The Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies

NEWSLETTER March 2015 NEW LIFE FOR THE LIT&SCI Norman Plastow, Past President, writes: One of Wimbledon’s oldest societies closed at the end of last year after 124 years. The Wimbledon Literary and

Scientific Society was founded in 1891 by some distinguished local residents to encourage the study of literature and science.

Membership was by invitation Above left: Norman Plastow presides over the final meeting where and meetings took place in Secretary Sally Flew, centre, lectured on the Lit & Sci’s prestigious the homes of members, history and distinguished list of previous presidents. But all is not lost. where they presented papers Andrew Simon, right, now heads a team that is resurrecting it for the on a range of suitable sub- future like a phoenix rising from the ashes. jects. The meetings took place after dinner, and in Hall which centred round a new members and chaired all those days when it was usual display of scientific instru- meetings until the Society to “dress for dinner” the dress ments and objects. These in- was fully re-established in was black tie. (In the early cluded living physiological 1948. days almost all the members specimens, and even cholera In the post war period, were men.) Most members and anthrax, exposed on a smaller homes were available followed this tradition until green baize table! for meetings. Seating became quite recently. Membership During World War One, the a problem and chairs had to was limited to 80 but meetings continued, but with be hired. Reluctantly, the members could bring one less lavish refreshments. The Society moved from private guest, who had to be formally Lit&Sci flourished again homes to the Town Hall com- introduced before between the wars, but during mittee room, and then to proceedings began. World War Two the Society church or school halls. These The leading members in had to suspend its activities were less intimate settings those early days included Sir for some time. When they and also increased the Thomas Jackson and Sir restarted, meetings were held running costs. In addition to William Preece. They at 3pm and refreshments lectures there were dramatic arranged outings as well as were limited, due to rationing. readings and productions. the regular meetings. There From 1945, the Society was Summer garden parties were was also an annual resurrected by Dr Seligman introduced and a Christmas ‘Conversazione’ in the Village who, as President, recruited lunch at the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club. (Contd on Page 3 ) INSIDE: News 3 Local History Group 4/5 Kirk Bannister - the interview 6 Environment 7 Museum 8 Planning Committee 8/11 Around and About 12

EDITOR’S NOTE Wimbledon Society contacts Chairman’s President Norman Plastow Report Chairman/Website Asif Malik

Hon Secretary Sue Lang

Hon Treasurer Corinna Edge Amongst the many activities of the Society, keeping the Museum of Wimbledon running is Planning Chairman John Mays one of our most important. The mission of the award-winning Museum is to collect, record, Museum Chairman conserve and display material relating to the his- Cassandra Taylor tory of Wimbledon, and to make it available to all. There is a rich display of local objects; and Local History Chairman knowledgeable and helpful volunteers offer a Charles Toase great welcome to visitors every weekend. It is the Membership/Planning Secretary willing team of volunteers that enables the Jennifer Newman Museum to carry on with its good work. And now we need more volunteers to fill a number of key Activities/Newsletter Distribution roles – two Duty Officers, an Operations Man- Linda Defriez ager and a Publication Officer. More information Museum Head of Operations Bill on the vacancies can be seen on the back page. Hakes A strong sense of good comradeship prevails amongst our volunteers, and there is much to be said for contributing to the community. Your interest will be gratefully received and, in each case, there will be all the help and guidance you may need to fill the role. By the time you read this, the election for Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators will be complete, and five newly-elected Conser- vators will be preparing for a new 3-year term. The Society played a part in supporting the election by co-hosting, with WPCC, a ‘Meet the Candidates’ meeting in January. All 17 candi- dates were invited to put their case to an interested audience, and then answer any ques- tions. It was a well-attended, successful event, as it gave the audience a chance to decide voting intentions, as well as allowing the candi- dates to meet each other. Finally, may I remind you that our AGM for this year will take place on Saturday 16 May 2015, at Christ Church Hall, starting at 5.00 pm. This will Wimbledon Society Newsletter be a meeting of particular interest, as the guest speaker will be Philip Brook, Chairman of the All Editorial team: Asif Malik, Iain Simpson England Lawn Tennis Club. Do please make a Printing: The Wimbledon Print Company, note in your diary, and come along to support the 257 Haydons Road, SW19 8TY [email protected] Society. ASIF MALIK

