Planet Tooting ‘Mango Mania’ Guided Walk
One of the best places to experience South Asian Heritage Month in London is by taking a trip to ‘Planet Tooting’! Even better if it happens to concide with the extraordinary alphonso mango season when you can follow the sweet scent of this delicious fruit all the way along Upper Tooting Road! The Tooting-Wandsworth area of south-west London is so rich in history and the contribution of migrants dates back centuries to the arrival of French Huguenots. As its expanding population saw it turn from a village to a suburb, a wave of Jewish tailoring businesses saw Tooting High Street flourish. Over the last seventy or so years, the arrival of a migrant population helped rebuild a shattered post-war country, whether constructing houses, staffing London Transport or populating the newly-formed NHS. The Walk features the streets that shaped Sadiq Khan, St George’s Hospital, two outstanding indoor markets and a spectacular array of restaurants, eateries and shops reflecting a population who have come here from all over the world. Its migrant population has undoubtedly helped Tooting evolve into one of the most vibrant, cohesive and diverse communities in London. A competition among local schools invited young people to consider how this has enriched their community and the words of the winner are inscribed on the plaque which is above the entrance to Tooting Market where so many migrant people have for generations, worked, shopped or passed through. There are actually two plaques, one at both entrance. At the Totterdown Street one we held a lively community ceremony last year attended by over 300 people. The plaque was unveiled by schools competition winner Edward Mears and local residents who have come to live and work here from all over the world; India, Ireland, Jamaica, Pakistan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Uganda…
