daggers and organ etc.

Cookie · May 2011

Where did you live you live in Fonthill road? Do you remember Wadlings, the shop at the top of the road?

Alex · May 2011

Thanks for the link to photos, Arkady. The church certainly seems to have looked after the building, whatever else one thinks of them. [This one](http://flickr.com/photos/hjuk/2558335149/) shows the village scene complete with rug draped over a rail as Cookie remembers.

Arkady · May 2011

I think that the interior is listed so they probably didn’t have a choice. But maybe that’s curmudgeonly and we should give the exploitative Brazilian fraudsters credit where it’s due.

Cookie · May 2011

Oh Wow, what amazing photo's! To be able to see the 'village' close up has made my day, especially the rug over the rails. I never saw the upper circle, too expensive, wish that I had because it is just as amazing.I used to go to Saturday morning pictures there. It used to cost 6d, (or just under 3p today.) but I do not remember any kids being allowed upstairs to the 'posh' part. Sometimes on the way home,we used to buy chips from a fish shop in Fonthill road. It wasn't a typical fish and chip shop, as fresh fish was it's mainstay it seemed.

taff bach · May 2011

Cookie- I work at Islington Arts and Media School and would be happy to take you round if you come up to London. It is presently undergoing a £30 million refit!

Cookie · May 2011

taff bach. Are you welsh? Gobeithiaf eich b'od yn iach? If you do not know the Welsh language, let me know please bach. my Dad was not able to learn his native Language because it was banned.

Ali · May 2011

Lets hope she/he is

taff bach · May 2011

cookie, I am Welsh and speak a little though I never went to a Welsh school. I had to read the lords prayer in Welsh at my sisters funeral in Chile last week. Thank God I was the only one who understood how bad I was! They all said it sounded beautiful. Ta waith

taff bach · May 2011

I also meant to point out that my grandfather used to pick up the slate that children passed to each other if they were heard to speak Welsh. After two months of weekly beatings the headmaster gave up and my Taid got 2/6 from his father.

taff bach · June 2011

Caernarfon, but my father was from Cardiganshire.

Cookie · June 2011

@ taff bach, sorry that I could not get back sooner, interested to hear your history. My Father came from the Rhondda Valley. One day I hope to visit my Father/ Grandparent's home. I have some old photo's of it. I found and saw the house on Google earth, and it was such a strange feeling to see part of my heritage.

johnthewoodman · July 2011

cookie..... Do you remember Nancy McCormack who had a son called Tony,and also Mrs Rafferty who had a daughter i think her name was Catherine and a son called Bernard who lived in Fonthill Rd ?

tinkerbel · September 2011

Hi Cookie, we have just set up a new Pooles Park website http://www.poolespark.com/ - please have a virtual look around - it's all very new and no doubt there are lots of things to be added/corrected/changed - but it's a start! I would be happy to show you round in reality if you are this way.

Cookie · September 2011

@tinkerbel. Just visited http://www.poolespark.com and got a bit of a shock when I saw Playford Road. In 1959, when I was 3yrs old, my Mum gave birth to my Sister. However, both Mum and my New born Sister were extremely ill, and as I learned in later life, were not expected to live. My Father had to work, so my older brother and I were taken to a 'Nanny' who lived in Playford Rd to be looked after. It was late Dec/Jan and I can remember those dreadful dark mornings being taken to a 'nanny' who made my life even worse. I remember crying behind a settee, and the 'nanny' not seeming to care. This may seem unbelievable now, but that is how it was in those days.

tinkerbel · September 2011

Hi Cookie - do you have any memories of Pooles Park?

tinkerbel · September 2011

Or better - any photos?

Cookie · September 2011

@tinkerbel, I have several memories of Pooles Park School, but sadly no photographs. Do you work at the school? Would love to revisit. Bet that todays pupils are not asked to deliver the Dinner Register to the kitchen staff on the top floor any more! I was asked to do this only once, sadly. The 'Dinner Lady' in charge had a jar of sweets on her desk, and I was given one for bringing the register.Sweets were not allowed, so I had to chew it at a rate of knots before I returned to my classroom. Happy Days!

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