I am Tooting

I am

Tooting...

by

and young

I am Tooting… is a collection of poetry and art by children and young people.

It was made as part of a collection of projects for Sugar and Spice, a 2021-2022 community heritage project in Tooting.

Sugar and Spice turned the dial back in history. At the end of the Second World War, areas like Tooting needed to recover from the impact of bombings, rationing, and tragic loss of many lives. We set out to discover how the community was rebuilt after the war. How did the small stores and businesses flourish? How did migration positively impact Tooting?

Over the years, one of unique things about Tooting is the diversity of food on offer. In Tooting Market alone, you can sit around a bench with friends, and each have a different plate of food from a different part of the world. Originally, we intended to celebrate this in a cookbook.

However, as we started working on this, we came to appreciate the best stories came from the children celebrating themselves, as they began to talk about their own heritage through food and clothes. It illustrates how interconnected our world has become.

I am Tooting… is therefore a celebration of the young people, their families, Tooting and their connections to the wider world in 2022.

I am Tooting...

Diverse community coming out of Covid

Brings us back together in unity

Rushing back to the marketplace

All those little businesses

Workers with a happy face

Tooting Common no longer packed

Back to face-to-face contact

Tube flower stalls back in bloom

See the high street bright and new

Rainbows painted up on doors

Memories of street applause

Our community is thriving back

Finally, we are getting back on track

I won’t take it for granted

New friendships have been planted

Back in restaurants

No more takeaways

Happy faces, plates, and trays

Younger people taking over

But the older will always be remembered

Our community is built on stories

New generations light the embers.

Saphia and Suraya

We travel across the world plate by plate in Tooting

Tooting Market

I am happy I am Tooting. It is glorious. I am rice chapati I am chocolate, for energy I am cake Anon.

Curry & raindrops

You can see the whole world in Tooting

I am a brand-new dress that flies when I twirl

I am as noisy as a sunny day in Tooting I have lived in London

I am my own influencer

I love my white jumper dress it makes me feel like I fit in.

I like wearing jeans or leggings with dresses to restaurants

I buy from Sainsbury’s, next and Primark

I am funny, kind and unlucky

I am grateful for my kittens

I am hopeful I can get extensions for my hair.

Khaleela

I am in pain because of my knee

I am living in Tooting which is my life key

I am Indonesia, Burma, Asia, and London

I am my mum’s food

I am pizza in the box, with tabasco sauce on the side

I am learning from my mum who is so good at cooking

I am the big meals at Grandma’s with loads of people

I am grateful for the food on my table

Saphia

I am happy I am rooted I am cake I am learning from mum I am something amazing I am Spice Village I am Namak Mandi I am grateful for my house I am hopeful for having a great use Shayan

I am sporty, I am friendly I am rooted in London, Africa, and Asia

I am lucky to have so much variety of food I am influenced by my whole family, my mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, and great grandma I am all the ways you savour fish and chips because they are so crunchy, soft, and warm I am the memories of making cookies with my friend last year

I am expecting an Eid feast I am fish and chips on Fridays I am Tooting Market I make friends easily; I help people a lot and I never give up. I am grateful for the food I have the option for.

Fircroft Primary School

I am I am a piece of silk flying

I am busy getting Greg’s and pizza

I have lived in Egypt for 5 years

I am my red and grey jacket making me happy

I am a suit for a wedding

I am next

I am fast friendly and arty

I am hopeful to have a family

Mostafa

Tooting Market

People coming together to create a bigger world

Working together to make things better

We come together, sharing thoughts.

Loving and caring forever

Spreading positivity and contagious smiles for the world

Observing and passing talents 1 by 1

Looking after the world

Sharing laughs, sharing smiles, no matter what we can walk for miles

You like this, I like that, let’s go and have a happy chat

I appreciate Tooting market, you appreciate

Tooting Market, You and I think its lit.

Khadija

My broccoli looks like a baby tree

Smells like a stinky tree Sounds like

Feels good to chomp it away

Tilly, age 3

My broccoli looks like a fluffy tree

Smells like a tree

Tastes like a tree

Feels like a soft leaf

Sounds like crunchy leaves

Emma, age 5

Food Memories

pud sitting proudly

like

was made by

home

Rae

My first Toad in the Hole

Looks like a

Smells like freshly baked

Sounds like a

Feels soft like

Tastes like

Ruby

don’t eat me too fast

My Family’s Tomato Pasta

A shake of salt

A sprinkle of pepper

Some chopped olives

On tablespoon of date syrup

A drizzle of olive oil

A few pods of garlic

And obviously chopped tomatoes

Tomato pasta is the best

I love it so much

I could search for a tomato pasta filled treasure chest

As it fills the room, it smells of wonder I think and ponder What would I do without such things,

And whenever my parents say we’re having it for dinner I head ping

In my head

I decide like the colour red When it arrives on the table

I immediately stuff my face

And I can never take a break It’s my favourite food

Every time I taste it is sends me to the moon.

