Tag Archives: Commonside East

79 Commonside East

Currently residential, but was a newsagents shop. In the 1954 phone book, the occupant was A.G. HENDRA, listed as confectioner & tobacconist.

This property is the left hand one of three, as shown in this photo, taken from the Beehive Bridge. To the left of number 79 is the footpath Lavender Walk.

clip from Merton Memories photo reference Mit_Transport_2-3

1955 OS map

Next door at number 85 was S. BARTON, grocers, in the 1954 phone book. In the above photo, was it called Mitcham Stores to avoid confusion with Barton’s Stores in 1, Kings Parade, Wrythe Lane, Carshalton? (Also in the 1954 phone book)

In this clip from a 1974 photo, the shop is owned by D.G. BAKEWELL

Image courtesy of Collage - The London Picture Library - http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk

1974 Image courtesy of Collage – The London Picture Library – http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk

No. 79 on right of Lavender Walk – photo taken 22nd August 2020


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

Air Raid shelters in 1948

Mitcham Borough Council minutes, volume 15, 1948-49, page 95 :-

The Borough Engineer submitted the following report: –

December 3, 1948.

To the Chairman and Members of the General Purposes Committee.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Air Raid Shelters.

In accordance with the instructions of the Committee I give below a list of shelters which have not yet been demolished :—

  • Morden Road (Deer Park Gardens).
  • Commonside West.
  • Commonside East.
  • Manor Road.
  • Rowan Road.
  • Figges Marsh S.
  • Figges Marsh N.
  • Manship Road.
  • Moffatt Gardens.
  • Cranmer Road.
  • Fair Green.
  • Carshalton Road.

Home Office sanction to the making safe of the shelters has just been received and negotiations are proceeding with the contractors, Messrs. J. Sullivan, Ltd., whose tender (in the sum of £603 15s.) was forwarded, in July, to the Home Office for approval.

Personal note: I remember in the mid 1960s the air raid shelters at the southern end of Figges Marsh and on the north side of Cranmer Road near the junction with Carshalton Road.