Tag Archives: London Road

Film director Albert Ernest Colbey

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Albert Ernest Colbey, was a director of around 250 films made by Cricks & Martin, of Ravensbury Lodge. Mr Colby lived at no. 33 Whitford Gardens
Note that some spellings of his surname appear as Colby in the street directory and newspaper article.

In 1910, he was taken to court on the charge of obstructing traffic on London Road while shooting one of his films, as shown in the Croydon Chronicle and East Surrey Advertiser – Saturday 12 March 1910 via the British Newspaper Archive.

A Mitcham Scene.
BEHIND THE SCENES IN MAKING CINEMATOGRAPH PICTURES.

London-road, Mitcham, was the centre of attraction one day last week. The road was crowded with people, who were watching the struggles of two men, who were almost buried in two heaps of gravel, which were dumped in the centre of the road. On Saturday Albert Colby, Whitford Gardens, Mitcham, appealed before the Croydon County Bench to answer a summons for obstructing the roadway. The police stated that the defendant had emptied two cartloads of gravel in the centre of the road, and completely blocked the traffic. When spoken to by the police the defendant said he would not leave until he had finished the picture. Defendant informed the Bench that he was taking a cinematograph picture. “We never interfere with the people passing along the road,” said the defendant, “but the people stop to see the fun.”

Chief Inspector McKay was present. The defendant had tipped two loads of gravel in the centre of the road. Two men got into the gravel and covered themselves up with it while photographs were being taken of them. It was a most ridiculous performance. A crowd of people had gathered, and the traffic was stopped.

The Chairman : Would a vehicle have room to pass ?
Inspector McKay: No ; I had some difficulty in getting past myself. (Laughter.)

The Chairman: We will fine you 10s. and 3s. 6d. costs for your fun, and don’t do it again.

In the 1911 census, he was listed as aged 34, living with his wife Alice Kate Coleby, aged 37; their daughter Alice Mary, aged 5; son Charles Raymond Coleby, aged 2.

The films he directed included Boxing Fever which is on YouTube, which I reviewed in this video to explain where in Mitcham the scenes were shot:

The BFI entry for Boxing Fever says that he appeared in the film, but was he the boxer?

In search of Ravensbury Close

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From the Streatham News – Friday 8th November 1946

In Search Of Ravensbury Close

Is it not time that our local authority reviewed the naming of some thoroughfares ?

Surely this should be carried out with a view to helping instead of confusing, people ? One expects to find—and actually does find—Greyhound-terrace adjacent to Greyhound-lane, and Manor-road, Manor-way and Manor-place in close proximity to each other, but such similarity in names does not allow such simple deduction to be correct in all cases.

The other evening I had occasion to visit a Mitcham address on rather urgent business, and even the police were unable to tell me where it was! The address I wanted was Ravensbury-close, and although a resident in Mitcham for nearly twenty years, I was uncertain of where it lay.

Perhaps because I worked in conjunction with the police during the war (though, unfortunately for me, many miles away from home), or merely because it was the natural thing for anyone to do in such circumstances, I telephoned the local police station and asked where Ravensbury-close was. Did I know the Ravensbury Tavern, in Morden-road? I did. “Well, Ravensbury-close runs alongside,” I was informed. I arrived at the Tavern to find the road referred to was named Ravensbury-GROVE. It was nearly 9 p.m. when I arrived, and the very poor lighting (something else the Council could do something about it!) did not help me in my quest. I made inquiries on the spot, and was told that the place I wanted was in London-road. Off I went, only to find myself, after walking for ten minutes and following my directions, that I was now at Ravensbury-COURT!

Following fresh instructions, I retraced my steps to the Ravensbury TAVERN, went through Ravensbury-GROVE, to two houses which appeared in the darkness to be in the middle of a fleld, though I believe it may have been the scene of an “incident” when Hitler was around. Here I was told that the address was still Ravensbury-GROVE, I asked yet again, and was sent on another 15 minutes’ walk in an entirely new direction, and there, somewhere off The Drive I came to Ravensbury-AVENUE! By this time I had had quite enough. and returned home, having walked a few miles and circled Ravensbury Park at least once.

Next morning I telephoned the police and explained the position. They were sorry, but they could not help me further. They said Ravensbury-close must be in another district.

Eventually, a girl telephonist at the Town Hall gave me the correct directions — a turning off St Mark’s-road. Relieved, I thanked her—and told her I had telephoned the police the previous evening. “ And they sent you up to Morden-road, I suppose,” she queried. Surely a more appropriate name for the two houses comprising Ravensbury-close would be St. Mark’s-close, or even Majestic-close, seeing it lies in the shadow of the Majestic Cinema. But why Ravensbury-close should be off St Mark’s-road, Ravensbury court on the London-road, Ravensbury-grove off Morden-road. and Ravensbury-avenue, off The Drive, all miles from each other in different directions, I cannot imagine.

And to further confuse one, the Ravensbury Arms (more familiarly known as the Blue House) is in yet another direction, on the Croydon-road!

SKYLARK.