Category Archives: Pubs

1973 Three publicans to be replaced by managers

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From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 18th May, 1973, page 1.

Storm brewing over pubs plan

Regulars at two Mitcham pubs are ready to put their backs to the bar and fight a bid by the brewers to evict their licensees.

At the Bucks Head in the Fair-green, Mrs Ivy Garner has been told to quit after 20 years.

At the Fountain in Western Road, Mr John Brown, whose family have run the pub for 42 years, has been told he must be out by September or sooner if possible.

The changes are part of a general trend towards managers. A spokesman for the brewers, Bass Charrington, said: “When we spend large sums of money on a pub it would put up the rent beyond the means of the average tenant and so we have to go in for managers.”

He added that a manager would be going into the Fountain, which was included in a council redevelopment plan and big changes will be made at the Bucks Head which could well mean a manager there as well.

Negotiating

A third tenant will also be moving. Charringtons say Mr Alf Pays of the Beehive in Commonside-east has asked to be released from his tenancy agreement but Mr Pays, who is 74, will neither admit or deny this. All he is prepared to say is that he is having negotiations with the brewers.

Signatures are being collected for three separate petitions and Fountain regular Mr Peter Wiseman warned that if the worst comes the worst he will park his mechanical shovel outside the door to stop John Brown being turned out.

He said John is the greatest publican in Mitcham. He’s lived in this pub all his life and he is getting a raw deal. I aim to top my petition with he names of all the landlords in Mitcham.

Mr Brown said he’s not moving until he has a new home. “I’m negotiating with the brewers for compensation but they haven’t offered me enough and at the same time I am looking for somewhere else to live but until both of these are settled I’m not budging and while I’m here it will be business as usual.”

Mrs Garmer thought it would be fairer if Bass Charrington adopted Courage Barclay’s policy. She said: “Courage are putting in managers as well but they wait until the tenants retires. I’m 59 so they wouldn’t have long to wait.”

One of the regulars who is signing the petition is Mr Charlie Harvey, manager of a nearby engineering equipment shop. “I know just what happens when a manager goes in because of my local in Richmond the tenant has just been made a manager and the place is not the same anymore. Once it used to be home, now it’s a business.”

If Alf Pays moves from the Beehive, Mitcham will not only lose its best known publican – he’s been there for 43 years and his father had the pub before him but it would also lose a charitable institution.

He helps to raise money for children, nurses and old folk.

Chairman of the Pollards Oak Fishing Club, who use the club room at the pub, Mr Bill Haynes, is organising the petition there. He said they can’t get rid of Alf, he’s part of the establishment.”

Grenfell Road

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Road off east side of London Road, south of Tooting Station.

The 1896 map shows the area before being developed.

1896 OS map. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland (CC-BY)

1947 OS map. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland (CC-BY)

The road was made up in 1902. From the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council, Volume 8, 1902 to 1903, 18th September 1902, page 394:

Grenfell Road Tenders

The Council opened and considered the undermentioned tenders received for the making up, forming, kerbing, and metalling of Grenfell Road, Mitcham:-

Stockwell & Co., Bromley = £600 8s.
Adams, T., Wood Green, London = £527
Iles, E., Mitcham = £476
Free & Sons, Maidenhead = £454
Wheeler, W., Southwark, S.E. = £336

Resolved, That the tender of Mr. E. Iles, of Mitcham, be accepted, and that the necessary bond be entered into in accordance of conduct.

A water trough outside the Gorringe Park Hotel was in the way of this however, as can be seen from the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council, Volume 8, 1902 to 1903, Road and Buildings Committee, 20th November 1902, page 571:

The Surveyor reported that in order to complete the work of making up Grenfell Road it had become necessary to remove an obstructive water trough erected in connection with the Gorringe Park Hotel. The Owners of the Hotel (Messrs. Young & Co.) stated that the water trough was the property of the tenant, who, however, had refused to remove it.

—The Committee instructed the Surveyor to formally call upon the tenant of the Hotel to remove the water trough.

The street directory of 1910-1911 shows only one property occupied on the south side, and a gap between 3 and 25 on the north side. Between 25 and 27 became Sirdar Road. Planning application by J. WILSON in 1903 for 8 shops and tenement houses is likely to refer to the terrace from 27 to 39 as they are all listed in the directory as businesses.

