Yearly Archives: 2023

Melson Wingate Ltd., opticians

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In the 1952 chamber of commerce yearbook, this opticians was at 68 Monarch Parade, London Road, Mitcham.

This chain of opticians was started by Douglas Melson Wingate. He was the son Frank Melson Wingate who founded the family business in London. The firm moved its head-quarters to Bournemouth in the 1920s following the opening of the first branch outlet in the town, and Mr Wingate, who trained and qualified as a dispensing optician, succeeded his father as managing director in the post-war years. He retired in 1968 but remained chairman for a further 15 years of the family firm which had grown to some 50 branches across the country as far afield as Devon, Kent, Sheffield and Nottingham.

Melson Wingate H-Tech Lens Cloth

Melson Wingate glasses wallet

Mitcham Common Filling Station

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Three pumps that were erected in the early 1930s on the grounds of the Victoria Works, on what became known as the Windmill Trading Estate, today the Meadows housing estate, corner of Windmill Road and Commonside East.

1940 OS map reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY

This 1934 ad from the Croydon Times, via the British Newspaper Archive.

WARDOLEUM MOTOR OIL 10/- FOR 5 GALLS CAN FREE TAX FREE XL WARDOLEUM MOTOR OIL
medium heavy HIGH QUALITY ENGINE OIL. XL QUALITY Free delivery in the county of Surrey. Cash with order on delivery. MITCHAM COMMON FILLING STATION WINDMILL ROAD, MITCHAM

From The Merton Historical Society Local History Notes 18: by Iris C Marshall, née Overy on page 3 : “In Samuel Ward’s grounds was the house known as the Woodite Villa. A family by the name of Skinner had lived there and when they vacated the premises, the property served as an office dealing with customers calling at three pumps that were erected in the foreground in the 1930s.”