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Tom Bradley House was a large old Victorian property, purchased
by the Council out of requisition and extended and converted for old
people's accommodation. The premises now comprise three double
bed-sitting room flats, (for couples), and six single bed-sitting room
flats, with a two bedroomed flat occupied by the Warden and her
family. The whole property is provided with central heating from
a coke boiler in the basement, and with domestic hot water from a
second boiler. There is a large Lounge available to all residents,
furnished by the Council, including a television set and crockery
for teas.
In an outbuilding is a small laundry, supplied with hot water
from the boiler, two sinks and an electric drying heater for use by
tenants.
Each flat consists of one room, with a curtained bed space and a
kitchenette in a small recess. The kitchenette is provided with a
larder, sink with hot and cold water, and a small gas cooker.
Bathrooms and lavatories are separate, on the basis of one lavatory to
two persons, and one bathroom to four persons. The tenants have the
use of a pleasant rear garden—mainly lawns and trees.
The Warden's duties are the cleaning of corridors, landings and
staircases, bathrooms and lavatories, and the cleaning of the Lounge,
with a coal fire in the winter to supplement the central heating. The
Warden (with some assistance from her husband) maintains the two
boilers.
The accommodation, therefore, relieves the old folk of all chores
in connection with space heating, hot water and the cleaning of bathrooms
and lavatories, but leaves them free to live an independent life
in their own flats with their own furniture, and doing their own
cooking, etc.
The Warden also keeps a register of names of tenants, with
names of their General Practitioners and nearest relatives, to notify
them in case of need. A telephone is provided for the Warden. The
Warden is not expected to do any work for tenants, but to ensure their
wants are met by Domestic Home Helps, Domiciliary Nurses, Doctors,
etc.
The Borough Council have leased to the Trustees of British
Legion Haig Homes an area of land at the junction of Gobions Avenue
and Chase Cross Road for homes for disabled ex-servicemen. There
are eight dwellings on this site, which is leased to the Trustees at a
nominal rent, the Trustees being treated as a Housing Association
under the Housing Acts.
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