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We want primarily to fund the manufacture of a high-quality commemorative plaque. Ad...
Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream
London, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Raising funds for a plaque celebrating Marc Bolan in Summerstown, where Mark Feld began his transformation into Britain's biggest pop star!
Thanks to everybody out there who showed their love for Marc and responded so generously to this appeal.
We are so proud this is happening and thanks to you, we have a beautiful blue plaque that we'll be unveiling on Summerstown's Tesco Express in just a few months time! Amazing! The big day will be Saturday 18 September but please keep an eye on the Summerstown182 blog in case there are any changes to the plan, always possible in these uncertain times. All being well, the action starts at 11am with 'Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream' Guided Walk from Tooting Broadway to Summerstown, where the plaque ceremony kicks-off at 1pm at 'By the Horns' Brewery, pretty much bang on the spot where the Feld family's prefab was located.
I'll also be doing a warm-up Tour, 6pm on Monday 13 September from St Andrew's Church, Garratt Lane - 'Marc Bolan's Wandle Wonderland' explores his little-known Earlsfield connection, on the banks of the River Wandle. Did the little river inspire a song about a swan? Its doubtful. If you want to come on either of these walks, to keep an eye on numbers, I do need to ask you to book in advance by emailing [email protected]
'Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream' celebrates our area's connection with one of Britain's most iconic and best-loved musicians.
In 1961, the Feld family moved across London into a small prefab home next to Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. Separated from his roots and friends in Stoke Newington, their 13 year old son Mark was thrust into an unfamiliar world in South West London.
His time in Summerstown was deeply formative, with teenage Mark finding his feet as an artist and songwriter busking on our streets. Within ten years, Marc Bolan was Britain’s biggest pop star and T.Rex were having the first of a string of Number One hits as champions of Glam Rock.
Although his original prefab house is gone, other key historical sites still exist. Mark busked at several nearby pubs, including 'The Prince of Wales’, which is now Tesco Express. The company have very kindly agreed to allow us to place the plaque on their building.
Funds raised will pay for the manufacture of a plaque with a little left over to promote a community celebration event. This will take place on Saturday 18th September at 2pm, when it will be unveiled by a very special guest. There will also be community speakers and live music to mark the occasion.
We will promote the initiative through walks and talks and visits to schools. We will work with local artists, charities and community groups, maximising publicity for a memorable unveiling event. Photos and videos of previous occasions can be seen on the Summerstown182 blog.
The 'Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream' initiative was the brainchild of community history champion Geoff Simmons and musician Jack Hardman. We believe the placing of a plaque will add considerable interest to our area and be something the whole community can take great pride in.
We’re proud to have had Marc and his family living amongst us and his memory - and music - lives on. The plaque will be a terrific addition to Marc's legacy and be somewhere that fans will want to visit and reflect upon. We hope many of them will enjoy hearing about 'Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream' and consider helping us raise funds towards our project. We'll be giving everybody a guided tour of the area on the big day but invite fans to visit Summerstown and Tooting anytime and perhaps follow this 'Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream' self-guided walk.
Summerstown182 is a volunteer organisation founded and lead by Geoff Simmons. We have made a notable impact in our community over the last eight years, promoting lesser known local history in engaging and creative ways. Our work has been recognised with a number of awards; Sadiq Khan's 'Community Hero' and three Civic Awards from Wandsworth Borough Council. We were fortunate in 2016 to receive support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
This project successfully funded on 29th April 2021