Tag Archives: 1959

Leonard H. Munday

Mitcham Borough Council Valuation Officer from 1928 to 1947.

In council minutes from 1917, he was a rate collector.

News Articles

Ex-valuation officer’s rating appeal dismissed

Mr Leonard Munday, valuation officer for Mitcham from 1928 until 1947, has failed in his bid to cut the rating assessment on his own house at Crescent Grove, Mitcham.

In a reserved decision in London on Thursday last week, Mr R.C.G. Fennell dismissed Mr Munday’s appeal against a local valuation court’s decision which reduced by £2 to £54 the gross value on his house. Mr Munday had asked the Tribunal for a greater reduction.

Industry zone

He said his house was within an area planned for industrial development. He had an intimate knowledge of rents in the borough, and in the absence of rental evidence relating to his own house, the next best method in fixing the assessment should be on the basis of the capital cost of the property. In adpoting such a method he arrived at figures representing a gross value of £38.

Mr Fennell said the present valuation officer, Mr W.H. Mason, had relied on pre-war rental evidence for 10 houses in the neighbourhood which he regarded as providing a fair basis for comparison, although they differed in size and situation.

Mr Munday was directed to pay the valuation officer a guinea costs.

Source: Mitcham News & Mercury, 25th September, 1959, page 1.

Veteran Car : Benz Ideal 4.5 hp reg P3518

This car was bought by Mr F.E. Manning, Mitcham Park, in the mid 1950s. He was a director of Allen Bros garage. It had a fairly good engine, which he stripped down and rebuilt. He and his son worked on rebuilding the rest of the car. They took drawings from another Benz and made components as near as possible to the original.

clip from Merton Memories, photo reference Mit_Transport_26-2 showing Mr Fenning working on the car

They entered the London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally in 1957.

clip from Merton Memories, photo reference Mit_​Transport_​26-2, copyright London Borough of Merton

In this article from 1959, his son didn’t go with him on the rally.

Veteran run

For the third year running Mr F.E. Manning has driven his 1900 Benz over the finishing line in the annual veteran car run to Brighton. And this year he got back to his home in Mitcham Park in time to see himself on the television newsreel.

Although breaking no records for the run, Mr Manning bowled along merrily in his black and primrose car (with solid tyres), crossing the finishing line at 2.30 p.m. with plenty of time to spare.

“Traffic was very heavy,” Mr Manning told me, “so we could not record any spectacular time. But we only stopped once en route and that was for lunch, The car behave perfectly all the way.”

Mr Manning’s 17-year-old son Butch did not go with him this year. “I think he got fed up with getting soaked through on the two previous runs. But we were very lucky as the weather was good this year,” Mr Manning added.

Source: Mitcham News & Mercury 6th November, 1959

Restored again in 2006/7 the car was sold at Bonhams auction in February 2017 for around £105,000.