Two of the blocks of flats at the Phipps Bridge Estate, Mitcham, that were demolished in 1996.

1974 photo by Eric Montague, reproduced by kind permission of the Merton Historical Society.

1967 OS map, reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY

News Articles

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 28th March 1969

Colourised image of Sunningdale House from the newspaper cutting

Woman dies in fire at flat

A FEW hours before the postman arrived with birthday cards for a widowed Mitcham woman, she died in a smoke-filled bedroom when fire broke out at her home. Mrs. Alice Tomlinson, who would have been celebrating her 69th birthday, lived alone on the ninth floor of a 10-storey block of flats on the Phipps Bridge Estate. She died in the early hours of Tuesday.

Firemen, called by neighbours, broke down the front door to get in. The fire was confined to the mattress and bedding, but the thick smoke badly damaged the rest of the flat, which Mrs. Tomlinson had lived in for about two years.

Her budgerigar, Jimmy, given to her as a present by neighbours, also died in the fire.

Mrs. Evelyn Smith, and her husband Jack, who live next door, woke up at about 3.30 a.m. when they first smelled smoke.

“We looked around outside on the balcony and by the rubbish chute next to the lift, but couldn’t trace the smell,” Mrs. Smith said.

“At first we thought the smoke might be coming from the allotment site just opposite,” she added.

Banged on door

After her husband had gone to work at 5.40 a.m., Mrs. Smith still couldn’t trace the cause of the smoke, but when she lifted the letter-box of Mrs. Tomlinson’s flat she realised the place was on fire.

“You really could smell the smoke then, and I banged on her door to try and warn her, but she didn’t answer. I tried to undo the door but couldn’t,” she added.

Mrs. Smith then ran to the next flat, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Thompson, and they called the fire brigade.

“Mrs. Tomlinson always hated this time of the year because so many tragedies had occurred in her family around March,” Mrs. Pauline Thompson said.

“She was a very old lady and very sensible,” she added.

Evening News (London) – Tuesday 25 March 1969

Widow dies in birthday blaze. Widow Mrs. Alice Tomlinson died in a fire at her home today … her 69th birthday. She was found lying dead in bed by firemen who went to her council flat in Sunningdale House Hazlemere Avenue, Mitcham, after a neighbour saw smoke.

Note that Haslemere Avenue was mis-spelt in this article.