Walworth Road Baths Remembered

Walworth Road Baths Remembered

Four Souf London girls
Only 10 years old
Three white and one black,
Me.

Four Souf London girls
Off on an Adventure
Up the Walworth Road,
Linda, Carol, Maggie and me.

Going to a washhouse
where Carol’s nan used to bathe
And Linda’s too
Sometimes,
But not mine.

My granny’s public wash place
Was the sea in Jamaica,
Commonly known as the Caribbean Sea.
Somewhere I have heard about it,
But never seen.
Except for a spot on a map
Someone I have heard about, but not seen.
Not even a photograph.

Walking from Kennington to the Elephant
To catch a bus to Walworth Road
What an adventure!

Four Souf London girls
Clutching our bags
As we laugh and skip our way
Through 1960’s London
To a public washhouse
Just for fun.

To us it felt like going to the swimming baths
But here they gave you soap.
I loved that tiny tablet of soap.
I took it home to show my mum!

Four Souf London girls
Each in our own separate cubicle.
Door locked but shouting at each other.
Acting in unison
Through each of our commentaries
Echoing
Echoing
Echoing.

‘I’m getting undressed now.’
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’

‘I am running a deep bath!’
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’

I am taking my soap home.
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’

I’m going to get out now.
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’
‘So am I!’

So we washed ourselves
With the soap we bought from home
And used our towels to dry ourselves.
And enjoyed the fun of it all.

Each emerging, glowing
From the steam of the small compartment
And ready for the next stage of our adventure.

A walk to the pie and mash shop
Linda and Carol debating the merits of liquor or not.

Maggie and me listening.
Anticipating our second new experience of the day
But that is another story.

Doreen