Tag Archives: 1953

Allen Bros (Mitcham), Ltd.

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360/364 London Road

Car sales and repair business that was the on west side of London Road, south of the White Hart pub and on the north side of the corner with Broadway Gardens.

Being a Austin Rover dealer they did a repair on my Rover 3.5 in 1984:

13th November 1984 invoice for repairs to a Rover 3.5

89th February 1985 receipt

The garage also rented cars:

part of rental agreement dated 17th May 1985

Clip from Merton Memories photo, copyright London Borough of Merton.

The site was used by KwikFit for a number of years, as seen in this 2008 Google StreetView:

These aerial views are from Bing:

kwikfit-to-north

kwikfit-to-south

The site was bought by a property developer who wanted to build a block of flats. With the KwikFit signage removed, parts of the original words used by Allen Bros could be seen.

September 2014

September 2014

September 2014. Allen Bros (Mitcham) can just be seen revealed after KwikFit signage was removed.

September 2014. Allen Bros (Mitcham) can just be seen revealed after KwikFit signage was removed.

Demolition began in early December 2016.

13th December 2016

13th December 2016

Photo taken on 2nd January 2017

Photo taken on 2nd January 2017

From 1953 Who’s Who in the Motor Industry digitised by Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History:

Car and Light Commercial Vehicle Stockists.
360, London Road, Mitcham, Surrey.
Telephone: 0867.

Directors:
M.D. Allen.
Lt. Col. F.E. Manning O.B.E.
P.L. Smith.
H.F. Priest.

Merton Memories Photos
Mr. F.E.Manning, with his son in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in 1957
Vintage car outside Allen Bros. Garage

Advertised as the Broadway Garage in 1937:

1937 ad

1937 ad

1961 advert from Norwood News, via the British Newspaper Archive

Rhodes Cottage

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A house on Cricket Green, when it was previously called Lower Green East. Demolished.

It was possibly next to White House, Cricket Green. It may have been owned by Walter Charles Rhoades. In the 1915 electoral register he is listed as living at 183 Bedford Hill, Balham, and owning “Two cottages east side of Lower green”.

The 1953 OS map shows ‘White House’ and the entrance to The Birches is just north of it.

The 1910 OS Map shows a building next to White House which may have been Rhodes Cottage.

1953 OS Map

1953 OS Map

1910 OS map

1910 OS map

This clip from a 1910 photo on Merton Memories shows a building to the left of White House, which may have been Rhodes Cottage.

1910 clip from Merotn Memories photo 51702. Copyright London Borough of Merton

1910 clip from Merton Memories photo 51702. Copyright London Borough of Merton

1903

1903

Electoral registers show this as Rhoades or Rheades Cottage.

From the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council
Mitcham Parochial Committee
24th April, 1906
Page 80

Nuisances: “Rhodes Cottage” and “White House” Lower Green.
Inspector Rabbetts reported the existence of nuisances at these premises, arising from the defective condition of the drains. Resolved, That the Inspector of Nuisances be authorised to serve notice on the owner, Mr. A. R. Harwood, of London Road, Mitcham, requiring the abatement of said nuisances.

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

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