Tag Archives: Cricket Green

Bramcote Parade

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1937 aerial Bramcote Court

26th June 1937

A parade of shops at the curved part of Bramcote Court, on the west side of Bramcote Avenue at the junction with Cricket Green. Originally there were 4 shops, numbered 1 to 4 from south to north, with no. 4 facing Cricket Green. At present, in 2022, there are 3 shops, numbered 1-2, 3 and 4.

1954 OS map

Shops

Harper’s sweet shop was remembered by a user of the Facebook group Mitcham History:

When I think of shops in Mitcham, I remember the names of Harpers sweet shop on the corner of Bramcote Ave and Stevenson & Rush in London Road. Harpers I remember waiting with a bowl to collect the ice cream during rationing and Stevenson & Rush for the smell of ground coffee.

The 1954 telephone directory lists Eric Harper at no. 1, telephone MITcham 2635.

No. 1

1963 ad for Molly’s at 1 Bramcote Parade

No. 2

A. ROGERS, greengrocer – source: 1938 Mitcham Guide

1938 ad for A. Rogers, from the Mitcham Guide

Home Furnishing Stores, tel: MIT 2635 – source: 1946 Norwood News

Norwood News – Friday 19 July 1946
Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

No. 3

School Government Publishing Co. Ltd, – source: 1948 Norwood News

Norwood News – Friday 22 October 1948
Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Croft & Co., advertising:

1960 ad:

Croydon Times – Friday 30 September 1960
Image © Successor rightsholder unknown.

S.L. CROFT, advertising, tel: MIT 4397 – source: 1967 Chamber of Commerce listing.

Cottam’s pram repair shop.

Toys on Parade – see 2008 photo below

No. 4

J.F. EXCEL, greengrocers – source: 1952 Chamber of Commerce listing.

Facelift

In 2021/2 the shop fronts were given a facelift, paid for out of the Community Infrastructure Levy, which is contributed to by local developers. This was done after a successful campaign by the group Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage, who had campaigned for this parade and Bramcote Court be added to Merton Council’s Local List.

Bramcote Parade in August 2019

Bramcote Parade in April 2022

This photo, from 2008, was posted onto the Mitcham History Group on Facebook, and is reproduced here with the user’s permission.

Bramcote Parade in 2008

Brampton

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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. 1 Cricket Green, at the corner with Cold Blows and now a day nursery, was originally called ‘Brampton’ when it was built by the building firm of Wilson Brothers. They came from Milton, near Brampton in the county of Cumbria, what was then called Cumberland.

One of the brothers, Isaac Wilson, gave Mitcham the Wilson Hospital, the Cumberland Hospital and the Garden Village.

Source: Mitcham Histories : 1 The Cricket Green by EN Montague

There is also a Garden Village in Brampton, paid for by Isaac Wilson.

Lancashire Evening Post – Friday 05 September 1930 (from the British Newspaper Archive – subscription required)

CUMBERLAND MAN’S GIFT TO BRAMPTON.

Canon Sutton, of Bridekirk, chairman of the Cumberland County Council, performed the opening ceremony at Brampton, near Carlisle, yesterday, of a colony of 24 cottages for the aged poor, the gift of Mr. Isaac Henry Wilson, a native of Milton, Brampton, now Mitcham, Surrey.

At Milton six homes are being built, six at Lanercost and six at Walton. The cottages will be rent and rate free to the occupants, who will be aged folk.

Fifty years ago Mr. Wilson left his native soil and made a fortune in building houses on the Surrey side of London and yesterday he was present at the ceremony to explain that his desire was to do something for his native soil, to lessen the burden of the aged who had borne the heat and burden of the day, and to render the eventide of their life much happier. The houses were not for the young, but for, say, spinster sisters and old couples who had had a hard time in life and found their latter days irksome.

Mr. Hugh Jackson, an alderman of the County Council, said that Mr. Wilson had already given 56 cottage homes at Mitcham for aged and deserving people. Less than two years ago he built there and equipped and endowed a hospital at a cost of £60,000, and had since given a further £25,000 for extensions.

Over 60 applications had already been received for the Brampton houses. Mr. Wilson presented Canon Sutton with a golden key with which to open the homes. Complimentary speeches wore made Mr. C. H. and Lady Cecilia Roberts, Mr. Leif Jones, M.P., Mr. J. J. Adams, Workington, and Mrs. Lucy Thompson, and among those present were the Mayor and Mayoress of Workington, Mr. R. H. Hodgson, and Sir James Watt.