Historical Origins; Chapman/Lotus: Parts 1 & 2

Hornsey and Tottenham Environment: Part 1

Introduction

These two articles are brief and place emphasis upon and identify the buildings and proximity of the friends and connections that helped Colin Chapman establish Lotus at Hornsey from the late 1940’s.

Our knowledge of these friends are contemporaries are known from the published works [see references below].

The editors have taken the photographs and used historical images and we hope to offer the briefest of interpretation to develop the context and the importance of each. Subscribers might also like to use multi-map etc. for additional aerial views and differing perspectives.

The editors have canvassed for the “Lotus Buildings” to be listed but this was not accepted .However we note the increasing awareness of transport architecture as recorded in “CarScapes”.[ see A&R Review]. We therefore hope at a later date there will be greater recognition and protection conferred on these significant group of buildings.

Subscribers will readily identify that most of the original buildings fortunately still exist

The A&R will try and assemble historical images and those that add to a contextual and interpretation of the site and development of Lotus in post war London

Respect for Homes and Businesses

We ask that any visitors be respectful of the addresses given as these remain private homes and businesses.

Subscribers may like to cross reference this article with A&R items:-

The following articles help establish the wider background surrounding Colin Chapman’s development:-

  • The Works
  • Bridget Riley and Geoff Goddard photography
  • Festival of Britain
  • Lotus Design Decades: The 1950’s
  • London :The Epicenter of Post War Motor Racing

Important locations in the Colin Chapman/Lotus history

 

Photo No St’ No Street Name Area London Post Code Details
1 44 Beech Drive East Finchley London N2 9DY Colin’s family home
2 5 Tottenham Lane Hornsey London N8 9DT Railway Hotel [Colin’s fathers Hotel]
3 7 Tottenham Lane Hornsey London N8 8PR Stables and office adjacent hotel
4 244 Alexandra Park Road Muswell Hill London N22 7BG Hazel’s parents’ home & lock up [r/o]
5 104 Vallance  Road Muswell Hill London N22 7UB Allen brothers family home
6 Ribblesdale Road Hornsey London N8 7EP re John Teychenne /Progress Chassis
7 Alexandra Palace Muswell Hill London N22 7AY Possible backdrop model launches?
8 Tottenham Lane Hornsey London N8 9DJ British Rail Station
9 45 Kew Road Richmond London TW9 2NQ Colin’s parents first hotel?
10 The Broadway Crouch End London N8 9JJ Town Hall
11 Crouch End Broad w’ Crouch End London Clock tower looking north
12 The Queens Crouch End London N8 9DE Pub and landmark

Birthplace

Photograph 9

Colin Chapman’s parents are reputed to have owned the Orange Tree in Richmond. This even in the late 1920’s early 1930’s must have been a significant piece of real-estate.

With rooms and the proximity to Richmond Rail Station and closeness to Twickenham it must have been an important and imposing, lucrative business catering for diverse activities, functions etc.

It’s interesting to note that the family moved to Hornsey; this would have seemed less attractive a proposition unless Stan Chapman had ideas about diversification and expansion. [Considering the value and prestige of the Orange Tree it might have been in part ownership]It would be good research to check the local authority licensing records and those of the Licensed Victualars.

Colin Chapman was born on the 19 May 1928.

Vallance

Photographs 1 and 5

These pictures the respective family homes of Colin’s parents at 44 Beech Drive, East Finchley.This is a significant detached residential home on a corner plot in an expensive neighborhood. It suggests that Stan Chapman’s business activities in Hornsey were doing well.

The second photograph is of the Allen brother’s family home at 104 Vallance Road, Muswell Hill. This too was a large imposing and very attractive detached house in a residential road. The Allen family provided technical support and considerable financial resources to help Colin .Note in Peter Ross’s book there are period photographs of the Allen’s’ with cars under construction.

Muswell

Photograph 4

These two photographs are of Hazel Chapman [nee Williams] family home at 244 Alexandra Park Road. This is in a leafy suburb and in the shadow of Alexandra Palace.

Immediately to the right hand side is the access lane – up a fairly steep gradient to a “T” junction where the family had a lock up.

Lockup

Close up view of lock up garage used by Colin

We are not absolutely sure which garage was owned / or rented by Hazel’s parents but it does not appear to be equipped with power. It’s possibly that a trailing lead was provided from the house but records suggest some of the construction work on the first special was out-sourced. It indicates the level of determination, resourcefulness, and innovation and build programming skills to coordinate car construction under these circumstances.

