Kick off your summer with a trip to 'Planet Tooting' the jewel of Wandsworth! Its been called 'The Vegas of South London' and Tooting SW17 has always been somewhere to go for a good time! It has an astonishing musical heritage... Marc Bolan, Sadie Crawford, M.I.A., Dennis Bovell and the reggae superstars at TMC Studios, Girlschool, Harry Lauder, Boney M, Mad Professor, Status Quo, Mud, UK Subs! Unbelievably, last year it was 70 years since Frank Sinatra alighted here on the opening date of his first UK Tour! But perhaps no story resonates more than 1st June 1963, the night The Beatles accompanied by Roy Orbison and Gerry and The Pacemakers kicked off the swinging sixties when they came to play The Granada and crashed out in Trevelyan Road!
Discover the venues, hear the stories, tread the streets and relive the sounds! From the Wimpy Bar where Marc Bolan flipped burgers to the TMC recording studio beloved by some of the biggest names in reggae and where Dennis Bovell first heard Janet Kay and the seeds of lovers rock were planted on Mitcham Road. From the salon where Charlie Harper 'The Grandfather of Punk' worked as a hairdresser to the pub where Status Quo developed their heads-down stance. Hear about Charlie Watkins, the Tooting Market stall-holder whose ear-splitting amps powered The Stones in Hyde Park. Discover the Tooting Tamil connection to the Grammy-winning soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire! This tour not only takes you to these locations but Geoff and Tooting Rasta Cycle Club will be illuminating them further by blasting out a relevant tune at each one. Its a unique party-on-the-street experience that should not be missed!
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. They range from the youngest soldier to serve this country in the First World War to a ground-breaking plaque acknowledging Romany Gypsy and Traveller heritage in Wandsworth. 'Planet Tooting' is an ongoing initiative championing the outstanding migrant contribution to our neighbourhood which resulted in a blue plaque on Tooting Market. Have a look on Geoff's blog for more details or follow @summerstown182 on twitter.
