Tag Archives: 1950

Swimming Baths

Mitcham Baths Hall opened on Monday 28th November, 1932. It was built on the site of George Shepherd & Son, coach builders, on London Road. It was called the Baths Hall as it was open for swimming during the summer months and as a hall during the winter.

Baths Hall on London Road, photo taken mid 1980s.

Mitcham Baths edited

Possibly 1970s

1932 Baths Hall

1932 Baths Hall

1932 swimming pool

1932 swimming pool

From the 1932 Medical Officer of Health Report for Mitcham, from the Wellcome Trust

SWIMMING BATH.

The new Swimming Bath was opened by the Chairman of the Council on November 28th, 1932.

The Surveyor has kindly supplied the following data :—

Construction was commenced in June, 1931, and was carried out as an unemployment relief scheme.

The building is used as a public hall in the winter months, with movable stage and dance floor over the swimming pool.

The swimming pool, 100 ft. by 36 ft., has a depth of water varying from 3 ft. to 8 ft. 6 in., with a diving area 20 ft. long.

The floor of the pool is covered with terrazzo and the sides lined with white glazed interlocking bricks.

The dressing rooms are between the entrance hall and bath hall, with showers and foot baths adjacent, ensuring that bathers use the shower and foot baths before entering the pool.

The filtration plant comprising three vertical pressure filters, giving a maximum rate of 200 gallons per square foot per hour and capable of filtering the whole of the 126,000 gallons in four hours. Aeration is carried out both before and after filtration. Chlorination is by the automatic liquid gas type to Ministry of Health recommendations of 0.2 to 0.5 parts per 1,000,000.

Washing accommodation comprises :—

Eight slipper baths and one needle spray bath for men.
Six slipper baths and one needle spray bath for women.
Space has been allowed for future extensions.

The cost, exclusive of the land and furnishing, was £27,350.


1952

1952


The electric lighting was supplied by Ward Electrical Co. Ltd. who submitted the lowest tender of £506 7s.

The terrazo paving was supplied by the Camden Tile and Mosaic Co. who submitted a tender of £1480 8s. 6d.

Source: 1931 Mitcham Urban District Council minutes, pages 414 and 445, volume 17.

The first superintendent of the Baths Hall was Mr. C. P. WALKER, according to the Mitcham News & Mercury on 3rd February, 1933. He is quoted as having been previously at Hull.

News Articles

Norwood News – Friday 27 November 1953

Baths are 21 years old

MITCHAM BATHS “come of age” tomorrow (Saturday).

Since they were opened on November 28, 1932, nearly one and a half million people have used the Baths for swimming alone.

The Baths Hall has had an eventful life since it was opened by Mr. W. Carlton. J.P., chairman of the Urban District Council.

The first swimming season lasted only a week, during which all swimming was free. During the first full season in 1933 there were over 102,000 bathers.

Swimmers came in their hundred thousands until 1939. In the first season of the war only 43,000 came to bathe.

“When the land mine at Fair Green shattered the glass in the hall skylights and the baths were closed, it seemed as if all the work done for swimming in Mitcham had been in vain.

REST CENTRE

In 1941 there was a further blow when part of the hall was destroyed by bombs.

But the Baths took on a new lease of life during the war. They became a rest centre for people who had lost their homes in bombing.

Old people from the Garden Village were among those who moved in, bringing their cats, dogs and canaries, while an unexploded bomb at the village was put out of action.

The swimming pool reopened in May, 1946. Numbers in that first season were only half the pre-war average.

Now things are back to normal. Attendances are once more on the 100,000 mark. More and more schools are using the Baths, and the number of swimming galas held there is well up on pre-war figures.

Children can still swim for 2d. a time, as they could 21 years ago. Only this season were the charges for adults increased sightly.