The Proposed CCM&EC

The editors believe there are many advantages to siting the proposed CCM&EC at the old works in Hornsey, north London. To this end they obtained a change of use through the Planning Department of Haringey Council but sadly the current occupants felt unable to accommodate or cooperate with the full proposal. This explains why the campaign is run as virtual status. The editors continue to consider the Hornsey site whilst keeping options open.

Our articles demonstrate the importance and significance of the locality as it preserves the main building blocks intact and greatly aids meaningful interpretation in every sence.Furthermore that interpretation is accentuated by the very concentration and sustainable dimension of being so well served by public transport. These two factors harmoniously and in complementary fashion serve both the external tourist visitor and the proposed local student throughput. Hornsey is served by train, bus and underground and has reasonable access to northern section of M25. It is also a relatively easy hop to Cheshunt.

The editors as part of their planning application adopted a business plan that was sustainable integrating the institution with the local economy on a non-palliative basis.

The proposed CCM&EC has been structured to deliver education and entertainment through an integrated vertical horizontal matrix foremost delivering education through work experience. It will deliver Equal opportunities.

Although other sites might provide the potential of track facilities which in turn would deliver racing/ sprints and demonstrations this type of site is likely to be :-

  • Remote from other tourist attractions and public transport
  • By definition remote from high concentrations of residential areas and populations requiring its educational facilities
  • As such it would risk becoming elitist or unviable
  • Greater emphasis would possibly be required on bigger attractions and investments which might mitigate against sustainable programmes and in turn risk greater financial gambles

The proposed museum believes that commercial considerations are both necessary and complementary with its educational objectives.

For these reasons our Business Plan includes provision for promoting products and services which share Chapman’s ideals of mechanical efficiency and sustainability. In addition we propose merchandising that explain and interprets the social and cultural context of Chapman’s designs in period. It’s suggested there will be catalogue for on line purchasing.

In particular in the Hornsey context we would seek to link and integrate those buildings identified and enhance the visitor experience accompanied by the fullest and interpretation led experience not least with the historical connectivity with London’s dynamic link with international motor sport. The site also lends itself to recreations and hence the creative media and advertising.

Conclusion

As can be seen the primary buildings identified with Colin Chapman and the establishment of Lotus still exist. They provide a necklace of attractions easily integrated and complimentary to tourism within Greater London including London Transport, Science Museums, Crystal Palace, Alexandra Palace and the historic locations of post war motor racing. They provide an extensive network unified sustainable connections feed by public transport. As we have stated previously museums provide both education and entertainment and being essentially indoor provide all year all season appeal and protection.

Of course land values are likely to increase in London and this will always mitigate and voracious competition will continue from property speculation and developers.

The A&R will continue to make the case in favour of long term sustainability achieved through education, creativity and innovation which we consider ultimately the only guarantor of sustainable wealth, welfare and civilized cultural development.

Reference:

Hornsey Historic Society

Colin Chapman.Lawrence.Breedon Books, 2002.

ISBN: 1859832784

Colin Chapman-Lotus Engineering. Haskell.Osprey.1993

ISBN: 1855323761

Colin Chapman.Crombac.Patrick Stepens.1986.

ISBN: 0850597331

Lotus: The First Ten Years: Smith.MRP.1958

Lotus: The Early Years: Ross.Coterie.2004

ISBN: 1902351126

Carscapes.Morrison.Yale.2012.

ISBN: 300187041

Please note the editors of the A&R attempt to give the broadest spectrum of references but not all are available for consultation in an article. However by noting their existence it may assist students in their research.

*Items in italics non A&R library books.

Chapman and Lotus Historical Origins

Hornsey and Totten ham Environment: Part 2

Introduction

These two articles are brief and place emphasis upon the buildings and proximity of the friends and connections that helped Colin Chapman establish Lotus at Hornsey from the late 1940’s.

Our knowledge of these fiends are contemporaries are known from the published works [see references below].

The editors have taken the photographs and we hope to offer the briefest of interpretation to develop the context and importance of each. Subscribers might also like to use multi-map etc. for additional aerial views and differing perspectives.

The editors have canvassed for the “Lotus Buildings” to be listed but this was not accepted .However we note the increasing awareness of transport architecture as recorded in “CarScapes”.[ see A&R review] We therefore hope at a later date there will be greater recognition and protection conferred on these significant group of buildings.

The A&R will try and assemble historical images and those that add to a contextual and interpretation of the site and development of Lotus in post war London

Subscribers will readily identify that most of the original buildings fortunately still exist

Respect for Homes and Businesses

We ask that any visitors be respectful of the addresses given as these remain private homes and businesses.

