Tag Archives: 1957

1957 Bryans Aeroqupment Expansion

From Flight magazine, 14th June 1957, page 820

Bryans Aeroquipment Expansion

CONSIDERABLE reorganization has recently taken place in the business of Bryans Aeroquipment, Ltd., of Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey.

Mr. J. R. Bryans has taken over the chairmanship of the company in the room of Major C. E. Steams and is for the time being retaining the joint managing directorship with Mr. Derek H. Broome, M.A., who joined the firm last January
and was elected to the Board in April.

Mr. Broome served his apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce, served during the war with the Fleet Air Arm, and was subsequently employed for some years by I.C.I. and then by Tube Investments.

Mr. A. Bodley Scott, A.M.I.E.E., D.F.H.(Hon.), who joined the company in April as research and development engineer, has taken over research and development activities from Mr. Austin, who remains design director.

Mr. Scott was originally with G.E.C. on design and development of telephone and V.H.F. communications equipment and electronic test gear, and later joined the Ministry of Aircraft Production to work on radar control and gyro-stabilized gun-sights.

His last appointment was with the Royal Naval Scientific Service, where he was engaged on specialized work that included the development of control and stabilization systems for guided weapons.

A new laboratory is being set up at the company’s Mitcham factory to cover work in the normal fields in which Bryans Aeroquipment has been engaged over the past eighteen years; it will undertake, in addition, more advanced electrical work and development of electronic apparatus.

A new block being built at No. 1 Willow Lane, about 150 yards from the factory, to house office staff and design and drawing office personnel, is expected to be completed this month.

Church Place numbers 1 to 12

A terrace of 12 houses that were on the west side of Church Place, a road off Church Road, between numbers 32 and 34. Demolished in 1962/3, see below.

1953 OS map

1953 OS map

World War 1 Connections
Private Albert Morgan

From the Surrey Recruitment Registers:

H G CHOULER of 11 Church Place, Mitcham, aged 33 Years 11 Months, Engine Driver. Volunteered with the Derby Scheme on 29 February 1916 to the Royal Fusiliers (15th Batn).

W E GREEN of 12 Church Place, Mitcham, aged 34 Years 8 Months, Labourer. Volunteered on 1 November 1915 to the Royal Garrison Artillery.

W JONES of 1 Church Place, Mitcham, aged 18 Years 2 Months, Labourer. Conscripted on 28 August 1917 to the 20th Training Reserve Batn.


Demolition

From Minutes of the Housing Committee
6th June 1957
page 48

The Town Clerk reported that at the meeting of the Public Health Committee held today the Medical Officer had submitted official representations under Section 25 and 154 of the Housing Act 1936, that the areas comprising the houses 1 to 12 (consecutive numbers inclusive) Church Place and Nos. 46 to 60 (even numbers inclusive) Love Lane and Nos. 1 to 9 (consecutive numbers inclusive) Nicholls Cottages, Gaston Road, be dealt with as Clearance Areas.

Resolved, That the Council give an undertaking to carry out or secure the carrying out of such re-housing as the Minister of Housing and Local Local Government may consider necessary.

From the minutes of the Highways Committee
8th March 1962
page 817

Demolition of 1-12 Church Place and 42-60 Love Lane
The following quotations have been received for the demolition of the above properties:-

Company Cost
Gorst & Co., Ltd. £290
Syd Bishop & Sons (Demolition), Ltd. £350
J. W. Elliott £450
W. H. Penfold & Sons, Ltd. £489

I recommend that the lowest quotation, that of Messrs. Gorst & Co., Ltd. in the sum of £290 be accepted.
Yours obediently,
J. W. Turner,
Borough Engineer and Surveyor


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


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