2 NEWS (Contd from page 1) More power to our elbow The Committee eventually Early visitors to Playing with recommended closure of the Fire, the attractive new exhibi- Lit&Sci because fewer members tion in the Norman Plastow were attending the meetings, Gallery, have been impressed and they were having some diffi- by two splendid exhibits – culty in finding members who historic rifles - on loan to the would give talks. Museum by gun-makers currently working for Lon- Cassandra Taylor writes: don’s leading firm of sporting Some 12 years ago, I was on gun and rifle makers, writes duty in the Museum with Dr Bob- Monica Ellison. had arrived on the social calen- bie Headley. He said to me These firing pieces in their dar. By that time there were “Would you like to join a little safety display case make a 2500 entrants for the Queen’s story telling club I belong to?” I formidable contribution to the Prize and the prize money, origi- was thrilled and flattered. Bobbie exhibition - a steely reminder of nally a tidy £250 had grown pro- and I had by then become good the serious business of the portionately. Wimbledon has a mates as we were quite often on original National Rifle Associa- long tradition of paying big duty together. He was the best tion’s meetings. money. possible company (see Oral His- Exhibit 1: an Enfield .577 The proliferation of trophies tory, Newsletter September (1853 pattern) the first army rifle, necessitated greater challenges. 2014). The story telling club which at the time of the Crimea In 1863 a moving target trophy turned out to be the Lit&Sci, as it War was considered to be the in the form of a running deer is commonly known. Bobbie ex- ‘ultimate loading service rifle’ was introduced by Sir Edwin Landseer, who apparently first plained that, to become a mem- has been loaned by Mr. Stephen sketched the beast on a table- ber, you had to agree to give a Murray. cloth. Subsequently this outline lecture – just one. “My advice to Exhibit 2 is a Martini was made in metal, mounted on you”, he said “is to get in quick, Henry .577 breech loading (circa wheels which ran on a track give your talk, get it over and 1873). This is the same rifle across the firing range. then you can just sit back and used against the Zulus at Not to be outdone in daring never worry about giving another Rorke’s Drift. It has been loaned and novelty The Owl newspaper unless you want to.” by Mr. Keith Ward. We thank made its debut launching a I took his advice, gave my both donors for their generosity. Shooting Extraordinary Prize in talk within the first year of mem- Though not part of the gallery 1864. The award was a silver bership and have ever since en- display, these rifles point the owl and £50 in cash for a com- joyed listening to others. I met way to a remarkable show. many interesting people, some petition which took place at two Reactions to the exhibition hundred yards in the dark. Lights of whom became good friends have been twofold - amazement and I also enjoyed the dressing called Owl’s Eyes were substi- at the immense scale of this his- tuted for Bull’s Eyes. No casual- up. toric Wimbledon event and REVIVAL ties were reported though the amusement at the exuberance competition was not repeated on and fun which the story of shoot- Andrew Simon, Chair of the safety grounds. ing on the Common tells through new committee, writes: The Owl was not the only the prints and wonderful water- paper that covered events. A committee has been formed to colours on display. There was also ‘The Earwig’ establish a new society which Certainly the NRA meetings which claimed to be a paper will continue the tradition of the got off to a prestigious start, containing ‘neither Politics, original one. The first members’ inaugurated on 2 July 1859 by