List of Newspaper Articles

Date Headline Newspaper Page
03/02/1933 (Boxing) Exhibition Contests at the new Baths Mitcham News and Mercury 1
22/07/1933 A tour of inspection by Labour Party Members Mitcham and Morden Guardian 7
29/07/1933 The success of the new Baths Mitcham and Morden Guardian 5
30/09/1933 Baths Committee’s scheme for another Bath Mitcham and Morden Guardian 3
02/12/1933 All-in wrestling banned Mitcham and Morden Guardian 7
03/12/1937 Indoor bowling rink opened Mitcham News and Mercury 1
03/12/1937 Indoor bowls for Mitcham Mitcham News and Mercury 3
18/05/1939 Foam baths for Mitcham Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 14
05/01/1951 New cycle parking blocks Mitcham and Morden Guardian 1
12/04/1951 Foam baths re-opened Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
28/05/1953 Slot machines for hair drying Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 5
02/07/1953 Record for Baths Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
08/04/1954 Preparation for swimming season Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
06/10/1955 Boom year at Mitcham Baths Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 3
06/10/1955 Proposal re longer hours Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
26/04/1956 Two enthusiasts celebrate Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
27/04/1956 First dips of the season Mitcham News and Mercury 8
03/05/1956 Baths Hall bookings hit by T.V.? Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 10
04/05/1956 Few people hire Baths Hall Mitcham News and Mercury 9
21/06/1956 Too wet to go to the Baths? Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 20
07/12/1956 Local bathers toughening up Mitcham and Morden Guardian 7
07/12/1956 Swimmers getting tough Mitcham News and Mercury 9
15/03/1957 A risky plunge at the Baths Mitcham News and Mercury 1
05/07/1957 Record attendance Mitcham News and Mercury 1
02/08/1957 No chance for a high diver Mitcham News and Mercury 1
29/05/1958 Clubs denied swim? Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
10/10/1958 Baths get a £1,000 facelift Mitcham News and Mercury 9
15/10/1959 Baths record Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 2
22/10/1959 Special bus to Baths too expensive Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
09/12/1960 Poor swim season – weather blamed Mitcham News and Mercury 7
23/02/1961 New Baths Chief Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
24/02/1961 Baths Superintendent is retiring in May Mitcham News and Mercury 8
02/03/1961 No house for Baths official Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
30/03/1961 Baths schedule in hot water Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
21/04/1961 Mitcham Baths Superintendent Mitcham and Morden Guardian 1
03/08/1961 Eskimo rolling in Baths Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 8
25/01/1962 £9000 plan to re-equip Baths in three years Mitcham News and Mercury 9
02/11/1962 Council to revise their charges Mitcham News and Mercury 1
24/01/1963 £9000 plan to re-equip Baths in three years Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
27/02/1963 Swimming pool for estate Mitcham News and Mercury 9
02/01/1964 A second pool for Borough? Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
14/01/1964 Estate to plead for pool Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
29/05/1964 Swimming baths? Lets build them Mitcham News and Mercury 11
27/11/1964 Swim pool – no move yet Mitcham News and Mercury 1
24/12/1964 £350000 for new swim pool Mitcham News and Mercury 1
24/12/1964 New pool would cost £350000 Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
31/12/1964 Negative attitude to swimming pool Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
19/02/1965 Scheme for Mitcham winter swimming pool Mitcham and Morden Guardian 5
19/02/1965 Tenants ask for swim pool Mitcham News and Mercury 1
30/07/1965 Conditions at Mitcham criticised Mitcham News and Mercury 1
09/09/1965 Loan needed Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
17/09/1965 New boiler for Mitcham Baths Mitcham and Morden Guardian 6
24/09/1965 Investigation team clears the Baths Manager Mitcham News and Mercury 1
20/12/1968 New boiler for Mitcham Baths Mitcham News and Mercury 11
12/12/1969 Swim to cost 25 per cent more Mitcham News and Mercury 13
18/12/1970 Archery at the Baths Mitcham News and Mercury 1
11/04/1974 Mayor to open new Training Pool Mitcham News and Mercury 1
08/08/1975 Taking the plunge as heatwave soars Mitcham News and Mercury 11
09/07/1976 Quick dips only at the Baths Mitcham News and Mercury 2
20/01/1978 Neighbours slam new pool nuisance fears Mitcham News and Mercury 49
27/01/1978 Longer dips in pools bathers told Mitcham News and Mercury 51
03/02/1978 Chlorine firm blacklists Merton Swimming Baths Mitcham News and Mercury 5
06/06/1980 Baths will close Mitcham News and Mercury 1
13/06/1980 New pool planned Mitcham News and Mercury 1
18/07/1980 Residents say no to new swimming pool Mitcham News and Mercury 3
30/10/1980 Petition to save swimming pool Mitcham News and Mercury 64
13/02/1981 Baths will close Mitcham News and Mercury 5

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 3rd February, 1950:

The outside of Mitcham Baths is to be painted at a cost of £349 8s. 2d. The tender of Messrs. Cannon and Roaf was the lowest. The job will take six weeks.


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

Queens Road

One of the roads of ‘Rocky’. It ran from Phipps Bridge Road eastwards to Belgrave Road.

The Explosion of 1933 led to rehousing of a number of families from this area, to other parts of Mitcham. Although the houses in Queens Road were not badly damaged, it was identified as a Clearance Area in 1936.

1938 OS map, courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. Re-use CC-BY.

After the second world war, ‘hutments’ and prefab bungalows were built for temporary housing. These were cleared in the early 1960s for the Phipps Bridge Housing estate, and the name Queens Road was kept.

1952 OS map

1952 OS map

1954 aerial view of Queens Road and its temporary housing - this clip is from Merton Memories photo 49269 and is copyright London Borough of Merton.

