Did you know?

...Balham has been settled since Saxon times, and is named after a farm that once covered the area.

...there has been a Sainsbury's in Balham since 1888

... Sarah Beeny - presenter of Channel 4's Propoerty ladder lives in Balham

...One of the first theatres to show only films was the Balham Empire , launched as a Pathé exclusive house in 1907.

Turin Brakes are a little duo with a big BIG future ahead of them they were nominated for a Mercury Music Prize 2001 and they are from yep... you guessed it! BALHAM....Olly Knights and Gale Paradganian first began making music together a local church choir in Balham when they were eight.

JIMMY HILL (the chin!) was born in Balham. Clubs: Reading (amateur), Brentford, Fulham Coventry City Manager 1961-66 Former Fulham Chairman Chairman PFA 1957-61

...John Sullivan Born in Balham, in 1946, wrote blockbusters Only Fools and Horses Dear John, Just Good Friends, Over Here Heartburn Hotel, Citizen Smith and many others.

1st Balham and Tooting (King of Siams) Scout Group
Balham has probably the oldest and still continuously running scout group in the WORLD. Formed in Elmfield Road in April/May? 1908. The King of Siam became the groups' patron in 1912.

Meets on Tuesday evenings in the Carlise Hall at St Marks Church. Children from 6 years old welcome. A traditional scout group that instills self discipline by example!

....Streatham has Naomi Cambell....Balham has a supermodel too (so there!)
Gail Elliott walked the runway with the likes of Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, and Christy Turlington (to name a few) back in the late eighties and early nineties, Biographical Information Height: 5'10" Measurements: 34-23-35 Dress Size: 6-8 Shoe: 9 !!!! Birthplace: Balham Ethinicity: A mix of Italian, Portuguese, Indian and Irish-English.

In 1982 Mickey Dolenz (of the Monkeys fame) directed a film based on the Peter Sellers radio classic: "Gateway to the South". Copies can be seen using RealPlayer by following the links below.

For ADSL - watch the Broadand version of "Gateway to the South"

For Modem - watch the narrowband version of "Gateway to the South"

...In October 1940 Balham underground station was hit by a bomb that burst a water main. Sixty-four people drowned. This story was never released until after the war, because many people sheltered from air raids in underground stations. If they had found out what had happened there might well have been panic.

One was an old lady recalling her involvement in the infamous 'Balham Bomb' in October 1940, when a bomb exploded outside Balham Tube Station, severing the water and gas mains, fracturing a sewer and fusing the lights. Within minutes a torrent of water was pouring down onto the north-bound platform, bringing tons of rubble and sand onto the 500 people sheltering there. My old lady was one of the four hundred or so who managed to escape. An attempt was made to rescue the others by floating a boat up the tunnel from Clapham South. But the rescue attempt failed and in the end 64 people died in the disaster. The devastation was such that it was not until Christmas that the last of the bodies were recovered.

Rodney Ackland
-Playwright Born in Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex, 18 May 1908. Educated at Balham Grammar School, 1916-23; Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art.

Tony Hawks' debut book, Round Ireland with a Fridge, was an irreverent satire. The topic of the sequel is even more absurd. Like Round Ireland, it supposedly originates from an obscure bet. This time, Hawks bets he can't track-down the Moldovan football team and beat them all at tennis. The loser must perform the Moldovan national anthem naked on Balham High Road. However, knowledge of tennis and/or football isn't required to enjoy the book.

MFI's (those DIY experts) first store was in Balham. opened in 1967. It was inexpensive, "no frills" selling. Customers ordered from the basic displays and salesmen ensured the goods were at the collecting point. hmmmm!

...One of the first theatres to show only films was the Balham Empire , launched as a Pathé exclusive house in 1907.

Arthur Ransome who wrote the Swallows and Amazons series stayed with relatives in Balham in 1904 the Yorkshire-born Ransome stated that Balham was- "the ugliest and most abominable of London's unpleasing suburbs" he decided to make the move across the Albert Bridge into one of the artistic quarters of the city.

Healy Willan 1880 - 1968 ...Balham, birthplace of Healy Willan, one of Canada's foremost composers!

Balham's Amateur Boxing Association finalist Karim Hassine is definitely a man to watch. Born in Tunisia, this unbeaten light middleweight has amateur pedigree but also possesses a "pro style". Managed by co-promoter Joe Pyle, Karim has the strength, talent and the determination be a star in the South London boxing firmament.

Fiona Welch began moulding body parts when she sculpted models for theatre and film. Then she discovered there was a big market for it. "Image Casting was born when I started doing babies' feet. Then I began to receive calls from women who wanted me to cast their breasts as presents for partners!" Fiona invested in a studio in Balham, but felt that she needed professional business advice to start profiting financially from her talent. She called Up & Running, the support scheme for new businesses, and signed up on its mentoring service.

"The Damned" formed in 1976.
This UK punk group comprised of Captain Sensible (b. Raymond Burns, 24 April 1954, Balham, London, England), Rat Scabies (b. Chris Miller, 30 July 1957, Surrey, England; drums), Brian James (b. Brian Robertson, England; guitar) and Dave Vanian (b. David Letts, England; vocals).