Literature, Science nor Art.’ meeting was about to take Queen Victoria and Prince Albert Certainly The Earwig’s attempt place, as this was written, on accompanied by Lord at verse would not have Saturday 7 February. Meetings Palmerston and a ginger- disproved the claim though a will once again take place in bearded, Earl Spencer. The first mention of the Fenians, the members’ homes. Other event lasted for six days, and terrorists of the day, might well changes are contemplated, was such a resounding success have done so. including some discussion meet- that the following year the meet- Perhaps we should consider ings, some experimental depar- ing lasted ten days. By the the resurrection of this splendid tures from the long-established 1870s it had become two weeks, title and rename our newsletter Saturday evening meeting time. and the ‘Wimbledon Fortnight’ The Earwig. 3 LOCAL HISTORY GROUP Clocks and sundials make a comeback The Group has reported before on its surveys of public time- keepers, and members continue to keep an eye open for them. Two sundials were spotted in the grounds of Chester House during the Society’s visit there last year and across the Common there is also one at Old Pound House on Parkside its clock going for a couple of to whoever is responsible for that we had missed before. weeks in 2012, but it is now the one at 3 High Street, over We also recorded stopped defunct again. Cath Kidston, pictured above, public clocks. Since our report, However, full marks are due which has been revived. the Prince of Wales pub got Hanging up those problem Cardigans What’s in a name? We are investigating origins The current gallery exhibition and pronunciations of local shows that the last duel on road names. Four especially Wimbledon Common was are frequently mispronounced. fought in 1840 by Lord Cardigan, Alwyne, named after a Dean pictured right, and Captain of Worcester who technically Tuckett. ‘owned’ the land, should be The miller, Thomas Dann, pronounced AL-IN, not ALL- had been sworn in as a special WIN. Barham, the name of a constable because he was in battleship named after Baron a good position to see duels Barham, should sound like (or intended ones) from the BAA-RAM (silent H). Cliveden Windmill. He witnessed the has a short i as in cliff, like the Cardigan duel, arrested the More butchers National Trust house associ- participants, and gave evidence In September we reported on ated with the Profumo affair of at their trial. the closure of Hartshorns, in the early 1960s.. The following year his wife Coombe Lane, a butchery Mispronunciation of Pepys gave birth to a son, and they chain founded by one family. is a familiar problem. There are named him Cardigan. Punch Another closed too: Gardners in two families of the name, the thought that a bad idea, saying Arthur Road whose history has best known being that of the ‘give a dog a bad name and been written. A third butchery diarist Samuel who, of course, hang him’. chain run by the Kingston pronounced it as PEEPS. Our research did not find family from the 1900s to the However, the road takes that he was hanged. In fact, 1960s had three shops at 387 its name from the Cottenham he joined the Navy, married, Durnsford Road, 26 Leopold family of Pepys, and they call had children – and named Road, and 8 Lambton Road. it PEPP-IS. Indeed, when it one of them Cardigan too. None of these groups was in first appeared in Kelly’s Wim- the Village or town centre but With a name like that, the two bledon directory it was printed there were, of course, butchers boys must have been teased as Peppy’s Road. in the High Street and the at school. It is probably too late to Broadway until the supermar- kets killed them off. persuade residents to correct CHARLES TOASE their pronunciation now!

