Timeline of Tooting High Street
A small snapshot of how the High Street has evolved over the years. Click on the images to see larger versions.
1932: THE MAYFAIR OPENS
The Mayfair cinema opens and is renamed the ABC in 1933.
1939 – 1945 WORLD WAR II
1946 – JA TAYLOR OPENS
JA Taylor Bakers opens. Many years later people will recognise it as one of the 800 sites belonging to Greggs.
1970s: DAVIES OPENS
Davies the pram shop opens.
1973: GRANADA CLOSES
Granada Cinema closes due to declining audiences.
1973: SREE KRISHNA OPENS
Sree Krishna opened in 1973 and was the first South Indian restaurant to open in Tooting. The business permanently closed in 2020.
1976: ST. GEORGE’S, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
St. George’s, University of London (medical school) moved to Tooting.
1976: GRANADA REOPENS
Granada reopens as Granada Bingo Club.
1979: MAYFAIR CLOSES
The ABC (Mayfair) Cinema closes.
1980: ST. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL OPENS
St. George’s Hospital opened its doors in Tooting.
1980: SAMRAT OPENS
Samrat opens. The family-run restaurant now claims to be the longest-established curry house in Tooting.
2008: M&S CLOSES
M&S closes in Tooting with a plan to open a superstore in Colliers Wood.
2011: PRIMARK OPENS
Primark opens in Tooting on the site of the old M&S.
2012: SAM’S 99P OPENS
Sam’s 99p shop opens on the site that used to house the Gordon Bennett public house. It had been converted into a retail space after suffering bomb damage in the war. It was originally the Broadway Palace Theatre.
2015: CARRIER BAG CHARGE INTRODUCED
The 5p single use carrier bag charge is introduced in shops to try to combat the impact they are having on the environment. The government encourage retailers to donate the proceeds to charitable causes.
2017: SAVERS AND ICELAND OPEN
Savers and Iceland open on the redeveloped site that used to house The Astoria Cinema (formerly the Tooting Electric Pavilion).
2021: B&Q OPENS
B&Q opens on what used to be the site of:
Date | Name |
1887 | C and J Attlee, Brewers |
1900 | Leonard Wood *, C Attlee and Co. Tooting Brewery |
1908 | Tooting Brewery Ltd. |
1910-1911 | Tooting Brewery Ltd. |
1914 | Leslie Warner Shoe Co and Electroscope Theatre, J Fabro, Junior Manager |
1918 | Leslie Warner Shoe Co and Our Premier Picture House, Leon Valley, Manager |
1940 | Dolcis Shoe Co. and Vogue Cinema (14 and 16a) |
1960 | Dolcis Shoe Co. and Vogue Cinema (14 and 16a) |
1974-1976 | Mecca Bingo Club |
1997 | Mothercare |
2012 | Lidl Supermarket |
2021 | B and Q Tooting |
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