Category Archives: Roads

Film director Albert Ernest Colbey

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Albert Ernest Colbey, was a director of around 250 films made by Cricks & Martin, of Ravensbury Lodge. Mr Colby lived at no. 33 Whitford Gardens
Note that some spellings of his surname appear as Colby in the street directory and newspaper article.

In 1910, he was taken to court on the charge of obstructing traffic on London Road while shooting one of his films, as shown in the Croydon Chronicle and East Surrey Advertiser – Saturday 12 March 1910 via the British Newspaper Archive.

A Mitcham Scene.
BEHIND THE SCENES IN MAKING CINEMATOGRAPH PICTURES.

London-road, Mitcham, was the centre of attraction one day last week. The road was crowded with people, who were watching the struggles of two men, who were almost buried in two heaps of gravel, which were dumped in the centre of the road. On Saturday Albert Colby, Whitford Gardens, Mitcham, appealed before the Croydon County Bench to answer a summons for obstructing the roadway. The police stated that the defendant had emptied two cartloads of gravel in the centre of the road, and completely blocked the traffic. When spoken to by the police the defendant said he would not leave until he had finished the picture. Defendant informed the Bench that he was taking a cinematograph picture. “We never interfere with the people passing along the road,” said the defendant, “but the people stop to see the fun.”

Chief Inspector McKay was present. The defendant had tipped two loads of gravel in the centre of the road. Two men got into the gravel and covered themselves up with it while photographs were being taken of them. It was a most ridiculous performance. A crowd of people had gathered, and the traffic was stopped.

The Chairman : Would a vehicle have room to pass ?
Inspector McKay: No ; I had some difficulty in getting past myself. (Laughter.)

The Chairman: We will fine you 10s. and 3s. 6d. costs for your fun, and don’t do it again.

In the 1911 census, he was listed as aged 34, living with his wife Alice Kate Coleby, aged 37; their daughter Alice Mary, aged 5; son Charles Raymond Coleby, aged 2.

The films he directed included Boxing Fever which is on YouTube, which I reviewed in this video to explain where in Mitcham the scenes were shot:

The BFI entry for Boxing Fever says that he appeared in the film, but was he the boxer?

River Wandle Improvement Scheme of 1959

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The following articles are from the Clapham Observer, via the British Newspaper Archive, who say that the copyright holder is unknown.

17th April 1959

14th August 1959

30th October 1959

From other newspapers:

South Western Star – Friday 12 February 1960

Search for bomb at brewery

As we went to press, a group of bomb disposal experts were still digging to find the exact location of an unexploded bomb on the banks of the River Wandle. The bomb is believed to have been dropped in 1942 when a small hole was sighted in the kitchen garden of the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth High St. A bomb disposal unit called at the time decided the bomb was comparatively harmless in the garden and left it. Now, some 18 years later, a big improvement scheme has been planned for the Wandle, and the bomb has now to be found before work can start.

Norwood News – Friday 02 February 1962

Part of river plan ready

WORK on section of the River Wandle improvement scheme which affects Merton High Street to Phipps Bridge Road, Mitcham, and the London County Council boundary to Chuters Mill, Wimbledon. bee now been substantially completed. Negotiations for the acquisition of the water rights at Chuters Mill, Wimbledon, Surrey County Council were told on Tuesday, have been completed and work on the section from Chuters Mill to Connolly’s Mill, which Is estimated will cost £55,000, is to start in the near future.

Norwood News – Friday 01 June 1962

Wandle work

Work on the second section of phase three of the Chuter’s Mill to Connolly’s Mill stretch of the River Wandle improvement scheme has started. Tenders have also been invited for the fourth and final phase of the scheme and Surrey County Council hope that work on both these sections will be nearly finished by the end of the year. They hope that all the improvement scheme will be “substantially completed” by August, 1963.

Streatham News – Friday 05 October 1962

Land for sale

Mitcham Council are to sell about 125 square yards of land in Ravensbury Park, Morden Road, to Surrey County Council in connection with the improvement scheme for the River Wandle.

Streatham News – Friday 25 January 1963

WANDLE WORK GOES AHEAD

Latest progress report on River Wandle improvement scheme is that the contract for the work comprising the second part of Phase III — Chuter’s Mill to Connolly’s Mill, Wimbledon — has now been completed. The contract for the first section of Phase IV — Phipps Bridge to Eagle Leather Works, Mitcham – is proceeding according to pro-ramme and should be completed within the next two or three months. Tenders for the work on the final length of the improvement – Eagle Leather Works to Croydon borough boundary – have been invited, while tenders have been received for the supply of the two automatically controlled sluice gates to be installed on this length of the scheme.