4 LOCAL HISTORY

Past performances at the old Wimbledon Civic Hall and Cannizaro House for the BBC in 1998. This month sees Wimbledon there each season, including Choral Society celebrating last Still going Handel’s Messiah. This ended in year’s official centenary with a 1988 with the demolition of special performance of strong after the Civic Hall whose roof by Brahms’ Requiem and Saint- then was leaking. Saëns’ Organ Symphony at One of the choir’s last con- the Royal Festival Hall on 30 a century certs there was on the night March. It’s another prestigious when Wimbledon Football event for this proud choir, as of song Club won the FA Cup. The TILLY RICHARDSON explains. Many years later on hall had been decorated in 17 October 1914, Dr G. blue and yellow flowers and Past presidents of the Wim- Coleman Young, a local music choir members were invited to bledon Choral Society have professor, organised the choir take these home with them. included the composer Ralph and music for the ceremony Wimbledon’s MP Sir Cyril Vaughan Williams and Master Salutation to the Belgian Flag Black was president of the of the Queen’s Music George on Wimbledon Common in aid Choral Society from 1967 to Malcolm. The current post- of refugees from World War 1992 and is remembered for holder is tenor Ian Partridge, One. It was a huge success always paying for refreshments while past choir members and a follow-up concert took at the annual general meetings. have included Dame Janet place at the Bath Halls in Since 1988 the choir’s Baker, now one of the great Latimer Road. membership of up to 150 international mezzo-sopranos. The Wimbledon 1914 Choral singers have been unable to Amateur choral societies Society performed there again find a suitable permanent local often employ newly graduated on 22 March 1915, making a venue. Yet they have gone musicians and prize-winners, profit of £5 10s for the refugees. from strength to strength, per- giving them experience and They also sang in November forming in most of London’s helping them start their pro- but from 1916 suspended any main concert venues. fessional careers. further activity until the end of Highlights have included Wimbledon Choral Society the war as ever more members performances for the annual celebrated its centenary last were called up for service. televised British Legion Festival year, having given concerts Everything restarted in 1919 of Remembrance at the Royal almost continuously since 1914. and the first post-war concert Albert Hall, especially pertinent However, newspaper records was on 29 April 1920. last year. It also sang Pavane show that the first concert was Renamed just Wimbledon by Fauré for the BBC’s Foot- actually much earlier, on 5 Choral Society, it has been ball World Cup 1998 and has April 1880 at the Drill Hall in singing ever since. Perform- performed in television’s St George’s Road. Tickets ances to capacity audiences Songs of Praise. cost up to five shillings. It was were at the 1500-seat Civic For further information please ‘an unqualified success’ said Hall in the town centre from visit the website the Wimbledon Courier. 1935, with three main concerts www.wimbledon-choral.org.uk 5 LOCAL HISTORY Exactly 48 years ago in March 1967 the last of some 130 films was produced at Lights, camera, action! Merton Park Studios, 267-269 Kingston Road. It was the end of an era that had seen the studios churn out B movies, public information films and TV ads that were familiar nationwide for decades. For a few years more, some 15 projectionists contin- Edgar Wallace, crime writer extraordinaire whose bust (above left) ued to be based there, taking appeared in most of the series filmed at Merton Park Studios. films on road shows and watching as baby chimpan- Each film depicted a true zees were filmed advertising crime story with its police so- Brooke Bond tea among other lution and conclusion at the commercials produced by Old Bailey. outsiders hiring the site. But Equally successful were by 1973 the arrival of video the studios’ other main pro- tape had rendered the core ductions, the Edgar Wallace 35mm film business obsolete Mysteries, aseries of dramas and everyone was made re- based on the stories of that dundant. other crime writing Edgar. In 1976, Long Lodge, the Wallace (1875-1932) was The ever lugubrious Edgar building was sold, becoming one of the most prolific writers Lustgarten who presented offices, and the grounds were of the 20th century and it was true tales of heinous crimes developed for housing. Long a coup to win the rights to film and the sorry end suffered by Lodge itself, which dated many of his stories. culprits, thanks to the police originally from the 18th cen- These films - of varying and justice system. tury, had been the home of quality - were all produced Pre-Raphaelite artist Frederic productions were the classic from 1960 onwards. Dozens of Shields from 1895 to 1911 advertisement We are the them appeared with an output and from 1912 that of the local Ovaltineys, Happy Girls and of one a month and on rock arts and crafts architect J S Boys; a government information bottom budgets as Jack Brocklesby, a crucial figure in film for air pilots called Flying Greenwood was noted for his the development of Merton with Prudence featuring a tight controls on expenditure. Park as a whole from the cockpit ghost of that name; Each began with a revolving original John Innes estate. and director Joseph Losey’s image of a bust of Wallace in From 1930 Brocklesby had The Criminal, starring actors half shadow as a 1960 hit re- shared the site with Merton Stanley Baker and Sam cording by the Shadows Park Studios. In 1939 he had Wanamaker. (without Cliff Richard) entitled moved out and the whole Merton Park Studios’ real Man of Mystery played to the place been taken over by the heyday came in the 1950s credits. film studios. It was owned by and 60s. Under the leadership Merton Park Studios’ last the Film Producers’ Guild in of producer Jack Greenwood film production of its own the 1940s, remaining open (1919-2004), the studios were was the Wallace mystery, Pay- throughout the Second World used to film two true crime ment in Kind, starring John War when producing films for series, Scotland Yard and the Thaw, later famed as televi- the Ministry of Information, Scales of Justice, both pre- sion’s Inspector Morse. later to become the Central sented by the crime writer (With thanks to those Office of Information. and broadcaster Edgar whose memories made this Among more memorable Lustgarten (1907-1978). article possible.)

