Tag Archives: 1950

Baltic Close and Oslo Court

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Road and block of flats off northern side of Colliers Wood High Street and built in 1938/9 by Mercer Taylor & Co. At this time the Mitcham borough boundary included this road. Royal Mail postcode lookup shows 16 flats, all with the postcode SW19 2BL.

1950 OS map

The developer wrote to Mitcham Borough Council and suggested that since this road was next to the Victory pub, then the name of the road could be Trafalgar Close or Victory Close. The council disagreed, pointing out there were already similar named roads in the SW19 postal district. The council suggested Baltic Close, and the developer agreed, who suggested that the block of flats be named Oslo Court.

Source: Minutes of the Mitcham Borough Council, 1938-39 volume 5, pages 12 and 127.

Note that the Victory pub has since been renamed a couple of times, and the current (as of Feb 2018) name is the Charles Holden, who was an architect who designed the nearby Colliers Wood underground station.

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

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

1950 : Mitcham Boxing Club’s best bill of the season

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From the Mitcham News and Mercury, 27th January, 1950, page 5

Men In Khaki Up From Aldershot

Men in khaki from the Aldershot area came to Mitcham Baths on Wednesday of last week to provide Mitcham Boxing Club’s best bill of the season. Programme ended at 11 p.m. after 16 bouts, and there were still more lined up.

Ironically, pride of place for the evening must go to a loser. Thirty-five-years-old Pte. DOWDLEISH (A.C.C.) made his first appearance in the ring for five years, and found himself opposite the heavy-shouldered, hard-punching Ron KENCHINGTON (Earlsfield). Using a foxy cleverness born of experience, and snatching a breather whenever possible, he stayed out of trouble, but could not completely hold a determined Kenchington. Dowdleish, in defence, gave glimpses of an attractive boxing past.

Harry DUFFIN (Earlsfield) smashed his way to a points victory over Pte. GIBSON (R.A.S.C.). as the last bell sounded he pulled the limp soldier off the ropes and led him to his corner.

L-Cpl. W. BOWDERY (Mitcham and 14-20th Hussars) dominated the last two rounds of his bout with Cpl. SLOANE (R.A.O.C.), and it was stopped in the last round, with the Ordnance man reeling around the ring.

Mitcham’s Alf BLACKIE launched a series of right-hand punches to the head in an attempt to swing the decision in his bout with A. HUNT (Caius), but failed narrowly.

Bouncing Stan WARD (Earlsfield), with his piston-like left hand, out-pointed a tearway Cpl. WOOD (R.A.O.C.). Despite going down in the first round, Ward weathered a stormy two-fisted attack to win convincingly.

The crossed-arm defence of L-Cpl. Peter HARRIS (Earlsfield and K.R.R.C.) was not sufficient to prevent him losing on points to L-Cpl. CLARKE (R.E.). Clarke was guilty of a little accidental low punching, but both men finished on the best of terms.

Results on points: Sgt. WOOD (1st Para. Bn.) bt J. HICKS (Mitcham); A.C. R. PATCHING (Mitcham and R.A.F.) bt. Sapper HERBERT (R.E.); D. TAFFURELLI (canterbury and Lilleshall) bt Rfn. MORGAN (K.R.R.C.); Pte. BARTON (R.A.O.C.) bt W.T. BOWDERY (Mitcham); Pte. HUNTER (A.C.C.) bt W. SEALE (Mitcham); Pte. EVANS (S.L.I.) bt R. MOORE (Coulsdon and Purley); G. COUSINS (Earlsfield) bt Pte. TERENCE (R.A.O.C.); H. LEWIS (Earlsfield) bt Pte. DAGLEISH (A.C.C.); Pte. MURRAY (R.A.O.C.) bt E. RANDALL (Mitcham).

L-Col. CLARKE (R.E.) bt P. McCARTHY (Coulsdon), with McCarthy disqualified in the last round for lying on his man.