Tag Archives: 1950

Edenvale Road

Road that runs northward from Gorringe Park Avenue, crossing St Barnabas Road to Ashbourne Road. Its shape seems to follow the path that separated Gorringe Park House from the farm on its east side, as shown on this OS map of 1911.

1911 OS map

The 1925 street directory names the road as Eden Vale and lists the properties from number 79 Ashbourne Road:

East side.

North Mitcham Improvement Association Sports Ground
William TYRELL, poultry farm

West side.

1 through 17

… here is Milton rd

19 through 33

This directory only lists odd-numbered houses on the west side of the road. The electoral register for Autumn 1925 also lists only the odd numbers, and the occupants were:

1, Frederick Walter and Ethel CATTERMOLE
3, David MUSTARD; Thomas TAYLOR
5, Joseph William GOBBY; Kezia Maude ADAMS
7, Marguerite BROWITT
9, Harold and Mary Elizabeth ODAM; Mary Elizabeth WOOD
11, David and Annie McGREGOR
13, John Joseph HANDCOCK; William John BATTLE
15, Frederick LIFE; Charles BECKETT
17, George Frederick GOODBODY; Ernest WALLER
19, Thomas Robert and Ethel Elizabeth BLACKMORE; Francis LAMBLE
21, Frederick William HALLET; Bertram Charles AGATE
23, Cecil Armfield WAKELING
25, Elizabeth WISEMAN; Sydney William EADE
27, Walter William and Emily STALLWOOD
29, James Thomas and Hilda JACKSON
31, Minnie TURNER

North Surrey Poultry Farm, Albert and Louise TYRELL

The Autumn 1926 electoral adds some even-numbered houses:

2, Alonzo James & Margaret Mary SHARP
4, William and Jemima and Harold Percy BULL
6, Nellie Hannah GREENSTREET
8, Arthur and Gertrude HULKS
10, Albert George and Lucy Matilda CONSTABLE

North Surrey Poultry Farm, Albert and Louise TYRELL

In the 1929 electoral register appears more even-numbered houses, from 12 to 28:

2, Victor and Florence ANGLE
12, Bernard Eden and Dorothy Charlotte CANDY
14, Frank and Mabel Winifred CHEESMAN
16, George Boswell and Getrude Maud CHAMPNISS; John William McFarlane and Margaret Josephine KIDD
18, Ernest Leslie and Emily Beatrice ANSTY Joseph John and Elsie Mabel IVE
20, Hedley Frank and Margaret Gertrude JACKSON
22, Thomas Joseph and Annie Esther SAGE
24, Frederick William and Rebecca Esther EAGLESTONE
26, Benjamin Frederick James and Norah Winifred BALDWIN; Percy Edward and Kathleen DODSWELL
28, Ivan Albert and May and Ellen WEALE

North Surrey Poultry Farm, Albert and Louise TYRELL

1932 is the last year that the poultry farm is listed in the electoral registers. In 1934 there are more even-numbered houses from 30 to 36.

This 1950 OS map shows ‘Tennis Courts’ on the east side of Edenvale Road. These were on the North Mitcham Improvement Association sports ground referred to in the 1925 street directory.

1950 OS map


Embed from Getty Images

High jump athlete Dorothy Tyler-Odam MBE moved to Edenvale Road as a young girl with her parents. From the 1925 electoral register, she lived at number 9. She died in 2014, aged 94.


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

1950 : Workers’ Playtime in Smith Meters Canteen

The BBC’s Home Service radio show Workers’ Playtime was broadcast from the canteen at Smiths Meters in Rowan Road on Friday 6th January 1950. The show was then repeated on the 23rd January.

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 13th January 1950, page 7

‘Workers Playtime’
In Canteen

Smith Meters Broadcast
To Be Repeated

Employees of Smith Meters works, Rowan-road, Streatham Vale balloted for 70 seats in their canteen on Friday. That, after regular canteen patrons had been accommodated, was the only room available foe the visit of the BBC’s “Workers’ Playtime.” The unlucky ones heard the broadcast on relay.

The limited space provided difficulty also for producer Bill Worsley, for among the artists were the 16-voiced George Mitchell choir as well as Turner Layton and Terry Scott. But everything went smoothly, and director Mr. A. Charles thanked them for the performance.

Works manager Mr. F. W. King added that they had lost a little production time through the broadcast but felt it was well worth it. “We feel it is all for the good of the employees’ morale to have a visit like this.” he said.

A recorded repeat of the broadcast can be heard on the Home Service January 23 (6.20 p.m.- 6.45 p.m.).

A summary of the show can be found at the BBC archive webpage.