Tag Archives: Wide Way

Mitcham and District Lambretta Club

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Clip from Merton Memories photo reference Mit_Transport_17-1

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 19th January, 1962, page 1:

Night out for the Goons

The Mitcham Goons celebrated their fourth annual dinner at The White Hart Hotel, Mitcham.

Mr and Mrs D.C. Guy were guests of honour and Bob Hazell of Surrey Scooters, vice-president of the club, was also there.

The trophies for the annual club memorial trial were presented by Derek C. Guy, the first place being won by Harry Neal the club’s secretary, second place by Mike Austin and third place by Norman Creker.

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 8th March, 1957, page 1:

A piece of mouldy cheese fetches 3s

A piece of mouldy cheese wrapped in paper sold for 3s. on Monday.

It was a mock auction organised by Mitcham and District Lambretta Club. All the parcels were wrapped so that the bidders did not know the contents.

Other articles sold included a bottle of Mitcham lavender that raised 5s., a puncture outfit and a pinafore.

A novelty item was a cardboard replica replica of a “goon.” It was made by Mrs Margaret Griffiths, Wide Way, Mitcham.

Mrs Griffiths has also designed “goon” pennants and badges. (Goon Harry Secombe is club president.)

The auctioneer was Mr G Hall, Bramcote Avenue, Mitcham, the Club chairman. Nearly £4 was raised.

1960 : Glad Farewell to Nissen Huts

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From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 29th April 1960

Home … but not for much longer for the occupiers of this Nissen hut at Wide Way. Until recently there were many homes like this on the site.

The last families on Mitcham’s largest Nissen hut colony on Wide Way will soon be saying a glad farewell to the dwellings they call home.
They are the last of 60 families who have lived in the galvanised huts on a muddy site littered with bricks, glass and old car parts for as long as eight years.

But nearly all have tried to make a home of the huts until better places are found for them.

One mother of six boys between the ages of 15 months and 11 years said she found it almost impossible to bring up a family in such conditions. But she had tried, and gay curtains decorated the small windows of the hut.

BROKEN WINDOWS

Another woman with four young children is looking forward to moving to a house with a small garden.

“As long as I have somewhere where they can play without wandering away or getting lost, I won’t mind,” she said stop

“The garages in nearby houses are in better condition and more habitable than these huts,” said another woman. But I’m one of the lucky ones – I am moving this week.”

At present there are fewer than a dozen families living on the site. The empty huts have become a playground for children who have added to the chaos by breaking windows and defacing the walls.