1954 aerial view of Queens Road and its temporary housing – this clip is from Merton Memories photo 49269 and is copyright London Borough of Merton.

1954 aerial view of Queens Road and its temporary housing, looking east. This is a clip from Merton Memories photo 49278, and is copyright London Borough of Merton.

1954 aerial view of Queens Road and its temporary housing, looking east. This is a clip from Merton Memories photo 49278, and is copyright London Borough of Merton.


This receipt for coal in 1950 was for number 35 Queens Road which was at that time a Nissen Hut. It was for 10 hundredweights (half a ton) of HHA, which possibly meant Heavy Haulage Anthracite. The total cost was £2 7s. 8d., which in 2020 values is around £85.

3rd July 1950 coal receipt


World War 1 Connections
Lance Corporal Arthur James Block

Private Edgar Block

Rifleman W Glover

Private J James

Driver E Marney

Driver J Newson

Private Hubert George Truelove

Sapper William Walklett

From the Surrey Recruitment Registers:

W BOTTWELL of 22 Queens Road, aged 18 Years 1 Months, Carman. Joined on 11 May 1917 to the Royal Field Artillery.

S T S DALE of 38 Queens Road, aged 19 Years, Fitter. Conscripted on 17 April 1917 to the East Kent Regiment (3rd Batn).

W DAVIS of 7 Queens Road, aged 24 Years 7 Months, Carman. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 12 December 1915 to the Royal Fusiliers (35th Batn).

L DIXIE of 1 Queens Road, aged 19 Years, Labourer. Volunteered on 01 November 1915 to the Royal Fusiliers.

B FENNELEY of 8a Albany Terrace Queens Road, aged 37 Years 7 Months, Jeweller. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 11 December 1915 to the Artillery School (5th).

M GLOVER of 11 Queens Road, aged 29 Years 5 Months, Painter. Volunteered on 25 October 1915 to the Army Ordinance Corps.

W G HERRINGTON of 19 Queens Road, aged 22 Years 6 Months, Stoker. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 07 December 1915 to the Royal Fusiliers (15th Batn).

W F HOOKINS of 47 Queens Road, aged 33 Years 3 Months, Grave Digger. Conscripted on 11 December 1915 to the Middlesex Regiment (6th Batn).

J P HORNEGOLD of 27 Queens Rd Mitcham, aged 20 Years, Ticket Collector. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 17 November 1915 to the Royal Fusiliers (16th Batn).

J JAMES of 35 Queens Road, aged 20 Years 1 Months, Hawker. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 12 December 1915 to the East Surrey Regiment (3rd Batn).

J JAMES of 17 Queens Road, aged 18 Years, Gardener. Conscripted on 26 March 1917 to the 23rd Training Reserve Batn.

G JARDINE of 10 Queens Road, aged 37 Years 2 Months, Packer. Conscripted on 14 February 1917 to the Royal West Surrey Regiment (labour Coy).

W JARDINE of 10 Queens Road, aged 28 Years 2 Months, Labourer. Volunteered on 13 April 1915 to the Middlesex Regiment (18th Batn).

Ian JORDAN of 40 Queens Road, aged 29 Years 6 Months, Bricklayer. Volunteered on 7 January 1915 to the Royal Horse Artillery.

S MEARS of 49 Queens Road, aged 20 Years 6 Months, Doorkeeper. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 19 February 1916 to the Royal West Surrey Regiment (9th Batn).

G MUNT of 43 Queens Road, aged 29 Years 9 Months, Grave Digger. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 11 December 1915 to the East Surrey Regiment (3/5th Batn).

J MUNT of 50 Queens Road, aged 32 Years, Grave Digger. Conscripted on 23 October 1916 to the Labour Corps (depot).

W MUNT of 42 Queens Road, aged 28 Years 11 Months, Labourer. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 11 December 1915 to the Royal West Surrey Regiment (3/4 Batn).

W NEWSON of 34 Queens Road, aged 23 Years 7 Months, Labourer. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 11 December 1915 to the Royal Fusiliers (16th Batn).

M SIMANTS of 14 Queens Road, aged 18 Years, Labourer. Conscripted on 31 March 1917 to the 23rd Training Reserve Batn.

J SMITH of 24 Queens Road Mitcham, aged 31 Years 10 Months, Carman. Conscripted on 12 December 1916 to the 5th Labour Corps (301st Labour Co).

H TRUELOVE of 54 Queens Road, aged 31 Years 7 Months, Labourer. Conscripted on 10 December 1916 to the Royal West Kent Regiment (3rd Batn).

W WALKLETT of 5 Queens Road, aged 32 Years, Rigger. Conscripted on 8 September 1917 to the Royal Engineers.

