Q. I was reading your website this week under the ‘Chislehurst Lives’ section and noticed there was a famous name missing. He was Donal Morphy, as in Morphy Richards electrical manufacturers.
The reasons are, I moved to Chislehurst in 1965 to a new small estate of eight houses, four in St Peters Close & another four backing onto them in Bull Lane. St Peters Close as you know comes off Holbrook Lane, Mr Morphy lived right at the end in like a creepy castle sort of place, not nice when you’re seven years old! I use to help the milkman with the deliveries. Mr Morphy & Mr Richards started their business in an oast house in nearby St Mary Cray, & the rest is history. He died in 1975.
I moved from Chislehurst in 1977 to Sussex but have many fond memories, attending Red Hill, then Edgebury Secondary. The Bulls Head was mostly attended though. My paper round was with Peter & Eric Cooling, lovely men, sorry I could keep going for ages. My father, Mr M.H. Purdie was one of the names who subscribed to Tom Bushell’s book, History of Chislehurst, so it could go into print.
I hope the above might help you & your excellent society.
A. Thank you for this information. We have requested an image of Donal Morphy from the Morphy Richards website and will write up the story in due course.