Geograph - photograph every grid square

Geo-Trips :: London borough of Merton

Mitcham

A drive from Wimbledon, Sun, 1 Dec 2013 by David Howard

This was a notable trip for me, as it marked the end of my first digital camera, the Olympus compact bought in November 2005. It began corrupting photos randomly a couple of years ago, and when it happened too often I had to replace it with a far better bridge camera which didn't have problems in tough conditions. I kept it on for almost a year for walks and bike rides as the other was too big and heavy, until a month ago I walked around Wimbledon and found it hadn't just corrupted the photos it had taken but the entire memory card, and did the same to another I tried to test it. That had come to its end, but remembered all the ones I had taken (the previous ones that day in Kingston Vale were the last before it packed up) based on the images it delivered with parts of other photos mixed in with them. I then checked my map and found two squares in Merton were still green so returned with the new Fujifilm compact I got to replace it (which can also take photos at night, something even the bridge can rarely perform) and went to mop them up as well.

Not expecting any complications, especially being a Sunday when fewer people whould be shopping and the only time I could park there to do the walk, just before the Broadway a sign was up saying it was shut. No reasons or diversion signs, and a sea of traffic on it being turned off an unknown route ahead but stationary. I checked the map and saw two roads on the left bypassing the Broadway so went there, along with a hundred other people, meaning the only alternate route back to Merton was almost as slow as the official one. I only took one photo there, partly as I needed to concentrate as half the planned routes were blocked and was constantly looking for alternatives which weren't, and partly as it would deter many people from going there had they seen what the area actually looked like...

The jam finally cleared almost in Mitcham, as everyone was busy in the retail parks in Merton Abbey, and then discovered the map did not of course show no right turns (or blocked roads as it was a bit too old) and with absolutely no alternative to get back had to drive through the traffic queuing for one of the retail parks and do a turn when there was enough room in their car park. I still don't know what residents and visitors of Liberty Avenue do to get back into Mitcham but as I won't be doing it again don't really need to.

I didn't know the area before the 90s but the map shows the entire area along Morden Road has been rebuilt, including the new A24 link, Merantun Way. Retail parks, including a massive Sainsbury's on two floors, were added, while the side roads with mainly council estates had all been blocked so Liberty Avenue and Phipps Bridge Road were no longer through routes, as I discovered after the event. I did see an ancient enamel fingerpost while stuck in the traffic so will go back some time as it wasn't easy to stop at the time and may have delayed getting the others.

All images © David Howard and available under a Creative Commons licence .