Category Archives: Pubs

1967 : Roy Castle at the Ravensbury Tavern

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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.”

1960 : Explosion showers acid over homes

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From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 15th January, 1960, page 1.

Explosion hurls vat top through roof of factory

ACID IS SHOWERED OVER HOMES
And two boys at play are covered

Acid showered over homes in the Batsworth Road, Mitcham, area on Friday after an explosion in a factory nearby.

The explosion hurled the top of a vat through the factory roof. A stream of acid followed and firemen were called to hose it from homes and the street.

The factory is W.J. Bush, synthetic chemists, Batsworth Road, scene of an explosion in 1933 whiched wrecked and damaged nearby homes, and killed a child. People in the neighbourhood have never forgotten it.

Mystery

Friday’s explosion remains a mystery. The fac†ory would make no comment.

It happened in the evening as Mr Albert Bowdery, who lives nearby, went to buy some tobacco.

“I heard the bang and thought at first that a tower was going to fall, then I saw something rush through the roof.

“I hurried back indoors and called to my daughter-in-law: ‘Quick, the children.’ We ran with them into the road. It would not take much to make this old building collapse.”

Mr Bowdery’s daughter-in-law Violet, has two young children – John and Linda.

Mr Bowdery said: “The explosion reminded people of the 1933 incident. They are always a bit worried about the factory.

“We don’t know what goes on there.”

The shop of greengrocer Mrs L. Langridge was covered in a “sort of white wash.”

“We are still cleaning up. A pair of my overalls are ruined. We could not let the children play outside.”

A nearby butcher, Mr J. Stopher, said: “The sanitary people inspected my goods, and, to be on the safe side, I have handed over a quantity of lamb, although it was not contaminated as far as we can tell. The damage was done to the outside of my shop.”

An elderly painter said: “We worry about the factory because many of us remember the tragedy of 1933.”

Soon after the explosion Michael Fullick and his brother Norman went out to play. They became covered in the acid.

Baths

“When we found out we gave them baths immediately,” said mr F. Fullick, licensee of the Bath Tavern.

Firemen were given rubber gloves when they arrived at the factory. A works chemist gave them advice on how to deal with the spilt sulphuric acid.