Tooting Newsie Weekly Newsletter
Christmas trees & events springing up everywhere, a fight to save a local pub, Totterdown Street's pedestrianisation begins, ways to help those in need this Christmas, new openings, & much more...
The Tooting Christmas tree has landed on the corner of Mitcham Road and Church Lane! It’ll soon be decorated and the lights will be switched on in a ceremony on Thursday 4th December, alongside an outdoor Christmas market in the grounds of St. Nicholas Church, Tooting, performances from local schools, and live music!
The event takes place 4pm-8pm, with the lights switch-on at 4.30pm.
More info on this and other Christmas events around Wandsworth via Wandsworth Council.
… and The Furzedown Christmas tree is also up on the corner of Mitcham Lane and Thrale Road! It’ll soon be decorated and the lights will be switched on in a ceremony on Friday 5th December, 3pm to 5.30pm (switch-on at 4pm), with singing from local schools!
More info on this and other Christmas events around Wandsworth via Wandsworth Council.
The Streatham Rookery Christmas Fair, with the Streatham Common Co-operative, is just under 2 weeks away on Sunday 7th December, 10.30am-3.30pm!
The event promises a great festive day out for all ages, situated in the beautiful gardens of Streatham Rookery. There’ll be over 40 craft and gift stalls, delicious hot food, live music, carol singers, marshmallows to toast, and mulled wine & hot chocolate to drink.
They’ll also have a beautiful lit woodland trail, and Santa’s Grotto – AND there’ll also be crafts, wreath making, funfair rides and more! Plus it’s dog-friendly!
The Fair takes place at The Rookery, Covington Way, Streatham, SW16 3BX. More info via the Streatham Common Co-operative Instagram.
Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary Magdalene Church on Trinity Road in Tooting!
Stroll through the Victorian church with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, surrounded by a forest of sparkling Christmas trees. Each tree is sponsored by a local business, a charity, a local family or group, with its own unique and imaginative decoration.
There’ll be fun activities for kids, and a chance to visit Santa in his grotto and get a present. Plus refreshments and stalls including beautiful floral decorations, home produce, craft activities and even model steam and clockwork trains!
The annual St Mary Magdalene Prize Draw will also take place, with lots of great prizes to be won!
All proceeds from the Festival go towards the Awareness Foundation, an international charity which aims to build peace through education, which was founded by the church’s very own Revd. Nadim Nassar.
The trees will be displayed in the church throughout the advent period, with the Festival taking place on Saturday 6th December, 4pm-6.30pm. There’ll also be a Christmas Carol service on Sunday 14th at 5pm.
For more info, visit their website.
The next Mega Skip Day takes place from 9am this Saturday 29th November, in six locations around Wandsworth, including Tooting.
Mega Skip Days are an opportunity for people to dispose of bulky items for free. Large skips are placed in neighbourhoods around the borough for all local residents to use.
The skips are open to residents of the London Borough of Wandsworth only. Proof of address may be required on the day.
The skips will be in the following places:
• Church Lane car park, SW17 9PP
• 2613 Malva Close, SW18 2JU
• 60 Larch Close, SW12 9SY
• 88 Putney Park Lane, SW15 5HU
• 9 Acanthus Road, SW11 5TY
• Winstanley estate, SW11 2NU
More info, including details of what you can bring and when the skips will be open, via Wandsworth Council.
Tooting Community Kitchen host their first ever fundraising pub quiz on Tuesday 2nd December, with some fantastic quiz & raffle prizes from local businesses! Raffle tickets are only £3, or 5 for £10, and quiz entry is only £5!
The quiz takes place at Wheatsheaf Tooting – book your place HERE.
Tooting Community Kitchen aim to help alleviate poverty in SW London by helping feed the homeless and those in need, and provide them with other vital resources. More info, including how to volunteer, via their website.
Tooting-based property advisor, Homes With Chuk, has been out and about asking people what they love about Tooting Bec, and what their favourite road in Tooting Bec is – and wants to know yours too!
“When I carry out viewings in Tooting with someone new to the area, or when chatting on the phone before confirming an appointment, I always ask, “How well do you know the area?” or “is there a particular part of Tooting where you’d like to live?”
“There is a wide variety of answers, but it always helps when people have a specific part of the area that they prefer, or even narrow it down to a street that they’d like to live on (or just like).
One of my favourite roads has always been Ritherdon – I’ve always admired the red brick period houses and love how wide it is. Plus, it’s one of the few roads in the area where your wing mirrors are safe!
“What’s your favourite Tooting Bec Road? Let us know in the comments!”
To find out more, email Chuk at hello@homeswithchuk.co.uk, call 07940 546 190, DM him at Homes with Chuk, or pop into Tooting Works at 89 Bickersteth Road and ask for him at reception!
