Category Archives: Pubs

Commonside West houses near Windmill pub

A postcard from around 1910 shows houses on either side of the Windmill pub:

c1910 Commonside West

An OS map of 1932 shows the houses and the pub marked as P.H. :-

1932 OS map

The 1925 street directory describes the occupants, from north to south, starting at Cold Blows (not named, but mentioned as footpath to lower green):

.. footpath to Lower green ..

George Oliver NASH (North Lodge)
Lawrence Thomas BODLE, builder (Avenue Cottage)
James JORDAN
Alfred KILLICK
Harry LOCK
George WEST
Benjamin HILLS
Thomas HIGGS, confectioner
James BOXALL, beer retailer
Charles Thomas SEARS
George SAWYER
Mrs ODELL
John THOMPSON, dairy
William Charles HINES
News of the World Sports Ground (Leonard WHITE, hon. sec.) (Park Place)

The beer retailer is the licensee of the Windmill pub.

The houses before the Windmill aren’t shown on the 1950s OS maps, but two to the south are. See 51 and 52 Commonside West.

1967 : Roy Castle at the Ravensbury Tavern

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 2nd October, 1967, page 1.

From the front page of the Mitcham News & Mercury of 10th February, 1967 : Comedian Roy Castle presented a £250 cheque on behalf of regulars at the Ravensbury Tavern, Morden Road, Mitcham, last week to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. In the picture Roy Castle (extreme right) looks on as Mr D. Cuddy, from the association, gives a model dog to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lawrence, licensees of the Ravensbury Tavern.

BEHIND THE BAR – ROY CASTLE

COMEDIAN Roy Castle visited the Ravensbury Tavern, Morden Road, Mitcham, last week.

He presented a cheque for £250 on behalf of the patrons to Mr. Dermot Cuddy, of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

He arrived at 10.30 pm, after leaving Wimbledon Theatre where he is appearing in the pantomime “Babes in the Wood” as Simple Simon.

And from behind the bar with the licensee, Mr. Charles Lawrence, and his wife, Pamela, he signed autographs and played several numbers an his trumpet.

THANKS

Mr. Cuddy thanked the customers in both bars and presented Mr. Lawrence with a model of a guide dog.

The money was raised by donations over the bar during the past year.

“It’s the first time that we have collected,” said Mr. Lawrence.
“But it has been very worthwhile.”