Mitcham Redskin village/ Phipps Bridge

[daveymart]

Hi all, I've recently joined the site 'cos I'm looking for anything anybody knows about Redskin village in Mitcham. I grew up on Phipps Bridge in Mitcham in the 1960s/70s, plenty of travelling folk still about then and some of the families I've seen here on this site too. My old nan lived in a house in New Close used to talk a lot about it which apparently was on the site of the Phipps Bridge Estate. The stories used to fascinate me as a kid, and now I'm trying to find a bit out about the area but keep drawing a blank. Anyone with any information or links/ sources would be very gratefully recived. Cheers!

[Determined]

Not a lot of help here, daveymart, but my dad was a policeman in Mitcham and I remember him talking of Redskin village back in the 1950's so it was on his beat. I remember walking past it with him once - I vaguely remember a fenced-off area alongside the road, pretty dilapidated - don't think it was very large. Sadly, I don't know exactly where it was.

[cathayb]

try http://passingthrough.wetpaint.com     it has a lot about mitcham and redskin village on  there.cathayb

[meles]

I grew up nearby, but had quite forgotten about the area until I read this. I remember it well. Not large, and Mum told me to keep away (hence the attraction  The kids were very friendly - a few were at our school (desperately trying to remember names now...  )

meles

[shazma]

i was bought up on Phipps and my family are from Mitcham,  Before the estate was built it was known as 'the dust' and the gavvers wouldnt dare go round there unless they were mob-handed.  My great-uncle was a prize fighter and he used to fight on the dust, one day a stray gavver turned up during a fight, and cos they didnt want to stop they picked him up and put him down a man-hole!

[jaytoot]

A lot of my family were from mitcham (Jameses) and my brother heard a story that it was called redskin village because when an american wild west show came to england they camped there or even that some stayed living there. nice story but probably not true.

Jim

[12345]

Hello Dave, I am what is called a "True Redskin Girl" born and bred there, and very proud to say so.
What is it you want to know? Iwas born at number 134, in 1953, my family name then as I am married now was Clark.
It was the best place to grow up in Mitcham, you never had to fear anyone as every body took care of one another.
get back to me and I'll try and help you. Jan

[peterbriggs]

i went to school in mitcham,left western road school in 1960 aged 15,for the next 10 years i hung around the streets of mitcham,i knew everyone who lived or worked there & everyone knew me.redskin village was known as 'rockie'.
i live in  the northeast now,but my 87 year old parents still live in mitcham.i  am  still in contact with some schoolfriends.
anything  i can help with,i'd be glad to.

[daveymart]

Hi there, thanks for your reply about redskin village. I'm glad someone's replied because I've been trying to find out more for ages but keep drawing a blank. I'm kind of piecing together what little bits of information I can collect with the aim of wiritng a book (or at least an article) about the area for the local library, I've read a lot about the local history but there's a really interesting stiry about redskin village and all the travelling folk of mitcham that never gets told.
I'd love to talk to someone who really knows the area and anyone else you think might be interested in taking part.  I'll hope to hear from you again.
Best wishes
Dave