Jill, Alan and Hamish have very recently received a proposal to name the new cul-de-sac being built off Rotherfield Road as “Lakin Close“. Three of the houses will front Rotherfield Road, the other six houses will be in a new road created on the site.  Apparently the developers of the site have found the name from examination of old property records of the 19th Century and a Mr. Lakin owned the site…  We did make other suggestions such as “Edwards Close” after the Rev. Leigh Edwards former Rector of Carshalton 1958-2001, who did much to establish the Church of England Primary School next door to the site.  We’ve been told that we can’t use Edwards … at all as there is already an Edwards Close, Worcester Park within the borough and the local fire brigade doesn’t like the Council permitting duplicate street names even with different suffixes such as Grove or Road.  We were told:- “This name was provided by research carried out by the LBS Archives & Local Studies Centre.  Charles Lakin was the occupier of plot 427 (2-4A Rotherfield Road) from the Tithe Map 1848 – it was described as a garden and plantation.”

You learn something new every day…!