Motspur Park memories
Here are memories of Motspur Park and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Motspur Park or a Motspur Park photo.
Boulanger's Knitwear, Motspur Park
Does anyone recall the knitwear factory of Boulanger adjacent to Motspur Park Station? My mother worked there from the early 1950s through to the mid 1970s - a long while! Perhaps there are people - if I recall, mainly women - who worked there and perhaps who remember my mother - I have vague memories that it was a low prefabricated looking building - they made fashion tops - all very 1950s! and probably highly collectable now.
Was I Invisible?
I was born in 1952 in Washington Road, Worcester Park. From age 6 I was doing the shopping for my two feckless parents up and down that road on a 3 wheel trike. My life from then was as the most abused child imaginable. I took myself to school and home was always bruised and punch drunk and my useless mother was quite open about her hatred of me and her wish for my death. Two schoolteachers lived very near us and the only light in my wretched world was the doll they would bring me once a year from their holidays abroad. I treasured them so naturally they were destroyed by my mother. At least once a week all my clothes and bedding would be hurled out of the upstairs window and left for cars to drive over all day. When I told the teacher she said I would know then how not to treat my own children. I was eleven. Does anyone remember me? I changed my name... Read more
Mordon
I moved to Beeleigh Road and went to Canterbury Road School with friends Paul, Pip, John, Ian and Chris.
How Lucky I am
I moved to Motpur Park when I was 4 years old, living opposite Beverley Brook in West Barnes Lane. This was 1951. I have absolutely great memories: friends calling on your door asking your parents "Can Keith come out to play?". Think about it, a sandpit at Robin Hood Park was all that was on offer for the kids. Yeah Red School, cane across the fingers. White School, cane across your bum and with venom. We were not all perfect kids. Yup, I had two brothers and luckily enough all three of us got into enough mischief that Mum and Dad had a dream of a better place to live out their lives. Us bro's now live in New Zealand and Australia. My family left England in 1964 and we are so lucky.
The Real Winters of The 1940s
I recall, with the occasional shudder, the freezing cold winters of the 1940s. I spent Saturday evenings earning a couple of shillings (that's 10p to you youngsters!!) working from 4.30pm to 6.00pm selling newspapers in the centre part of the crossover bridge at Motspur Park railway station. I worked for Berny Bromhead, who had a newspaper kiosk that was situated in the wide pedestrian walkway that led from Claremont Avenue, through to the railway station and the bridge. I wasn't allowed to leave my 'pitch' for the duration of 4.30pm - 6.00pm. If I was getting short of papers, I would shout down to the kiosk and Berny, with his obligatory piece of chewing gum being chewed at a rather sedate pace, accompanied by the largest 'dew drop' you have ever seen hanging from the end of his nose, would bound up the bridge stairway, sniffling and puffing, at a pace that would put some youngsters to shame. Berny at this time was, I think, in his late thirties or... Read more
Life in Seaforth Avenue
As a youngster I, along with two other brothers, attended the RED school in West Barnes Lane (infants and juniors) and when old enough, I moved over the sports field to the White School (seniors). My brothers moved on to the Beverley School in Blakes Lane, Motspur Park. During the mid 1940s, it was the job of us boys, on a Saturday morning, to take Mum's pram around to Champion's the timber merchants' rear entrance (that was quite near the back of the 'What Oh' transport cafe), get permission from the saw mill foreman to salvage all the off cuts of planks etc and we would then load Mum's pram to overflowing, even jamming pieces of wood down the sides to enable the pram to carry twice it's capacity. When we eventually got home, after pushing the pram and contents along Burlington Road, past Bradbury Wilkinson's printing factory, we would turn right, over the level crossing and then right again into Seaforth Avenue. When we got home, all the bits... Read more
Home - Always Will be
I grew up in Motspur Park, living in Claremont Avenue from 1958 - 1980 where my mother still lives.
The swing gate railway crossing which we used to hang onto while the signal man wound them open and closed (the record for the fastest gate opening was recorded here). Sam, the Caribbean Station master who seemed to be there forever.
The railway bridge that as a child scared me as the gaps between each step seemed so big. On the south side, the flower seller Mr Mathews (1960s).
On the north side two small kiosks, one a cobblers and the second a travel agent (a new concept for the era). Where the library is now was open ground where we picked blackberries. Further on where the office building is now, the old mansion house and woods that we were told were haunted. It kept us out of the orchard!
