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Raynes Park
Raynes Park maps
Historic maps of Raynes Park and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Raynes Park maps
Raynes Park area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Raynes Park and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Raynes Park
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Raynes Park.
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Grand Drive
I remember Grand Drive in the mid fifties as in the photograph. I was a teenager at the time. To the left of the fence were fields where horses were kept. It's all built up with a housing estate now. So sad to see the way a lot of the whole area of Raynes Park and Morden has been vandalised by developers.
Dedicated to my Dearest Dad, Victor Perrett
I was born in Cannon Cose in 1956, I have really happy memories of my childhood. My dad always used to go to The Earl Beaty on a Sunday for a beer. Another thing I remember was the corner shop where we always stopped for sweets, Witickers fruit and veg shop, Thomas's the hairdressers, Tom the butcher, and Mrs Wood's grocery shop, she wrote a small book about all her clients before she died but I have no idea if it was published. Also Cosmo's hairdressing salon and his son Frank, all I can say is I loved living in Raynes Park and if I had the chance to move back I would.
Motspur Park
I lived in Seaforth Avenue on and off with my nan and grandad. What I loved about Motspur Park was it felt like a village to me. The library was on the corner, it felt so small in there. I used to be taken to the Earl Beatty pub with my parents and brothers and sit outside and enjoy a packet of crisps and a ginger beer. I remember the corner shop in Seaforth Avenue, it was always full to the brin with things. It felt so safe in those days to play in the street and I loved going to the park, also I went into Carters Tested Seeds a lot after coming out of Bushey School and loving the smell in there, can't remember what is was of but I liked it. Happy days were had then.
RN Off No.
I lived in Seaforth Avenue for many years living opposite the Elim Gospel Hall. I worked at Chessington Zoo for a while after leaving Beverley Central School, then worked at Carters Tested Seeds in the small seeds lab dept before joining the Royal Navy in 1949. The family left the area some years later for Shoeburyness/Chelmsford where some of them are still located. I am trying to obtain photos of Carters, a magnificent building (if only a facade) but have had no success so far. Any offers out there - would appreciate a contact. Names from the past:- Mickey Milton Janitor of Beverley Brook School, Les Biggs from Carters (who also joined the RN, a joint suicide effort!!). Was a newspaper boy for Melumids paper shop in Raynes Park. Spent happy winter days sledging down the bank at the white bridge near Carters.
Also spent cold winter Saturdays during the war on my dads allotment in Motspur Park "Digging for victory" as it was called then - hated it!!... Read more
Greater London memories
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
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
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