6 KIRK BANNISTER - THE INTERVIEW West Wimbledon resident who would live there. The Kirk Bannister was awarded British Land Company’s own the first Richard Milward documentation was largely Memorial Prize for Local lost to wartime bombing but it History for his essay, New was interesting to see the dif- Wimbledon: the growth of a ference between its building Victorian suburb 1851-1891. and that of the other society. It was based on his post- The National Freehold graduate MA dissertation wanted higher value houses. on historical research for They were actually quite Roehampton University. small and looked more like workmen’s cottages than villas I was born in April 1983 in St but they were semi-detached Helier Hospital and have lived with bigger gardens than in Wimbledon most of my life. those of the British Land I went to Joseph Hood Company whose houses were Kirk Bannister School, then Hill Cross and all close together, terraced finally Rutlish. I did history for which carried information on and a lot smaller. A level at Kingston College, tenders for house construc- I looked at other things too. then at Reading University and tion and land auctions. There The railway came to Wimbledon afterwards at Roehampton. I found references to plots be- in the 1830s but there wasn’t It was a part-time MA. We ing sold and tenders for hous- much growth in the area until studied demography, palae- ing. The area under study the 1860s. By then, London’s ography and the philosophy was the four or five roads be- cholera epidemics had brought of history. Then I focused on hind Wimbledon Theatre in- a more general concern for my dissertation. cluding Griffiths and Pelham sanitation which forced the I felt it would be interesting Roads between Kingston Road water companies to act. They to do some original research and Hartfield Road. put in new pipes upriver at on the local area. In Morden In the Surrey Archives I Staines and a line came down Library I looked at the Tithe found pamphlets and guides through Wimbledon towards and Ordnance Survey maps produced by one of the big Brixton, bringing clean drinking on Wimbledon and Morden and freehold land societies. Their water downhill from the Village saw a profound change in the initial inception was to do with for the first time and providing layout from rural to very urban building houses, putting people a newly viable basis for con- between the 1840s and the in them and getting votes. struction of homes. 1890s. I decided to focus on it. They were quite political. You can still see a range of So my entry was essen- Half of the land in this area building styles. Hepburn Terrace, tially visual – looking at maps was bought by the British for example, was built in 1884 and how they had changed, Land Company while the and very distinct compared to with supporting documentation. other half was bought by a other houses built earlier. I also looked at how the com- smaller company, the Church Also, because they were new munity changed. So the dis- of England National Freehold constructs, people from different sertation had two parallel Land Allotment Society. I was backgrounds and places lines, looking first at the physical lucky to find one of its pam- came to live there. Not just landscape and then the people. phlets showed mapping of the Surrey or London but from Who were they and where did entire area. Hundreds of plots India, the colonies, from they come from? and some interesting stipula- Wales, Ireland, Scotland as I was introduced to probate tions on pubs and shops with well as France and Germany. records, conveyances, and a the rest residential. whole range of documents. I The houses had to be of a Kirk’s winning essay is available at concentrated first on the con- the Museum. This feature is based certain value so controlling on an interview which can be struction side and then census quality of build too. They were documents. A very popular 19th read and heard on the Oral socially engineering the sites History Library at century journal was The Builder – controlling the sort of people www.wimbledonmuseum.org.uk

7 ENVIRONMENT A schoolgirl collected grasses 60 years ago The Museum has been given a Two species that remain collection of pressed grasses abundant today were miss- from the Common and Putney identified as grasses: Ribwort Heath dating back 60 years. Plantain and Heath Rush, un- DAVE DAWSON explains. derstandable mistakes, as horticulturalists still sell many Sheila Dunman’s nature study plants as grasses which be- project at long to other groups, such as County Primary School in sedges or rushes. 1950 is neat, tidy and well- Sheila failed to find two other labelled. The hand-bound book- Meadow Grasses and three of let provides a glimpse into the the most abundant grasses botany of the Common in a today: Purple Moor-grass, period 1939-2010 for which we Fine-leaved Sheep’s-fescue and have no systematic records. Common Bent. But perhaps Grasses are difficult to most interesting are four species identify so it was an ambitious found in the 1950s but now project for the young Sheila, rare or absent: Galingale who was able to put an accu- (actually a sedge), Quaking- rate name on only a minority grass, Meadow Foxtail and of the 14 species she found. Yellow Oat-grass. However, the individual speci- Inland records of Galingale mens are well-preserved and One page of Sheila’s booklet are generally of planted origin. can be identified accurately. The other three are found As one might expect, she still widespread: False Oat- mainly on chalk or more fertile found species that remain grass, Yorkshire Fog, Peren- land than the acid soils of the abundant in the area today: nial Ryegrass, Cock’s-foot, Commons. The four may have Creeping Bent-grass and Wall Barley and Annual declined in competition with Wavy Hair-grass. Others are Meadow-grass. other better suited species. You can help protect our rivers from pollution River pollution comes in already reduced response time such as misconnected drains many forms, all devastating to minor pollution incidents and are regularly monitored. for wildlife. Misconnected has allowed causes to be If you live near one of our drains, for example, can mean traced, so reducing pollution local rivers why not join the discharges of contaminated entering the river. Pollution Patrol and learn how water. Here POLLY BRYANT The scheme has been a to identify and assess any explains how the South huge success to date and the pollution incidents? East Rivers Trust is working trust is keen to expand it to For more information or to with the Environment Agency the Hogsmill and Beverley volunteer, please email pollu- to improve the water quality Brook. Training is now under [email protected] or call of our own local rivers. way for a pollution monitoring Polly Bryant, Project Officer scheme on these local rivers (Volunteer Support) at A volunteer scheme has been as well as the Wandle. The South East Rivers Trust/ established on the River Volunteers are trained to The Wandle Trust on 07833 Wandle where local residents attend Category 3 pollution 497599. Address: have been trained to attend incidents and report back vital Environmental Sustainability, and assess Category 3 pollu- information to the South East London Borough of Sutton, tion incidents on behalf of the Rivers Trust and Environment 24 Denmark Road, Environment Agency. This has Agency. Problematic outfalls Carshalton, SM5 2JG 8 PLANNING COMMITTEE

