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Mitcham Junction memories

Here are memories of Mitcham Junction and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Mitcham Junction or a Mitcham Junction photo.

 

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Memories of Surrey

Village Life

As a child I lived in neighbouring Coulsdon, and Woodmansterne was a favourite cycle ride. Armed with jam sandwiches and bottle of pop, my sister and I would ride down Hatch Lane (even though you weren't supposed to), feeding the horses in the adjoining field. Then go on to Woodmansterne's park where there were playground equipment, and a huge fallen hollow tree. There was a shop in the village that opened on a Sunday (rare in those days) where you could buy ice creams.

Sometimes on summer evenings our dad would walk with us to the Woodman and we'd have lemonade and crisps in the beer garden. There was an annual fete held in the field behind the sports hut (near the pub) and I once won a tray of fruit. Despite promising to take it home to mum, I managed to eat it all on the way!

I live in Australia now, but it's still a pleasant walk around Woodmansterne on my rare visits back to Coulsdon.Read more

The Kent Family

My great grandparents lived in Carlshalton Road, Woodmansterne and bought up their family, including my Nanna, Dorothy, there. Their surname was Kent and they lived in the middle cottage of a terrace of 3.  

My Aunt Mary (who is now in her eighties) has very fond memories of visiting them there before and during the Second World War and recalls days spent exploring the woods and fields around Woodmansterne with a friend who lived on a nearby farm, and of watching her grandad ploughing the fields.

I would love to hear more about what the village was like then and to hear if anyone has any memories of my family.

Birth Place

I have been told by my mother that I was born in St Mary's Hospital in South Croydon and I am not sure if it still exists or if there are any photos of it. Can anyone help?

Baldwin's Butchers Shop

High Street 1924
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I have this photograph on the wall as it reminds me of my dad, Arthur Edward Elson. He was born in Mill Lane in 1914 and worked as a 'butcher's boy' for Baldwin's which is just visible on the right of the photo.
He delivered meat to customers by bicycle which is how he met my mother, she had come down from Durham and was working for Doctor Eileen Stevenson who lived at Holmfield in Cheam Road.
He worked there until he was called up to fight in the Second World War, in fact they continued to pay a percentage of his wages to his mother Alice, my grandmother, for the duration of the War as she was a widow and survived by taking in washing.
The first Elsons to arrive in Ewell were my great great great grandparents John Elson, a widower from St Martha on the Hill and his wife Sarah Longhurst.  They were married in Ewell on 29th December 1793.

Wedding Day 1958

Church of St. Francis of Assisi c1965
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This is the church that my parents were married in, April 12th 1958. I haven't seen it since 1974, when we emigrated to Australia. Their wedding photos were taken in front of the church, with family members, many of whom are no longer with us.

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