'Marc Bolan's Teenage Dream' Guided Walk

49 years after his death, this Walk discovers the south west London world that shaped the teenage Marc Bolan; musician, poet, pop icon...

Five years ago, fans of Marc Bolan from all over the world raised funds to put up a historic blue plaque commemorating his formative years in Summerstown, south west London. On an unforgettable and emotional September afternoon it was unveiled by Andy Ellison who of course played with him all those years ago. Once again, we welcome Marc's fans to come to this fascinating corner of London and learn more about this important period of his life. Geoff will be repeating the sensational warm-up tour he did before the unveiling, but with new locations of significance and previously untold revelations. From Tooting to Earlsfield, via the site of his old prefab home, the schools, the shops, the workplaces, the fledgling gigs... this is a must for any of you coming to London this weekend, to mark the 49th anniversary of his untimely death.

The Walk starts at 11am from outside Tooting Broadway tube station, SW17 and winds through the town centre before heading to Summerstown and the site of the Feld family's prefab home. There will be many stops with an MB connection, places where you can pick up refreshments and have a breather. Along the way, to enhance the vibe, Fred will be laying down some of Marc's finest grooves. We finish on Garratt Lane, near Earlsfield Station SW18, with good transport connections if anyone is going on to any other events that evening. This Walk which follows the course of the historic River Wandle is part of the annual Wandle Fortnight programme so do take a peek at what else is on offer. Its rumoured that it was on this river that the young dreamer spotted the swan that inspired his first major hit... Wear a tall hat and a tatooed gown and see you on 13 September - as ever, Keep a Little Marc in Your Heart...

Geoff Simmons runs a community history project in south west London called Summerstown182 alongside his job as a graphic designer. This involves Guided Walks and Talks, working with schools and putting up plaques. Over the last ten years a trail of these have emerged along the Wandle Valley, shining a light on some of the lesser-known history in this area. They range from the youngest soldier to serve this country in the First World War to a ground-breaking plaque acknowledging Romany Gypsy and Traveller heritage in Wandsworth. The most recent plaque on Buzz Bingo Hall celebrates the outstanding roll-call of performers who once played at Tooting Granada. Young Mark Feld attended some of these concerts. Have a look on Geoff's blog post for more details about Marc's time in this area or follow @summerstown182 on social media.