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.