St Helier Memories, a website that remembers how life used to be on Sutton’s St. Helier Estate, is looking for contributions from anyone with recollections of life in the area.
The site is run by volunteers from the Circle Local History Group and was set up with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It acts as a ‘memory bank’ for people to share anecdotes, stories and photographs of life on the estate, and also features oral history recordings.
Cllr Simon Wales, Executive Member for Communities, Transport and the Voluntary Sector on Sutton Council, said: “Some of the memories which have already been shared paint a vivid picture of life on the St Helier Estate, from when it was first built to the present day.
“We’re lucky in Sutton that we have such strong, close-knit communities and the Helier Memories website is a lovely way of celebrating this. It’s your resource, so if you have a memory to share or want to see if you can spot any familiar faces from the estate, then do log on or get in touch.”
Visitors to the site so far have reminisced about topics as diverse as growing your own food during World War II, to an ingenious scheme to get into the Gaumont cinema for free, to getting carousel rides from the rag and bone man.
Memories begin with the reactions of the first people to move into the estate, many of whom came from cramped, decaying housing in inner London and moved out to the St Helier Estate to improve their living conditions. The most recent story details a street party held in Winchcombe Road in summer 2010.
The Circle Library holds regular local history exhibitions. The current exhibition, focusing on local big houses, farms and cottages will run until mid March, when the exhibition will go online on the Memory Bank. The library is currently looking for material on the local schools and the Wrythe Green area.
If you have any memories which you would like to share, email memorybank10@gmail.com|, or contact the Circle Library in person or by calling 0208 648 6608. To visit the website, go to http://www.heliermemories.org.uk|.
Posted on Friday 4th March 2011