Category Archives: Roads

Graham Avenue

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Road off east side of Streatham Road, north of Graham Road.

1894-os-map-graham-avenue

Built in the late 19th century on land previously occupied by The Willows, described by Eric Montague in his book Mitcham Histories : 2 North Mitcham, page 74, as having

extensive stabling, farmery, meadows and gardens

   The roads Graham Road, Elmfield Avenue and Fernlea Road were also built in this land.

   The address “Graham Avenue, Willows Estate” was used in this auction ad from 1889:

Almost without reserve. Tooting Junction. Within a few minutes of the railway station and easy distance of Mitcham Junction, from whence there is an excellent service of trains to London Bridge, Ludgate Hill, or Victoria. For Occupation or Investment.

Messrs. FURZE ALDRIDGE Will Sell by Auction at the Mart, Tokenhouse Yard, E.C.. Tuesday, June 4th, Twelve for One o’clock, THE DETACHED FREEHOLD RESIDENCES situate and being Nos. 43 and 75, Graham Avenue, Willows Estate, Mitcham, near Tooting Junction, detached, double-fronted, and most conveniently planned on two floors only ; they occupy a choice position and are close to shops, &c. contain on first floor four bedrooms, bath room (hot and cold) water, w.c.; the ground floor dining room and elegant drawing room, 26-ft. long, large kitchen and scullery, and other domestic conveniences ; large garden front and rear; wide sideway. At present in hand, but of the estimated rental value of £50 per annum each. May be viewed by order of the Auctioneers. Particulars and conditions of sale obtained of Messrs. Heather Sons, Solicitors, 17, Paternoster Row, E.C.; and of the Auctioneers their Offices, Railway Bridge, High-road, Streatham, at Norwood Junction and Thornton Heath.

Source: Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter – Saturday 01 June 1889 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

The 1915 street directory lists the occupants in the order encountered when walking from Figgs Marsh to Fernlea Road. The house names are in brackets.

SOUTH SIDE

from Figg’s marsh

Mrs Munday (Russellton)
Mrs Page (Glenfield)
Frederick George Taylor (Roseneath)
Clemence William Benger (Woodbine)
Alfred Shott (Edgemont)
William Court (Wardown)
Allan Reed (Woodside)

NORTH SIDE

William Frederick Wontner (Fairlawn)
James Henry Ellis (Melita)
Walter Wilson (Elm cottage)
Miss Marlow (Shirley)
John Gray (Homeland)
George Arthur Cramp (Mayville)
Miss Hunt (Oakdene)
Charles Kendall (Stoneleigh)
Ernest Charles Newton (Cyril villa)

… here is Elmfield Avenue

Frederick Moon (Lynton)
Frederick Holmesworth (Ashley)
John Newson (Sunnyside)
Thomas Gordon Richards (Cloveley)
Edward Hagon (Primrose)
Percy Babb (Pevensey)

The 1891 street directory:

from Figg’s marsh

NORTH SIDE

Mrs Freeman (Glenfield)
F.G. Taylor (Roseneath)

SOUTH SIDE

Charles Frederick Woodward (The Elms)
Mrs Noble (Fairlawn)

 

World War 1 Connections
Private Ernest Newsom

 

1952 OS map

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

Joy’s Cafe

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From the Mitcham and Colliers Wood Gazette, 28th March, 1973

"THE derelict cafe - more an eyesore than a joy"

“THE derelict cafe – more an eyesore than a joy”

HEALTH HAZARD PROTEST

JOY’S “PLACE” was once a popular transport cafe. But now it’s got a new use — as one of the dirtiest unofficial public conveniences in Mitcham, claim angry local residents.

The cafe is on a site at the corner of Christchurch-road and Phipps Bridge-road. It closed 18 months ago, but so far there’s no sign of the building being demolished and the site cleared.

“They should put a match to the place. It’s disgusting. It’s a loo for all and sundry and a rubbish dump. The place has become an eyesore and the sooner it goes the better. Everyone round here has become fed up with it” said Mrs Doreen Sparrowhawk, who runs a greengrocers shop opposite the site.

“By now it must be full of disease and germs — but because there is no door on the place children go and play in it” she added.

Mr Michael Tuhill, who runs a newsagents in Christchurch-road, said: “It’s an unofficial public convenience. People pull up in cars and use it and it’s getting a bad name. The council don’t seem to be interested in doing anything about it but its a health hazard as children play in and out of it as well. Heaven knows what they could pick up by playing in it.”

‘Filthy place’

Mrs Shelly Condron, who runs a hairdressers opposite the cafe, said that lorry drivers who used to eat at the cafe when it was open now use it as a lavatory.

“We’ve spoken to them about it but you just get a lot of lip back. Its a filthy place and everyone round here would like to see something done about it.” she said.

The door of the cafe was torn off soon after it was closed. Now, it is full of rubbish with chairs and tables left inside broken.

“No-one knows what happened to the people who ran it. I think the proprietress died and one day it shut up and has been closed and like that ever since” said Mrs Sparrowhawk.

A spokesman for Merton’s surveyors department said that they were aware that there were problems arising from the derelict cafe. But there are redevelopment problems on this site and consequently there has had to be a delay on a development decision. But as soon as we are able to do so the site will be cleared” he said.