From the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council
Volume IX 1903 – 1904
23rd April 1903
page 68

No. 2483, Wilson, J., 8 shops and tenement houses, Grenfell Road, Mitcham

See also the 1911 OS map.

1910-1911 Street Directory

from London Road to Bruce Road

SOUTH SIDE

2, William STIMSON, hair dresser

— here is Bruce Road

NORTH SIDE

1, Albert Henry WATKINS, baker
1, William THORPE, boot maker
3, George BERRIDGE, grocer

25, Joseph WILSON, estate office
27, A. W. Pulman, confectioner
29, William A. TICKNER, fish shop
31, Mrs LANGFORD, dairy
35, H. & C. CHAFFEY, butchers
Walter SWEET, oil & color man

1915

from London Road to Bruce Road

SOUTH SIDE

2, Daniel KERWOOD, confectioner
Snelling & Gathercote Ltd. concrete slab manufacturers

… here is Bruce Road …

NORTH SIDE

1, John C. HUGHES
3, Mrs KNAPP, wardrobe dealer
15, Raphael SHIREWITZ, ladies’ and gents’ tailors
25, Joseph WILSON, estate office

… here is Sirdar Road …

27, F. BOWDITCH, confectioner
29, Sydney HANNAM, fried fish shop
31, Hill House Laundry
33, David MORRIS, dairy
35, William TYRELL, butcher
36, Walter SWEET, oil and color man
39, Peter HEARN, greengrocer

News Articles

The newspaper articles below are via the British Newspaper Archive

Newcastle Journal – Wednesday 26 December 1917

CROYDON SHOOTING DRAMA.

Mother and Her Daughter’s Honour.

Elisabeth Petersen (35) Sirdar Road, Tooting Junction, wife of a soldier on active service, was charged Croydon with attempting to murder Walter Sweet, oil and colour man, of Grenfell Road, Mitcham, by shooting him with a six-chamber revolver.

On Saturday, Sweet was before the court charge of indecently assaulting Mrs Petersen’s 12-year-old daughter. The child alleged that when she went into the shop buy some sugar, Sweet took her to a back room, and behaved improperly when she was on his knee. A doctor said that the girl was highly nervous, but there were no signs any actual assault. The Chairman, in dismissing the case, told Sweet that the Bench did not for one moment believe that the girl had invented the story, but that there was no corroboration.

Sweet, giving evidence in this case, said that when he returned home from the court on Saturday, and was serving a lady customer, Mrs Petersen came into the shop and said she wished to see him alone. He refused, and sent his daughter for the police.

Prisoner then fired at him three times, but he got under the counter and escaped, and later she fired again at the shop window.

PC. Bliss said that when he closed with the woman she said: “All right. I have not shot him, but I meant to. I am sorry I did not. I will shoot him, for that is he all deserves.” She had a number of live cartridges in her possession.

Arthur Wm. Smith, commercial traveller who went to the constable’s assistance, said that the woman was very excited, and was apparently labouring under a feeling of great injustice.

Detective Fern said that that morning Mrs Petersen said: “I see my folly now. If I had had anyone to console with me on Saturday on my way home in the tram I should never have done such a thing. I drank a bottle of stout to give me courage. She said that she had to use both hands to fire the revolver.

A son said that his mother’s health had broken down through her trying to keep on his father’s business. His father was called two years ago and was expected home soon.

The woman was committed for trial. Bail was allowed, and Miss Nash, the probationary officer undertook to live with the woman until her husband returned.

(Note that in some newspaper articles, the surname PETERSEN is shown as PETERKEN and in this copy, both were used.)

Croydon Times – Wednesday 05 November 1913

OBSTRUCTION

Peter Hearn, Grenfell-road, Mitcham, was summoned for wilfully obstructing the passage of Grenfell-road by placing there five baskets and a quantity of rubbish on October 18th.

P.c. 704 W gave evidence to seeing five baskets and one or two small boxes of rubbish outside defendant’s greengrocery shop at about one o’clock in the morning.

Defendant’s wife appeared, and the Chairman told her a fine of 2s. 6d. and 2s. 6d, costs would have to be paid.

World War 1 Connections

Private Henry Frederick BOSTON
Private Percy George ROE
Private John THURLOW
Serjeant Hubert William WATTS

Ad for Wainberg’s of number 3, Grenfell Road : Shoe maker and repairer.

June 1949 ad

June 1949 ad

Minutes of meetings held by the Croydon Rural District Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.

Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.