Clip from Merton memories. Copyright London Borough of Merton.
Batsworth Road
Show Cards, etc.
Source:
Borough of Mitcham List of Factories,
Town Clerk’s Department,
July 1963.
Available at Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.
Reference L2 (670) MIT
Listed in the 1930 Commercial Directory:
Permo Co. Ltd. (The), show card mfrs. Belgrave rd. T A ” Permo ; ” T N 2933
Company was registered 29th May, 1926, directors were:
Mr. H.G. Thompson, The Elms, Peckham Rye Park
Mr. H.L. Thompson, Ashbourne, Netherley Road, Honor Oak
Mr. L.F.B. Thompson, The Elms, Peckham Rye Park
to take over the business of manfacturers of showcards and advertising novelties.
Source: Croydon Advertiser, 5th June 1926.
1952 OS map
Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
News Articles
MILLION-TO-ONE CHANCE SAVES FACTORY
STORE ROOM filled with highly explosive nitro-cotton was completely destroyed in a fire at Donald MacPherson Ltd., a paint and varnish factory in Belgrave Road, Mitcham, last week.
A worker in a nearby factory, Permo, saw smoke and raised the alarm before any serious damage was done.
He was 25-year-old John Payne, Garden Avenue, Mitcham. He, with other workers at Permo, were doing overtime when they heard an explosion. Mr. Payne ran to the window, saw smoke coming from the factory and ran to phone the fire brigade.
Four tenders fought for more than an hour to get the blaze under control. They confined it to the store room, but other buildings in both factories were damaged by heat and smoke.
Stored in special room Mr. R. L. Frost, manager of MacPhersons, said: “The nitrocotton is stored in a special room with nine-inch thick walls and a steel door. It had the effect of a fireplace and saved any serious damage being done, although I think this will cost about £1,000.”
Mr. C. A. Richardson, managing director of Permo, said: “There was only a small amount of paint scorching on one of our vans and some glass broken.
“It could have been quite a blaze and it was fortunate that our staff was on overtime. But it was a chance in a million for we rarely do overtime here,” he added.
The nitro-cotton is used for making cellulose lacquers.
From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 9th July 1960
Mitcham History Notes 