The alleyway at the rear of the shops where we would put our hand through the fence... Read more
Growing up in Motspur Park
I lived in Motspur Park from 1968 till 1989, everyone I knew friendly place,the local pub was clean and friendly, used to go courting there with my late husband.
Been back a few times and have noticed a dramatic decline - the row of shops down Seaforth Ave have become dirty and an eyesore. The traffic calming measures down West Barnes Lane on the whole good measure look out of place. The corner shop on Adela Ave where as a child I use to buy penny sweets with my grandma sadly gone and replaced as a residence. When I was a child growing up Motspur Park was clean, tidy, a generally nice place to live. Don't get me wrong but since I left I would not live there or bring my children up there and that is a shame, as if it got cleaned up I'm sure it would be.
But I carry my very fond memories of that place with me, as I moved with my children round England... Read more
The Beatty And Us.
Like alot of young Kiwis, my wife and I started our OE (Overseas experience) in 1986, and in January 1987 found ourselves in Motspur Park as a result of applying and getting bar jobs at the Earl Beatty pub. Graeme and Marie were the Governers, Jeff and Vicky were another Kiwi couple already working there at the time. It was an interesting time for us. At the time, the Duke of Cambridge in nearby New Malden was closed for renovations, with most of their regulars now drinking at the Beatty. They were an interesting bunch to say the least, with some rather dubious backgrounds. However, Freddy the bear, and others were friendly, and protective of us, especially when a number of younger guys tried to cause trouble. Free dumplings were often dished out as sign of appreciation, at their suggestion.
Time has dulled the memory of the names of many of the local regulars, however some good friendships were forged. Carol Keating owned the woolshop over the road, and together... Read more
Memories of Greater London
Airfix Kits at Woolworths
I remember as a child spending my Saturday pocket money buying Airfix kitsets at Woolworths. My last memories of England before emigrating to New Zealand in 1964 were of my childhood in New Malden and attending Scared Heart school in Burlington Road.
10 Grafton Road
My dad, Cecil Edwards, had a newsagents and tobacconists shop in Grafton Road. We lived behind and over the shop.
One of my abiding memories is going to Woolworths in the High Street to spend my saved pocket money on Christmas presents for the family. At that time Woolworths had gas lamps throughout the shop which had two chains hanging, one to turn up and one to put out. Also Tudor Williams had one of those change machines which whizzed round the shop.
As kids we would play Cops and Robbers and Cowboys and Indians in Grafton Road and in the winter would make an ice slide in the middle of the street! Not much traffic so no-one complained! There was a wonderful lamp post which we used to swing from outside number 1 Grafton.
The Miss Possetti's lived next door to the Art Marble - they were very refined ladies indeed and wore gloves when they went out.
The Graham Spicer Hall had... Read more
Memory Lane
In 1954 I was nine. I was born in New Malden in 1945, and went to school there. My family name is Arbuckle, and the New Malden police station had my great-grandfathers in their uniforms in pics on the wall, and I was on the film when they laid the stone foundations of the church on the corner of Westbury Road, because I remember seeing the film in New Malden library. My family have been in New Malden a long time. It was so nice to see the old pics as now I have come to Australia to live I can remember walking to school and getting the trams to the roundabout. If there is anyone who could tell me if I can get copies of the pics of my great grandfathers or of the film that would have been kept for the history of New Malden it would be great.
My name was Barbara Campbell Arbuckle, and is now Barbara Hudspeth. I live in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Growing up
I was 9 in 1959 when we moved to New Malden. Hence I spent almost my entire childhood and all my teenage years there and I know it well. My father was caretaker of the Methodist church on the corner of the High Street and Cambridge Road - opposite Tudor Williams. I went to school in New Malden, worked in New Malden, married there, and later, my son went to school there as well. Looking at the old photos on this website brings back many fond memories. After my parents died, all photos we ever had were lost, so it was wonderful to see these. I moved to Australia in 1983 and now understand that in those last 26 years New Malden has changed beyond belief. Perhaps memories are best kept as memories, but it is nice to reminisce sometimes. Does anybody remember the Guppy family from Cambridge Rd?
Ruth (novruf@hotmail.com)
99 Westbury Road, New Malden 1951
Hi,
I'm researching my family background, and it turns out that the Matthews (Dad's side) lived on this street.
Michael Matthews (Grandad), Monica (Gran) Eleanor (Aunty) and Thomas (Dad)
Do you know where I can get more information on the area?
Kind regards
Georgina
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