Tag Archives: 1956

Peter Waterman’s refreshment hut by the Red House

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Peter Waterman, British and European welterweight boxing champion and elder brother of the actor Dennis Waterman, later ran a refreshment hut on Mitcham Common beside the Red House — serving football supporters near the dressing rooms off Croydon Road / Red House Road.

Born in Stepney on 8 December 1934, Waterman boxed from boyhood, won the ABA light-welterweight title in 1952, fought for Great Britain at the Helsinki Olympics that year, and as a professional took the British welterweight title (1956) and the European title (1957). After a hard fight with Dave Charnley in April 1958 he underwent brain surgery and never boxed again. He died suddenly in Islington on 16 January 1986, aged 51.

The Mitcham Common Conservators’ minutes pick up his Common story a couple of years later. On 14 September 1960 the Board recorded that Mrs Edwards had transferred the Refreshment Licence to Mr Peter Waterman, of 48 Palace Road, Streatham Hill, and granted him a three-year licence for the hut.

In January 1961 he asked for tarmac near the dressing rooms and drive-in, offering an extra £1 a week. Through the early 1960s the Board dealt with higher fees for car-park and football trade, earlier Sunday opening, and — in places where the OCR reads “Mr Waterson” — almost certainly the same licensee. By 1967–68 there were Public Health complaints about the huts at the Red House; meetings followed with Waterman and Merton Council, and the Council was expected not to press further once remedial work was done.

In May 1969 the licence was to be determined and tenders advertised, with the present licensee free to tender. The café remained a recurring Environmental Health item into the late 1970s. On 8 March 1978 the Clerk spoke to Mr Waterman’s Manager about the café and parking. On 7 June 1978 the licence was terminated: the police were content with closure, citing safety with lorries on Croydon Road. On 5 September 1979 the Board noted that the café had been emptied and that Waterman’s Manager should be told the structure was to be destroyed — the site tied in the index to the disused lorry park by Red House Road.

Local memory still links Waterman’s stand with match-day crowds near the Red House (properly the Jolly Gardeners on Mitcham Road / Croydon Road at the Croydon end of the Common — the “Blue House” opposite being the Ravensbury Arms). The minutes do not mention his boxing career or his better-known brother; they show a long-serving Common licensee whose hut served footballers and spectators until the late 1970s, when road safety and health concerns closed that chapter.

Sources: Mitcham Common Conservators Board minutes (esp. 14 Sep 1960; 11 Jan 1961; 1962–63 fees; 1967–68 Public Health; 14 May 1969; 8 Mar & 7 Jun 1978; 5 Sep 1979); Wikipedia / contemporary boxing notices for career outline; local naming of the Red House (Jolly Gardeners).

Raising the Ale Garland

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Raising the ale garland was an old custom that was revived by Youngs Brewery when they reopened rebuilt, or repaired, pubs after the Second World War. This was done when the Cricketers pub was reopened officially on 8th January 1956 for example.

A letter to the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, published on Wednesday 2nd January 1963, explained the custom:-

SIR,

— When a new inn was opened in Bristol earlier this year, the ancient custom of hoisting the ale-garland was observed. The accompanying photograph shows the garland hanging over the door of the house.

The custom has links with the Romans, who used a bush as their sign to advertise a tavern. Other references to the garland or bush are found over a long period of literature. For instance in 1603 a traveller records that he “spied a bush at the end of
a pole (the ancient badge of a country ale house ) “.

It is from this custom that the saying arose, “good wine needs no bush” —i.e., is advertisement enough for itself. The “bush” was often composed of ivy leaves, not only because of ivy’s lasting quality, but also because of Bacchus’ connection with ivy.”

Image © Illustrated London News Group. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD!

A longer explanation can be found in this article from the Lewisham Borough News, Tuesday 16th January 1951:

STORY OF THE ALE GARLAND
‘Conning The Brew’ In Ancient Times

By Stephen E. Hutchins

The hoisting of the ale garland in City and suburban taverns which is much observed about the New Year together with what is known as “ale conning” is regarded as the revival of a custom of the time of William the Conqueror and involves an expression of goodwill to all, and a kind of public protest against all sorts of vexatious regulations.

In olden days all garlands were to be seen outside all the inns at the festive season as a sign that fellowship and hospitality reigned within.

To “con the brew” is to sip at the mulled ale, the wassail bowl, and the ale posset, and the lambs wool — (meaning pulped roasted apples, sugar, nutmeg and ginger in warmed ale) — and pronounce it to be an excellent concoction.

The ale garland is usually displayed from a pole known as the “ale-stake” — in former days such ale-stakes had to be exhibited by inn-keepers to tell the travelling ale-conners that the new beers were ready to be tested.

The punishment for brewing poor beer was to be ducked in a pond in the ducking stool.

Under an Act of 1604 ale houses had to be inspected by constables to see if they were properly conducted and the object of the law was “to restrain inordinate tippling in inns and alehouses” and to confirm that the true use of the English inn was to relieve wayfarers and supply victuals, and not to entertain idle people and encourage them to spend their money.

Penny a Quart

Fines were levied by the constables and church wardens on people who indulged in drink for “an unreasonable time” and the money was given to the poor.

There was a fine of 5s. for being drunk and the alternative if the offender was unable to pay was to be awarded a spell in the stocks.

The price of the best ale was fixed at one penny a quart and “small” ale was one half penny a quart.

In 1614 the City had a thousand breweries with 40,000 barrels in their cellars. Beer was made at the back and sold for consumption in the front.

The old English ale was made from malt, yeast and water, and eventually beer flavoured with hops, called “hopping beer,” was brought in from Germany. This beverage became very popular.

Inns were often owned by the Church and we still have reminders of this in titles like the Seven Stars, the King and Keys, the Mitre and the Angel and “The Case is Altered” — the later signifying the period after the Reformation when the inns passed to other ownership.

Many inns were in the nature of hostels for pilgrims to the religious shrines. The poorest often received free hospitality and they were usually situated in a town near to the abbey or cathedral.

Among notable examples of this type of establishment may be listed the Falstaff of Canterbury, the “Star” at Alfriston, and the Pilgrims Rest beside Battle Abbey. The “Star” was a house of call for pilgrims travelling eastward to the noted Abbey at Battle and it was owned by the Monks of Battle.