Tag Archives: 1962

Deseret House

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288 London Road, north of Glebe Court estate.

A building of three floors of flats above shops on the ground floor. According to the Royal Mail postcode finder website, there are twelve flats numbered 1 through 12, with the address 288A London Road, all with the postcode CR4 3NB.

The name comes from Deseret, the provisional name for the state of Utah, according to wikipedia.

ad from 1967

News Articles

Mormons open a local bookshop

DESERET Enterprises Limited, which is owned by members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, opened their first bookshop in England at London Road, Mitcham, on Tuesday.

The building houses a great variety of books not necessarily associated with the church, and is Mitcham’s first shop specializing entirely in reading matter.

The building “Deseret House” has three storeys. The ground floor, is composed of a library of books and shelves of stationery. At the rear of the main room is the manager’s office and a smaller book room containing books mainly connected with the church.

CEREMONY

The storeys above contain 12 self-contained flats which will be let to local people. Elder Spencer Kimbal, a member of the church’s Council of Twelve, carried out the opening ceremony by cutting a ribbon across the door.

Before the doors were officially, opened the general manager of the new shop, Mr. Derek A. Cuthbert, welcomed members of the Mitcham Council and the Chamber of Commerce. He explained that it was hoped the premises would not only serve members of the Mormon Church in this country, but also the people in Mitcham.

Deseret Enterprises Limited was first registered in September and all the shareholders are members of the Mormon Church although not necessarily Americans.

SEPARATE

The church has always had a book department for members but as the church has developed the need for a separate organisation has been felt.

The company shareholders decided the new shop should serve the general public. This is, in fact, the first commercial activity of the company in this country. They are the leaseholders of the premises.

The shop will be staffed by English members of the church and the general manager, Mr. Cuthbert, comes from Nottingham.

The ceremony was attended by a second member of the Council of Twelve, Elder Howard W. Hunter.

Source: Mitcham News & Mercury, 26th January, 1962, page 1. For photos, see Merton Memories. Mr Cuthbert died in 1991, see obituary in Deseret News, which says that this was their first commercial venture in Europe.

The Limes

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Was 380 London Road.

Used as a halfway house for homeless people before they were allocated housing, this building was demolished in 1962/3.

1959 photo on Merton Memories.

News Articles

The Limes to go as half-way House
MITCHAM’s half-way house, “The Limes” – a temporary housing centre for homeless families – London Road, Mitcham, is to go.

Mitcham Council revealed this at their meeting last night (Thursday) when the chairman of the housing committee. Coun. W. J. Dungate. said the site was to be redeveloped.

Three modern-style shops, maisonnettes, garages and site works will be built in its place.

The large house, which was taken over some years ago by Mitcham Council, was split into eight units.

Most of the families who are put into “The Limes” stay for about 18 months before alternative accommodation is found for them.

Six families

At present there are six families in the building. A spokesman in the local housing manager’s department said this week: “I don’t know when the building will be demolished but we have purchased another building at Streatham where the families will be accommodated.

” The Limes’,” she went on, was once a large private house. When the council took it over they did so knowing that sooner or later it would have to be pulled down for road widening in London Road.

“That time has come and we are gradually making plans to transfer the tenants.”

Since “The Limes ” was taken over by Mitcham Council. local people have been anxious to see an end to it They have called the centre a slum, disgrace and an unwanted place in Mitcham.”

Time and again they have complained about the conditions there, and urged the council to clean it up.

In January this year Mr. Tom Braddock, former Labour M.P. for Mitcham, said at least £3.000 needed to be spent on the centre to give it “a decent living condition.”

But now the council have accepted proposals for the re-development of “The Limes” and have invited tenders for this scheme in advance of the demolition of the site.

Source: Mitcham News & Mercury 27th April, 1962, page 1.