Yep, bored again.  Think my brain has switched off due to all the work I’ve been doing lately, and of course in anticipation of having a nice holiday.

I have often heard rumours that my local town hall in Wallington, Surrey housed various concerts and gigs fronted by some of my favourite bands.  According to local sources Hendrix, The Who, Eric Clapton (blah blah blah……) have all played there so I decided to google it.

I didn’t find anything I could view at work (bloody I.T.!) but I found a couple of reasonably interesting facts about my hometown.

The name ‘Wallington’ derives from the Anglo Saxon “Waleton” meaning “Village of the Britons”.  The part of Wallington that I live in is called Waleton Acres so I found that rather quaint.  I’ve always known that Carshalton (the town next to Wallington and place of my birth) is in the Domesday Book, but Wallington appears as of 1086 and was held by William the Conqueror.  He must have had big hands?

The local area itself has a great deal of history, especially Carew Manor which once accomodated Anne Boleyn, eventual wife (poor thing) to Henry VIII.  Oliver Cromwell also passed through Beddington park; you can find various bust and scultpures of Cromwell on buildings in the area.  Lavender oil was also produced on farms locally.  Lovely.

Perhaps my favourite bit of local history is that Jeff Beck, guitarist with 60’s group the Yardbirds, was born in Wallington and lived in Demense road which is quite literally the road next to mine.  How funky is that?!?!

If only I had been born 20 years earlier.  “Hello Jeff, fancy being in my band mate?  Yep?”  twaaaaang!!  “ROCK!”