Just before Christmas, the Wimbledon Council received the official Stadium, open application from Galliard since 1928, Homes/AFC Wimbledon for was London’s redevelopment of the last race track Greyhound Stadium at for greyhounds. Plough Lane. From 1962 it was also used for stock car The proposal is for a 20,000- racing, as seen seat stadium with associated here. housing (602 flats) with some retail and leisure facilities. The opportunity for a Wimbledon Can this plan really be the football team to return to the former home of its Dons best future for Plough Lane? predecessor has been a Roads around the existing included a significant amount strong motivation. stadium already struggle with of social housing. The plans But our Planning Committee the current level of traffic. This include a convenience store has a number of concerns. development would bring sig- but not other amenities such These include the transport nificantly more cars on to as a doctors’ surgery. arrangements and how local Plough Lane and Summers- The Government Planning centres could cope with the town, both very narrow. Inspector did not challenge the many supporters who would There seems to be no earmarking of the site as a attend matches. parking provision for visitors place for sporting intensifica- Furthermore, as the site is on match days, either for cars tion but he made no mention susceptible to flooding from or coaches. The developer of football or AFC Wimbledon the River Wandle and desig- simply proposes that spectators specifically. nated part of the flood plain, it and residents alike would use Other sporting activities could is unsuitable for a vulnerable Earlsfield, Wimbledon Park, be based at Plough Lane but use such as housing. Indeed, Wimbledon and Haydon’s Merton has not consulted resi- government planning policy Road stations. dents as to what they might states that homes should not be. On the contrary, they have be built on such land. No affordable homes been given the choice of AFC We have also questioned Wimbledon or continuing dete- the overall design and height This could cause over- rioration of the area. Rather a of the buildings. Although the crowding on the pavements, Hobson’s Choice. flats would be built above forcing pedestrians on to the Redevelopment of the ground floor, flooding would road. In any case, Haydon’s Plough Lane area is vital to the affect residents stranded up Road, a very basic station local community, both for in- to ten storeys high. with little cover and no toilet dustrial and residential usage. Having no access to flushing facilities, is not staffed on Yet these plans seemed aimed toilets or clean water because Saturdays. Might Merton ask just at maximising profit for the flood water has overwhelmed the developer to fund refur- developer. the sewerage system is no bishment of the station? This For such an important de- one’s idea of fun. Flooding would benefit match-goers, velopment, it is unfortunate would also damage property new residents and the area that there was no significant in the residential underground generally. pre-application engagement car parks. The development is for 602 between the promoters and Building on a flood plain units but makes no provision the various local interests. Yet means excess water would for affordable housing. Even that was recommended by the have to drain off somewhere though housing is not an ac- British Property Federation and else, simply spreading the ceptable use, any such the LGA in their report last problem further away. proposal should surely have year. 9 PLANNING COMMITTEE