Calling parents of little ones aged 2–4! Join Broomwood Pre-Prep for a magical Teddy Bears’ Christmas Party on Sunday, 30th November from 9:30am to 11:00am at their Ramsden Road site. 🎄🧸
Parents and children are warmly invited to enjoy a morning filled with festive crafts, games and seasonal activities, all in a relaxed and welcoming setting. Little guests will also have the chance to meet the much-loved Broomwood Bear, who’ll be joining in the Christmas fun!
For those who haven’t visited recently, this is a lovely opportunity to experience their newly designed premises and Early Years garden.
Spaces for this festive morning are limited — book your free place HERE.
Broomwood Pre-Prep is located at 192 Ramsden Road.
For more info, visit their website.
If you’d like some admin help – whether personally or for work – Balham-based virtual assistant, Magdalena, helps local residents and small business of all kinds and has some weekly / monthly capacity to take on new projects in 2026!
With 11 years experience working in administration, Magdalena can assist with all sorts of tasks, big & small, including:
• general administration (emails / bookings)
• diary & calendar management
• social media
• issuing invoices
• scheduling meetings
• client management
Magdalena would be very happy to hear from people that need her services, even if it’s just for 2-3 hours a week.
To find out more and arrange a discovery call to go through the process, your specific needs and answer any questions you have, please email magdalenavirtualpresence@gmail.com or call 07951 380 839.
🎄 SW17 Premier Trees are BACK in Tooting🎄celebrating their 19TH YEAR in SW17, with Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes at 882 Garratt Lane (just by Tooting Leisure Centre)! Trees start at just £25, and as always, they’re offering FREE local delivery!
Pop in to see them Monday-Friday 9.30am-8pm, Saturday 9am-7pm and Sunday 9am-6.30pm, or DM @sw17premiertrees (Instagram) for orders and enquiries.
Soul legend Junior Giscombe is singing the praises of the team at Tooting’s St George’s Hospital, who saved his career – after he feared he might never sing again.
Junior was treated at St George’s after his left vocal cord collapsed without warning, leaving him with a raspy, hoarse sound.
The 68-year-old from Essex first came to fame with his international chart-topping hit ‘Mama Used To Say’ in 1983, and has since enjoyed a successful solo music career across the world.
Junior is also a member of the British Soul Collective, alongside UK singers Omar and Don-e, and it was during one of the group’s performances that his voice suddenly deteriorated.
He sought medical help and underwent a voice-saving operation and a course of speech therapy with Elissa Finn and her team – meaning he can now sing again.
Full story via St George’s.
A group of dedicated Tooting volunteers have tasked themselves with saving the former Gorringe Park Pub’s legacy for future generations, reports My London.
A planning application is seeking permission to significantly extend the building and add six flats, in turn removing the existing kitchen, function room and much of the beer garden. Plans also show the door would sit within the historic façade.
In just a fortnight, more than 400 people have signed an application for the pub to become an Asset of Community Value (ACV). This offers greater protection against development, and introduces the right for groups to bid were the building be put up for sale.
You can find out more about the campaign via instagram.com/projectgorringe
Full story via MyLondon.
Work has begun on creating a permanently pedestrianised community space on Totterdown Street in Tooting, between St Cyprian’s Street and Blakenham Road, just outside the Tooting Market entrance.
The work follows a trial that included food stalls and seating, and after analysing community responses and other data, Wandsworth Council approved the scheme earlier this year.
Work is expected to be completed on the 23rd February, 2026. We’ll keep you updated on its progress.
You know that Christmas is coming to Tooting when Gio gets the panettones 🇮🇹 in!
Visit La Mediterranea, his shop and café at 174 Franciscan Road, for a fantastic selection of beautiful Italian panettones, with lots of different (and mouth-watering) varieties, including vegan and gluten-free – with more to come! Perfetto per Natale! 🎄🎉🎅🏼
Open Monday to Saturday 7am-6pm.
This November, Tooting plumbers Maintracts are running “Service Your Plumbing Like Your Boiler”, a local awareness campaign to support Men’s Health Awareness Month and raise funds for Movember.
Maintracts Director, Oliver Osmore, tells us, “The idea is simple – just like your boiler needs a regular service, so does your body! We’re encouraging men to book their boiler service and also schedule a separate health check-up this month to help catch issues early and spark conversations around men’s physical and mental health.
“The campaign is especially close to our hearts as my father and fellow Director, Malcolm Osmore, was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully it was caught early thanks to routine testing – and he’s now sharing his story to help others understand the importance of regular check-ups.”
You can read the full campaign blog and Malcolm’s story via their website.
Throughout November, Maintracts are also donating £5 from every boiler service to Movember to support men’s mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer projects.
Maintracts is located at Tooting Works, 89 Bickersteth Road, SW17 9SH. Find out more via their website.
An appeal from RSPCA South London – could you give a home to Salsa?
