Vauxhall Road again

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 87320

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" <drednort at a...> 
wrote:

Shaun:

<large snip>

> Now - given your knowledge, of the area, I would *surmise* that the 
> practice of referring to Wandsworth Road(m) as Vauxhall Road(h) had 
> lapsed by the start of the twentieth century - but perhaps the 
> Kennington Lane section, might still have been under that name at 
> least unofficially - otherwise I can't resolve the information on 
> the Baptist Church - as I think you pointed out, it seems unlikely 
> a local historical society would make such an elementary mistake as 
> misnaming a road.
> 
> The Baptist Chapel was built in 1863 and may have acquired its 
> 'Vauxhall Road' address then, perhaps...
> 
> > I think Riddle has been casting Befuddlement Charms on us...... :-
)
> 
> It's working - I'm beginning to think that we'd be hardpressed to 
> find a single road in the area that couldn't have been called 
> Vauxhall Road!

Geoff:
I think we are both right because we are working in different time 
frames. You are dealing with mid-19th century or earlier. Because I 
am trying to deal with the Tom Riddle of 1942, I am using a time 
frame from probably mid-19th century to the present.

As I said previously, Wandsworth Road was known by that name at least 
as early as 1906 because, when the LCC electrified the tramways and 
completed the "top road" route in that year, Wandsworth Road is 
mentioned in the descriptions. I also think it is much earlier than 
that because, when the London Brighton & South Coast Railway built 
its line out of Victoria, I do not think that the station ever had a 
name other than Wandsworth Road; I am trying to check that when I get 
a moment.

It is very unlikely that anyone would therefore refer to Wandsworth 
Road as Vauxhall Road after the best part of a century. In the 
immediate area where I lived in London, the road from Wandsworth to 
Tooting had originally changed names about two thirds of the way 
along but, in the 1930s, the whole road came under one name. When I 
came to live here in 1949, a mere 15 years or so after the 
change, /no one/ ever used the old name in conversation.

The situation at Vauxhall Cross was odd. For a road carrying the name 
of, say, point X to reach that place and then continue on beyond 
still carrying the name of point X is most unusual. Looking at the 
information which we have garnered, I still hold to the view that Tom 
Riddle bought the confounded diary in the Vauxhall Road of 1942, i.e. 
the section between the Kennington Road/Kennington Lane crossing and 
Newington Butts on the approach to the Elephant.

Getting to and from the orphanage would not be too difficult; it was 
an almost straight walk along Kennington Park Road continuing into 
Clapham Road. We were all used to walking reasonable distances in 
those days (I was not averse to walking two and a half miles to 
school as a change from the bus sometimes). If he had a little money, 
two stops on the Northern Line or, at that period of time, a large 
selection of tram or bus routes.

Going back briefly to the Orphanage, there is a map available on:

www.vauxhallsociety.org.uk/orphanage.html

I realise on a second view that the main entrance was in fact in 
Clapham Road. However, I still believe that if Tom Riddle was coming 
up from Wandsworth Road (which in the light of evidence I doubt)he 
would still continue stright up Lansdowne Way because it brings him 
close to the entrance that using Binfield Road.

Phew. This Riddle guy doesn't half create a lot of hassle!