Forum Topic

Heritage Vandals

At the back of the bar of the Boathouse pub on Putney Wharf, on the right, there used to be a brass plaque, commemorating the victims of the bomb which destroyed the Castle pub in April 1941. It has gone, and both the pub and Youngs disclaim any knowledge of it. The previous Railway pub had many photographs and potted histories of ‘Old Putney’, which were retained by Revolution but disappeared during its recent reversion to Railway. Revolution and Urban Pubs & Bars each claim the other has them. I am appalled by this callous disregard for our heritage. Does anyone know the whereabouts of these treasured and irreplaceable (or at least unlikely to be replaced) items?

Philip John Evison ● 554d9 Comments

Hi Jill, Yes indeed, though silver, as I recall! My ambition now is a plaque to commemmorate the many more victims of the Cinderella Dancing Club and Black & White Milk Bar bomb in November 1943. The problem (excuse?) for there not being a plaque on that site (35 High Street) is that it's been threatened with redevelopment for the last 10-20 years.

Philip John Evison ● 546d

There is a Blue Plaque commemorating the victims of the bombing on the wall of the flats (near their gate) on the way down to the Boathouse Pub.

Jill Johnson ● 548d

Sorry, Phelps not Phillips!

Caroline Whitehead ● 549d

A glimmer of hope re the Boathouse plaque. I spoke to the manageress (Ushe) last week and she thinks it's possible it may have been moved for safe keeping during alterations to one of four other Youngs pubs in Putney. She's checking, and I'll be in touch with her again.

Philip John Evison ● 549d

Lisa, my Ex Husband worked there in the 1960's and his father and uncle.  I worked at Spaldings next door for about a year, that's how I met him. Then I went to ICL over the bridge. I think after they moved from Putney Deans Blinds moved to Southfields. Fancy the plaque getting all the way to Norfolk.

Barbara Stevens ● 554d

Barbara, I have a salvaged iron name plaque on my kitchen wall that says J Dean, Putney, Maker. It was a gift from a family member who found it in an antique shop in Holt, Norfolk. Having moved here in 2009 I had no idea what it meant until I googled to find out they made blinds. I visited the same shop last week and they had another for sale. It just shows how these things get scattered far and wide. At least my one is back in Putney where it belongs.

Lisa Cottam ● 554d

Another local example of Heritage Vandalism is The Coat and Badge pub which has now replaced everything that used to stand for its name - ie Doggett's Coat and Badge and the Phillips family- with all-purpose anodyne decorations.

Caroline Whitehead ● 554d

I guess the pictures in the Railway are a casualty of corporate rebranding?However, I believe Wetherspoon's pubs often have local pictures, decorations and information in them. Other 'spoons pubs: the Coronation Hall in Surbiton, the Rocket in Putney, the defunct Oyster Rooms in Fulham and, if I remember correctly, the Brockett Arms in Wigan do. I guess this is part of their branding and I would expect (although I don't know for sure) that these pictures are obtained by a marketing department or company from a commercial photo library. So hopefully these photos still exist somewhere and are not lost completely. Sadly, one suspects the ones from the Railway may have ended up in a builder's skip …The plaque in the Boathouse is more concerning. My understanding was that it was installed by Youngs when the Boathouse was opened (I seem to remember reading something about it when it at that time). Difficult to understand why it would have been removed - unless someone stole it as a souvenir, or it was removed for cleaning or redecorating and got forgotten about? One would think Youngs ought to replace it as not to would seem disrespectful to the victims and their relatives? (I must admit I don't think I've ever been in the Boathouse and only went in the castle a few times.)

Michael Ixer ● 554d

All around the back part has changed over the years. Deodar Rd, you had Deans Blinds, Spaldings Golf and PGSA. How long has the plaque been missing. Seems a shame, people like reading up on the History. There used to be plaques on the freeze around the bar in the Castle my other half said so he was told.

Barbara Stevens ● 554d