“1-2yo Salsa is still searching for her person and we think she keeps getting overlooked simply because she is so loyal🥺 When new people visit she hides, but the photos tell the real story! With the people she trusts she is relaxed, affectionate and completely at home. She is the kind of cat who chooses her human and loves them with her whole heart 💛
“Once she settles she is gentle, playful and wonderfully entertaining. She enjoys snoozing on laps, chasing toys and being part of the daily routine. Her fosterer says she is a joy to live with and such a sweet companion.
“Salsa is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, fleaed, wormed and ready for a calm and loving home. We think she will be happiest as the only pet, and while she can start off shy, she blossoms so beautifully once she feels safe.
“If you would like to give this lovely girl the home she deserves, please email enquiries@rspcasouthlondon.org.uk”
Tooting’s St George’s Hospital Play Team needs your help, helping Santa deliver Christmas to the children at the hospital! 🎄🎅🏼🎁
The Play Team provides support all year round to children and young people at the hospital, helping them to understand their treatment and reduce trauma related to hospitalisation.
If you can be an elf and donate a present, please visit their Amazon wishlist and pick a present for a child to wake up to on Christmas Day!
More info about the Play Team via their Instagram.
Local literacy charity Learn to Love to Read is asking the community to come together this Christmas to help children across Wandsworth discover the joy of reading.
The charity has launched its Christmas Challenge Campaign and Auction, featuring an array of incredible prizes generously donated by local businesses.
Not only will every penny raised go towards helping Wandsworth children learn to love to read, the auction coincides with their Big Give Christmas Challenge. This match funding campaign means that all money raised through the auction will be doubled by their generous pledgers and champion funder, The Childhood Trust.
There’s lots on offer, from a dining experience at Trinity Clapham, a year’s gym membership, Wimbledon tennis goodies, and a Battersea Power Station Lift Experience, to yoga and Pilates classes, ice cream vouchers, homemade cakes, pizza making, barista training, and much more. Get your Christmas shopping off to a great start and start bidding!
“Reading isn’t just about learning words — it’s about unlocking a lifetime of possibilities,” said Tara Coffin, Director of Learn to Love to Read. “We work with children and their families to make reading fun and engaging, helping them build confidence and discover the joy of books together.
“Every bid, every donation, every conversation about reading makes a difference,” Tara added, “We’ve seen first-hand how helping one child to love reading can change an entire family’s outlook.”
For more info and to bid, visit their auction page.
Learn to Love to Read is a Wandsworth-based charity dedicated to helping children read for pleasure and develop the literacy skills they need for life. By working with schools, families, and volunteers, the charity provides hands-on reading support, workshops, and community projects that make reading enjoyable and accessible for everyone. More info via their website.
Wandsworth Prison Welfare Trust (WPWT) has launched a Christmas Appeal to provide men leaving Wandsworth Prison this winter with warm clothes.
Their aim is to make sure no-one leaves the prison this winter without the offer of new socks, vests, underwear, joggers or tracksuit bottoms, fleeces or hoodies, and warm, waterproof winter jackets.
WPWT tell us, “Many men leave prison, whether at the end of their prison sentence or released not guilty, without any warm clothing. They often face very challenging circumstances, such as homelessness, sleeping rough on the streets or in a tent, or living in hostels which can be tough, even for someone used to prison life.
“We ask that donations consist of new items, particularly the underwear, joggers and tracksuit bottoms, as these are difficult to find in good condition for men and in sizes that will fit a multitude of different heights and shapes. New items also help maintain dignity and make distribution easier and safer for our team.
“We know from previous appeals that many people find buying online an easy way to donate. For example, Primark online has very suitable jogging bottoms for £6-£9, and packets of 5 boxers for £16.
“Please don’t buy black joggers or white underwear or send any second hand clothes, except short waterproof padded jackets and fleece tops.
“If you buy online or post clothes, the delivery address is: WPWT Christmas Appeal, HMP Wandsworth, Heathfield Road, SW18 3HU
“If you’d rather send a donation to WPWT, cash donations can be made on our website where there’s a donate button.
WPWT is a registered charity that works to provide prisoners in Wandsworth Prison with basic amenities, resources and activities in the prison, and to give them the best chance of rehabilitation and integration into the community when they are released. More info via their website.
Bargain Town has opened at 57-63 Tooting High Street (where Poundland was previously located), selling homeware, toiletries, partyware, confectionery, hardware and more. Check in-store for opening times.
Congratulations and good luck to the team!
COMING SOON TO TOOTING: Discount Bazaar is to open at 35 Tooting High Street, where Aldi was previously located. We’ll keep you posted...
The Mitre public house (now The Long Room), on the corner of Mitcham Road and Charlmont Road, 16 August 1914.
This old coaching inn, on the route into Surrey, was rebuilt in 1906. The pub was a popular starting point for charabanc outings. Here local children gather outside the Mitre, awaiting coaches to arrive for their day out. The old English word ‘Ye’ used in pub signs recalls the now defunct use of the letter Y which has now been replaced by our modern-day ‘th’.
From Balham & Tooting in Old Photographs by Patrick Loobey, ISBN: 0-7509-0722-3
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