Subscribers may like to cross reference this article with A&R items:-

  • The Works
  • Bridget Riley and Geoff Goddard photographs
  • Festival of Britain
  • Lotus Design Decades: The 1950’s
  • London :The epicenter of British post war motor sport

Important locations in the Colin Chapman/Lotus history

Photo No St’ No Street Name Area London Post Code Details
1 44 Beech Drive East Finchley London N2 9DY Colin’s family home
2 5 Tottenham Lane Hornsey London N8 9DT Railway Hotel [Colin’s fathers Hotel]
3 7 Tottenham Lane Hornsey London N8 8PR Stables and office adjacent hotel
4 244 Alexandra Park Road Muswell Hill London N22 7BG Hazel’s parents’ home & lock up [r/o]
5 104 Vallance  Road Muswell Hill London N22 7UB Allen brothers family home
6 Ribblesdale Road Hornsey London N8 7EP re John Teychenne /Progress Chassis
7 Alexandra Palace Muswell Hill London N22 7AY Possible backdrop model launches?
8 Tottenham Lane Hornsey London N8 9DJ British Rail Station
9 45 Kew Road Richmond London TW9 2NQ Colin’s parents first hotel?
10 The Broadway Crouch End London N8 9JJ Town Hall
11 Crouch End Broad w’ Crouch End London Clock tower looking north
12 The Queens Crouch End London N8 9DE Pub and landmark

Bridget Bishop Photographic Record of Lotus at Hornsey.

The historic context of the photographs taken C Autumn 1957. [Please see examples on our website and that of Bridget Bishop’s.]

Bridget Bishop [Professional name Corry Bevington]

On her website it recorded that

“Corry Bevington trained as a photographer at Guildford School of art in the early 1950’s. After leaving college she freelanced in partnership with Anthea Sieveking from the Marshall Street studios in London’s Soho, working mainly for magazines and the Arts Council.

At this time Corry made a comprehensive series of photographs of contemporary rural industries in Britain and of English Canals. She has also traveled widely in West Africa, Russia and more recently Yemen documenting mud built architecture.

She worked closely with her late husband, the graphic designer Graham Bishop for twenty years before becoming a founder member of the Photo Co-op now known as Photofusion of which she is still a director.”

Bridget’s Bishops photographs also help illustrate and capture the essence of the era and reinforce the information given. In particular her photographs of Portobello Road in Notting Hill Gate work with the A&R reconstruction of the road trip. She also undertook a series of pictures involving butter mould carving and ladder making which will be explained under the chapter devoted to the Rural Industries Bureau.

These are quite extraordinary photographs and contribute significantly to our interpretation of the era and indeed the speed of Chapman’s development.

Tottenham

The sketch map indicates the closeness of the locations and friends that helped establish Colin Chapman .They fall in the main within the shadow of Alexandra Palace.

Jewsons

Figure 1 Stable block and showroom 7 Tottenham lane. Photograph no 3.note proximity to railway line [not in view the Hornsey British Rail Station.

Tottenham Lane

Figure 2 this picture seems to capture a car immediately outside the works in Tottenham Lane

Ribblesdale

Figure 3 Photographs 6 & 3: Ribblesdale road and Stable/office block

Ribblesdale 2

Attractive black and white photography of Lotus staff in Ribblesdale Road, Hornsey. Ribblesdale Road is almost immediately opposite the entrance to the stable block and Lotus showroom in Tottenham Lane.

Winner

11 Chassis

Figure 4 Note what appears to be a Lotus Eleven chassis just inside the works, looking out in direction of Ribblesdale Road

Rear of stable

Figure 5 Additional and complementary photograph No3: Rear view of the stable block looking west

In the back ground on the RHS we can see the rear of the stable block.

It has not been fully explained in Stan Chapman owned these stables and they formed part of the freehold of the Railway Hotel of if he had separate lease or rental agreement.

Hornsey was possibly developed in the Victorian era and would have been attractive as a residential area with the coming of the railway. The Railway Hotel possibly had a significant clientele based on railway workers and the GPO nearly opposite. There was also a fairly large working class population based on the water works and possibly some of the building workers from Alexandra Palace.

Stan Chapman would have probably used the stables for storage and part of possible distribution network or it might have occurred that he inherited the stables from the Victorian era when drays pulled by horses might have serviced local pups following delivery from the railway station.

Today the stables , assembly building and office / showroom that Colin Chapman built are part of Jewson’s builders merchants ; part of the Cranford Way industrial estate which once formed extensive railway marshalling/goods yards and rolling stock maintenance.

Jewson 2

Figure 6 further photographs of main photo 3 showing the yard and later building provided on the site to accommodate the expanding work at Totten ham Lane. The two storey brick building was used for assembly and many period photographs of the interior exist.

