Tag Archives: 1953

Hawthorne Avenue

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Road off east side of Church Road and south of Mount Road.

1953 OS map

Houses are numbered even on the north side from 2 to 54, and odd on its south side from 1 to 29, then there is Oakwood Avenue, then from 31 to 47. The Royal Mail postcode finder shows 59 addresses, as some houses have been split into separate flats, all with the postcode of CR4 3DN.

The road was possibly built in the 1920s, as it is not shown on the 1911 OS map, but is on the 1933 map.

A person on the Facebook group Mitcham History said about her mother’s house:

The deeds show the transfer of lands and building gradually happening in Oakwood, Ashtree and Hawthorne from 1910. Houses built by Sir Isaac Wilson.

clip from aerial photo taken 10th February 1954, copyright Photoflight Limited

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

Kempat Ltd.

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Listed in the 1954 phone book as Kempat Ltd., Brassieres, Girdles, 1 Block James Estate, Western Road, telephone Mitcham 1664.

Presumably named after its managing director Vivian Fitch-Kemp, who named in a 1945 court case involving overcharging on the sale of bras. Mr Fitch-Kemp patented in 1934 a bra with bust support:

U.S. Patent No. 2,104,867
BUST SUPPORT
Vivian Fitch Kemp. London, England
Application August 19, 1935, Serial No. 36,909
In Great Britain August 30, 1934.

A bust support comprising two separate breast pockets; a single pivotal connection between said pockets situated above the line corresponding with the maximum chest expansion; a resilient coupling between said pockets situated
below said line so that said pockets can move relatively about said pivotal connection to permit the girth measurement below the pivotal point to vary; shoulder straps respectively secured at one end to the upper edges of said breast pockets and at the other end to the back of said bust support and means for securing said bust support on the wearer.

Mr Vivian Fitch-Kemp, born 13 Jul 1899, served in the Grenadier Guards at aged 17 in 1917. He died in 1958.

The newspaper articles below are via the British Newspaper Archive

Adverts

Norwood News – Friday 02 January 1953

Kempat Ltd. have a few vacancies for school-leavers and teen-agers who wish to become sewing machinists; frequent rises, and when fully trained (approx. 2 years) over £6 p.w. can be earned. no Saturdays, music, canteen, also ex-employees welcomed. Apply Kempat Ltd. James Estate. Western-rd.. Mitcham.

Norwood News – Friday 22 February 1946

EXPERIENCED machinists reqd.; good wages; our best machinists earn up to £3 12s. 6d., 44 hours, no Saturdays; music while you work; willing to train inexperienced applicants. Apply Kempat Ltd., “M” Block, James Estate (opposite Gas Works), Western-rd., Mitcham.

Company ceased trading in 1962, as stated in the
London Gazette, Publication date:20 August 1965 Issue:43743 Page: 8015

Name of Company: KEMPAT LIMITED.
Nature of Business: Ceased trading on 27th March 1962 as LINGERIE MANUFACTURERS.
Address of Registered Office: Baltic House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff.
Liquidator’s Name and Address: Paul Francis Spurway, of Baltic House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff.
Date of Appointment: 7th August 196S.