J A WHITEMAN of 41 Queens Road, aged 20 Years, Labourer. Conscripted on 06 November 1916 to the East Surrey Regiment (4th Batn).

Occupants from electoral registers:

1936 Health Report

CLEARANCE AREA No. 12.

Fifty-four houses known as 1 – 51 and 2 – 56 (inclusive), Queens Road.

Source: Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Mitcham, Wellcome Trust, page 44.


Stories

The road was disconnected from Belgrave Road in 1996, as described in this Section 316 Planning Application, number 96/P0786 :

Closure of the eastern end of Queens Road, 55 metres in length, from its junction with Belgrave Road and use of the highway as open space, alterations to the Cranleigh Court vehicular access off Phipps Bridge Road and provision of new vehicular access to Frensham Court off Phipps Bridge Road.

Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette – Saturday 10 May 1913

YOUNG MEN IN DRINK
– Arthur Block (24), of 17, Queens-road, Mitcham, and Thomas Adaway (21), of 26, Belgrave-road, Mitcham, were charged- at the Croydon County Police Court on Monday before Alderman R. M. Chart (in the chair). Mr. E. and Mr. W. E. Davis, with being drunk and disorderly at London road. Mitcham, Saturday afternoon. They pleaded guilty and it was stated that they threatened to break some shop windows. They were each fined 20s. and costs or 14 days.

From the Wallington & Carshalton Herald – Saturday 1st January 1881

WHY PAY RENT, when for £25 down and 19s. 3d. per month for 14 years you can own a substantial 5-roomed HOUSE and washhouse, with bay window to parlour, and good gardens? Lease 97 years. Ground rent £2 15s. Situate Beaconsfield Terrace, Queen’s Road, 600 yards from Phipps Bridge and Mitcham Church. Apply at No. 7. Also CORNER SHOP and five rooms. Gateway entrance. £30 down; £1 4s. per month for 14 years; ground-rent £3 10s. per annum. Lease 97 years.

Streatham News – Friday 31 May 1918

A MITCHAM RAID FOR DESERTERS.

When the nine men taken in a Mitcham round-up were before the Croydon magistrates on Tuesday, Captain H. O. Carter, of the National Service Department, said he hoped the sanitary condition disclosed during the raid would receive the attention of the local authorities. The houses in Park-road and Queen’s-road, Mitcham, formed a warren which to him suggested a breeding-ground of death. A woman and seven children were living in one room, and all the premises were filthy. – The Chairman asked why some of the women were not brought before them for harbouring the men. Captain Carter replied that it took the police and military all their time to collar the men, as they scattered in all directions.

Streatham News – Friday 14 July 1922

MANNERS IN QUEEN’S ROAD, MITCHAM.

At the Croydon Coanty Bench, on Saturday, a Mitcham neighbours’ squabble was related to the justices, when Ellen Vine, of 33, Queen’s-road, was summoned by Elizabeth Hazell, of New Close Lodge, Phippsbridge-road, for assault, on June 27th.

Complainant stated that as she was going into her house defendant made a sneering remark, and jeered at the fact that witness and her husband had at one time lived apart. Witness took no notice of the insult, where upon defendant struck her and used most vile language. ‘I am innocent,’ was the declaration of defendant, when called upon to give evidence. ‘I have lived in my house for years and never had an angry word. It is all through her.’ (Indicating complainant). “The amenities of Queen’s-road are both special and peculiar,’’ remarked the chairman (Sir Arthur Spurgeon) Both parties were bound over for six months.

Streatham News – Friday 20 January 1928

A RIDDLE.

My first is in rain, but not in hail;
My second is in boat, but not in sail;
My third is in sweet, and not in sour ;
My fourth is in second, but not in hour.
My whole is the name of a favourite flower.
Solution: Rose.

From DAVID NEWSOM, 34 Queen’s-road, Mitcham.

Streatham News – Friday 28 November 1930

A MITCHAM DISPUTE.

Alleged Blows with Cup, Saucer and Plate.

A discussion over a funeral was given as the cause of a quarrel at Mitcham which led to a summons before Croydon County Bench on Wednescday. Frank Willoughby, Queen’s – road, Mitcham, was summoned for assaulting Violet Davis, Seaton-road, Mitcham. Miss – Davis alleged that defendant called at her house -and after calling her names, struck her on the face with a dinner-plate. Her mother supported her allegations, and denied that her daughter assaulted Mr. Willoughby first. Defendant said his father-in-law had asked him to call at the house to dlscuss funeral arrangements. Davis told him when he calied, however, that he had no right to call. During the argument Davis threw a cup and saucer at him, catching him on the arm. He did not touch her. “I have never insulted a woman in my life,” he declared. The matron said she found a bruise on Davis’ face. Both were bound over for six months.

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