Merton has decided to out-source some services Changes to the Council’s currently delivered by Council Management of Parks teams, including street clean- ing, waste and parks agreement will be able to it will be necessary to estab- management. Merton are withdraw unilaterally if they lish a formal working relation- co-operating with the South are dissatisfied with perform- ship involving Friends' inter- London Waste Partnership, a ance. Key to success of the face with both the Councils consortium of four Councils scheme will be the specifica- and contractors. Councillor (Merton, Sutton, Kingston and tions and by whom they are Andrew Judge is arranging a Croydon). Initially there will be prepared and managed. So series of meetings with a joint agreement on parks far, it appears that break Friends Groups, when it is between Sutton and Merton points will be after 10 and 17 hoped their future role will be Councils. years, although an alternative addressed and the special The contracts will be put of 10-year contracts are being needs of each park out to tender and bids will be explored for grounds' mainte- discussed. evaluated by Merton Council nance and parks. The scheduled staff alongside Sutton staff Friends Groups make an programme is for contracts to with some expertise bought in enormous contribution in both be awarded by September to assess financial and legal physical work and successful 2016 and become operational matters. Horticultural matters support in preparation of bids in April 2017. Kingston and will be evaluated by Council for charitable funds. If volun- Croydon may decide to join staff. teers are to remain engaged, later. The contracts for parks are believed to be for 24 years. Rainbow proposal unsuitable Merton states "The contract A planning application was and sole access is along an once awarded will be man- submitted for the Rainbow unattractive narrow entrance with no alternative for emer- aged by Merton and Sutton Industrial Estate, a triangle of land to the south of Raynes gencies. There is no provision in their own areas. Each park Park Station for redevelop- for alternative walking or cycle will be owned and managed ment as a largely residential routes out of the site to by the Council in future in ex- scheme. The site is identified schools or shops. actly the same way as it has in Merton’s Sites and Policies The scheme offers 229 been managed in the past". Plan as a Locally Significant residential units housed in The borough's heritage is rich Industrial Area and was for- one/two/three bedroom flats in open spaces, trees and merly used for bus parking, and houses with flats rising to five to seven storeys. Ground staff who understand their workshops and light industrial activities. floors of the flats are raised needs for special manage- The Council's approved with parking beneath and the ment. policies clearly state its objec- resulting podium appears to Supervision of perform- tives of retaining existing em- preclude significant planting. ance of contractors will ployment land and floor Within the area, schools require detailed knowledge of space and improvement of and doctors' surgeries are the sites if their character is to such spaces to ensure they over subscribed and quality of be saved for future contribute towards business, life within the development would be poor. The design generations. industrial storage and distri- bution functions. The applica- and layout of the site does not On waste contracts, a lead tion fails to accord with these. relate well to the local character council will manage the whole The 2.16 hectare site is and the case for going contract. It is unclear whether, surrounded by railway lines against the Council's ap- on parks, if one party to the and sole access is along an proved policies is not made. 10 PLANNING COMMITTEE Why planning controls should not be relaxed Over recent years the Gov- uses - an important feature of Since we wrote our original ernment has relaxed planning our town centres in particular letter, the Commons Communi- control over a number of - is put at risk. If full planning ties and Local Governmnent types of development. For ex- permission were required the Committee has pointed out the ample, property owners no Society could object, if it is potential damage to local longer need planning per- only a case of Prior Approval economies caused by the mission to convert offices into we cannot. policy change and called for a housing. We wrote to MP Stephen review. A Government Changing the use of an Hammond asking him to bring response is awaited. existing building in this way our concerns to the attention now requires only a form of of Eric Pickles, Secretary of local authority permission State for Communities and known as Prior Approval. The Local Government. We telecoms mast significance of the change is instanced a couple of recent that the scope for objection is cases and asked for com- Introduction of the 4G system now very limited. ments on the damaging loss requires new masts and equipment to be installed. This has created difficulties of useful office space. We There has been Council for our Planning Committee, also drew attention to the fact consultation on a proposed as the sort of issues that are that government ministers 25m (82 feet) mast on the generally of concern to us do have often made statements, pavement close to the bus not come within the new including one to the House of turnaround in the Copse Hill limited grounds of objection. Commons, which refer to conservation area. The most serious problem relaxation of control as apply- The Society commented that arises, however, is that ing only to empty offices. This that the drawings showed no useful office space, especially is not the case. design relationship to the adjoining projected housing that occupied by small com- development and seemed panies and organisations, is Mr Pickles' response was irrelevant to the Conservation at risk because freeholders far from satisfactory and we Area. Nor was it clear whether see the chance to get a have written to Stephen any obsolete equipment greater return from Hammond again pursuing would be removed from the conversion to housing. the issue. wider locality. This means the diversity of Might this be a future listed building? A very modern house has developments. Its modern Village Stables to go? design may also be seen as a been proposed for a site in We objected to an application welcome antidote to the Home Park Road immediately to demolish part of the stables pastiche approach so widely beside the golf course. behind the Dog & Fox and seen in Wimbledon. Being built into the sloping use the site for housing. site, this is one of the rela- No need for panic Stabling has been part of tively few Code 6 projects, the Village life for centuries, where the sustainability level Local press reports of a critical with references in the 1841 meets the highest standards. housing shortage in Merton Census for example to an These are measured against were based on a report by a ostler, and a harness maker a wide range of criteria, but developer. in the 1776 map. are primarily about energy We wrote to the papers As a heritage asset, the efficiency and water use. explaining that housing targets stables are part of the Village Its low height means it will were a matter for the London character, provide variety not present a ‘wall’ when Mayor and Assembly. Merton and interest, and enable seen from the open space had provision in its Local recreational use of the unlike some other recent Plan for what was required, Common. 11 AROUND AND ABOUT

