Tag Archives: 1971

1971 : Eastfields High School minibus debt paid off

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From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 16th July 1971

Their Debt of £200 Cleared

Boys from Eastfields School, Mitcham, with the mini-bus presented to the school by the Parent-Teacher Association. It is to be used for visits and for social service work in the area.

THEIR DEBT OF £200 CLEARED

PARENTS and teachers at Eastfields High School, Mitcham, were relaxing this week after hearing they had cleared a £200 debt at their annual summer fayre on Saturday.

Chairman of the parent teachers association, Mr John Warne explained: “We wanted to buy the school a mini bus and found a very good one for £850. Unfortunately we only had £650 available but a bank loan helped us buy it.”

Since then parents, teachers and pupils have been organising the fayre to pay off the extra £200. As it happened they just cleared £220 but headmaster Mr Bernarr Atherton is not one for laurel-resting.

About 1,000 people went to the fayre, slightly fewer than last year but the organisers believe the heat may have kept them away.

A mini raffle with a prize every 20 minutes did especially well and fortune teller Madam Crystal (alias parent Mrs A. Hall) told her clients of journeys to foreign lands and tall dark strangers.

BEST DRESSED

Prize for the best dressed girl was won by 14 year old Shelley Jearum, Lexden Road, Mitcham in a black and white mini dress and matching hot pants.

The band of the St. John Ambulance Brigade lent a touch of excitement to the afternoon and in between their displays the Eastfields Discotheque blared constant pop across the playing fields.

Now the P.T.A. is to meet again to think about paying for that duplicator.

In 1971, the £850 spent on the minibus would be equivalent to approximately £10,500 in today’s money, while the £200 debt they cleared would be worth roughly £2,500.

W. J. Emson – insurance broker

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Insurance agent W.J Emson & Co. had a shop in Mitcham for about 50 years, from around 1937 to 1987.

According to the 1921 census, William John Mulready EMSON, age 39, born in 1883, was a police sergeant at the Mitcham Police Station, and lived at the police quarters in Lower Green West (where Vine Cottages is now), with his wife Lilian Rose Emson, aged 38.

This and from 1932 shows him using all of his initials “W.J.M.” and the address as 21 Langdale Avenue, which was his home address as shown in the 1939 registry, with his wife Lillian R. Emson.

Mitcham Advertiser – Thursday 21 January 1932

By 1937, his business was from a shop on the corner of Langdale Avenue and London Road at no. 251, as can be seen in this ad. Note that the third initial has been dropped.

1937 ad from Mitcham Cricket Club yearbook

He was listed as a subscriber to the cricket club’s yearbook in 1937, from which it is assumed he was a member of the club. These ads ran up to 1968.

The 1952 Chamber of Commerce guide lists W. J. Emson & Co., at 177 London Road, Mitcham, near the corner with Downe Road.

He passed away in September 1961, and his address on the probate record on Ancestry was 4 Glebe Court, Mitcham.

This ad from 1968 is from the Mitcham Cricket Club yearbook.

1968 ad

The business was listed in the 1971 phone book at 177 London Road, Mitcham, 01-648 9351.

Merton Memories has a c.1987 photo which shows the business at 35 Monarch Parade.