I am excited because I am with my friends

I am settling in London because I love fried chicken

I am England with roots in Greece

I am influenced by my mum, nan, dad

I am joyful because I love chicken

I am the memories of baking chocolate cookies

I am the memory of asking my mum if I can learn how to bake

I am chocolate, cake, cookies, and cupcakes

I am Sainsburys

I am funny, happy, and graceful

I am grateful for food and family

Saafia

I am a beautiful, hungry goddess

I am English, Jamaican, Grenadian and I have always lived here

I am the mess of cooking

I am reading a recipe online multiple time

I am hungry thinking of the traditions of birthday cake

I am McDonald’s at home

I am Sainsbury’s muffins Anon.

I am girl of happiness

I am Barbados, Scotland, Ireland, and England

I am my mum

I am warm food

I am the memories of baking muffins

I am my aunties recipes

I am ecstatic when we can McD’s

I am grateful for people who accept me who I am I am hopeful for everyone to stop judging everyone Ruby Rae

I am happy, helpful, and silly

I am glad I have nice neighbours

I am a fresh start in a new house

I am my fantastic and helpful family

I am my mum’s spaghetti Bolognese with a reckless sprinkle of cheese

I am the memories of a terribly cooked crab linguine

I am the memories of crushing the life out of the lousy crab

I am Sri Lankan curry with roti

My family is from everywhere

I am a citizen of the world

I am in love with food from Australia and France

But I am also sushi drenched in soy sauce and chopsticks

I am a pizza made with my dad

I am the memories of recipes googled

I am roast potatoes made by my grandma

I am mango and strawberry boba

I am funny, cheerful, and special

I am grateful for my family and friends

Jess

I am hyper because I had sugar

I am settling in London

I am Indian food at home

I am influenced by grandad, my dad, my mum, sister, grandma

I am happy when I have sushi because it boosts my mood

I am the memory of baking cupcakes and they tasted ok.

I am the memory of asking my sister to help me bake biscuits

I am Diwali with Indian food

I am McDonalds and Nando’s

I am Greggs

I’m funny, hyper, nice

I am family and food

I am hopeful for becoming an architect Saanchi

am a delicious

am a banana split with

am a burger, eaten

one

am the memories of making carrot cake

am Christmas dinner

am pizza with

marshmallow with chocolate

am

for my mum

a sister, a child, a

am from everywhere

birthplace is Scotland, I’m

Irish, lived in London twice, Scotland twice and America once

am my mother, who encourages us to try different foods

am warm fajitas in the kitchen, the smell is amazing

am the memories of baking double chocolate brownies

have made them for years, straight from Google with a touch of our own ideas

am Friday fajitas with a movie

the best of the week.

am grateful for my life; how much I’m given and have.

I am good I am great I am London I am my mum I am vegetables Anon.

I am funny

I am a sausage with ketchup with a pastel de nata on the side

I am Cheltenham, then Putney, then here

I am my mum

I am sushi, eaten with hands.

I am a pancake with chocolate spread and banana

I learn from my mum making it

I am roast chicken on Sundays (most of the time)

I am sushi, bacon, and ketchup

I am grateful for having a life

I am hopeful for me, my family, and friends to live long.

Arthur

I am growing up in a nice town

I am my mum

I am pizza, folded to eat

I am the memory of a vanilla sprinkle traybake

I am learning to cook by going online, with my mums help

I am roast dinner every Sunday

I am sushi, because it is so yummy, I have it occasionally

I am grateful for food

Anon.

I am rooted in Romania and South Africa

I am mum and dad

I am food with a fork

I am the memory of making pretzels

am learning from my mum and dad

am roast dinners, fish and chops and steak

I am noodles, curry, chicken, and popcorn

I am KFC, Nando’s and Sainsburys

I am silly, funny, and kind.

am grateful for everything

am hopeful for food

am

am

kind

happy

like to make

am grateful for food

Primary School

If these poems make you feel good, why not write your own poem here... P

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I am

I am Tooting… is a celebration of the young people, their families, Tooting and their connections to the wider world in 2022. A time capsule of memories, traditions and stories of how we see our heritage.

Made through workshops with children and young people as part of wider community project Sugar & Spice.