No body

Tranpsorter

Figure 7 Note in this picture Lotus Elven chassis in the yard of 7 Tottenham Lane. They are in an area between the assemblies building; the stables out of sight to the left Note the rear of the Railway Hotel can be seen in the background

Town hall

Figure 8 Photograph 10 – Hornsey Town Hall. It’s believed that Stan Chapman provided catering facilities and that this was social meeting place. The Town Hall is a modernist building and currently undergoing restoration. It was recently used to film “The Hour” and subscribers are recommended to visit net to see restoration website.

Clock Tower

Figure 9 Photograph 11.This is the Clock Tower in the Crouch End Broadway [looking north towards Hornsey] The Shanklin Road garage was within walking distance [recently demolished]

The Queens

Figure 10 Photograph 12. The Queens at Broadway Parade, Crouch End. This pub is distinctive landmark and one of many that would have lined the route into central London at the time Colin was active at Hornsey. Subscribers might like to read A&R recreation journey by car to Goodwood.

The Proposed CCM&EC

The editors believe there are many advantages to siting the proposed CCM&EC at the old works in Hornsey, north London. To this end they obtained a change of use through the Planning Department of Haringey Council but sadly the current occupants felt unable to accommodate or cooperate with the full proposal. This explains why the campaign is run as virtual status. The editors continue to consider the Hornsey site whilst keeping options open.

Our articles demonstrate the importance and significance of the locality as it preserves the main building blocks intact and greatly aids meaningful interpretation in every sence.Furthermore that interpretation is accentuated by the very concentration and sustainable dimension of being so well served by public transport. These two factors harmoniously and in complementary fashion serve both the external tourist visitor and the proposed local student throughput. Hornsey is served by train, bus and underground and has reasonable access to northern section of M25. It is also a relatively easy hop to Cheshunt.

The editors as part of their planning application adopted a business plan that was sustainable integrating the institution with the local economy on a non-palliative basis.

The proposed CCM&EC has been structured to deliver education and entertainment through an integrated vertical horizontal matrix foremost delivering education through work experience. It will deliver Equal opportunities.

Although other sites might provide the potential of track facilities which in turn would deliver racing/ sprints and demonstrations this type of site is likely to be :-

  • Remote from other tourist attractions and public transport
  • By definition remote from high concentrations of residential areas and populations requiring its educational facilities
  • As such it would risk becoming elitist or unviable
  • Greater emphasis would possibly be required on bigger attractions and investments which might mitigate against sustainable programmes and in turn risk greater financial gambles

The proposed museum believes that commercial considerations are both necessary and complementary with its educational objectives.

For these reasons our Business Plan includes provision for promoting products and services which share Chapman’s ideals of mechanical efficiency and sustainability. In addition we propose merchandising that explain and interprets the social and cultural context of Chapman’s designs in period. It’s suggested there will be catalogue for on line purchasing.

In particular in the Hornsey context we would seek to link and integrate those buildings identified and enhance the visitor experience accompanied by the fullest and interpretation led experience not least with the historical connectivity with London’s dynamic link with international motor sport.

Conclusion

As can be seen the primary buildings identified with Colin Chapman and the establishment of Lotus still exist. They provide a necklace of attractions easily integrated and complimentary to tourism within Greater London including London Transport, Science Museums, Crystal and Alexandra Palace and the historic locations of post war motor racing. They provide an extensive network unified sustainable connections feed by public transport. As we have stated previously museums provide both education and entertainment and being essentially indoor provide all year all season appeal and protection.

Of course land values are likely to increase in London and this will always mitigate and voracious competition will continue from property speculation and developers.

The A&R will continue to make the case in favour of long term sustainability achieved through education, creativity and innovation which we consider ultimately the only guarantor of sustainable wealth, welfare and civilized cultural development.

Reference:

Hormsey Historic Society

Colin Chapman.Lawrence.Breedon Books.2002.

ISBN: 1859832784

Colin Chapman-Lotus Engineering. Haskell.Osprey.1993.

ISBN: 1855323761

Colin Chapman.Crombac.Patrick Stepens.1986.

ISBN: 0850597331

Lotus: The First Ten Years: Smith.MRP.1958

Lotus: The Early Years: Ross.Coterie.2004

ISBN: 1902351126

Carscapes.Morrison.Yale.2012.

ISBN: 300187041

Please note the editors of the A&R attempt to give the broadest spectrum of references but not all are available for consultation in an article. However by noting their existence it may assist students in their research.

*Items in italics non A&R library books.