LECTURES Blue plaque for Marryat Road’s Thursday March 19th at Em- famous musician manuel Church, 8pm Robert Lyons of 42 Marryat "Merton Priory" with John Hawks Road has triumphed in his The 900th anniversary of the campaign for a historic blue foundation of Merton Priory plaque outside his house, was marked by last year's onetime home of the world’s exhibition at the Museum. most distinguished viola The Augustinian Priory was player, Lionel Tertis (1876- founded near the Wandle by 1975), pictured right. Gilbert Norman, Sheriff of At a ceremony organised Surrey under Henry I, and by English Heritage, the dissolved after 400 years. plaque will be unveiled on 14 The site has been the subject May, with John Gilhooly, the of archaeological investiga- director of Wigmore Hall, tion and the remains can be leading the event. visited near Savacentre, Lionel Tertis, who is said to his cellist wife Lillian in 1961 . John Hawks have revolutionised the viola after a career that already from Merton Historical as a solo instrument and is Society will share the story of lasted 66 years. He continued commemorated by a triennial this important local religious to perform in public until 1963 international music competi- foundation. and then gave private recitals tion for young viola players, in the garden. Emmanuel to host moved to Marryat Road with all 2015-16 lectures The Museum needs two new Duty Officers to join the existing team. Duties involve greeting visitors, helping them see All four talks in the Society’s round the Museum, dealing with any queries and selling Museum 2015-16 season of lectures publications. Opening hours are 2.30 – 5 pm on Saturdays and will take place at the Emmanuel Sundays (and occasional extra help at special exhibitions) and we Church in the Ridgway, next ask you to do one duty a month. The ability to use a computer at to the Museum. basic level is essential for accessing the catalogue. Full training is given and you will always work as a pair, at first with someone experienced. No knowledge of local history is required initially and any queries which cannot be dealt with on the spot can be referred to the relevant curator. Contact Cassandra Taylor at [email protected] or on 8946 1544. An Operations Manager is required for the Museum. The post involves acting on behalf of the Museum Committee in managing the premises, dealing with budgetary affairs, supervising produc- tion of publications and sales. A full job description is available from Cassandra Taylor (see above)

The Museum also needs a Publications Officer to oversee the website sales of publications, deal with the weekly sales taken dur- ing opening hours and manage the stock. More details of the post are available from Liz Courtney at [email protected] or 020 8946 7960.

The Wimbledon Society was founded in 1903 and has had its present name since 1982. (Originally the John Evelyn Club, it was known as the John Evelyn Society from 1949-82.) A Registered Charity (No 269478), its main objectives are to preserve Wimbledon’s amenities and natural beauty, study its history, and ascertain that urban development is sympathetic and orderly. Annual subscriptions are at the following rates: Individuals £10.00; Families £15.00; Organisations: Non-commercial £25, commercial £50. Please send membership applications to the Membership Secretary. The Museum and Bookshop (020 8296 9914), 22 Ridgway, near Lingfield Road, are open from 2.30 to 5.00pm Saturday and Sunday. Admission free.

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