Tamblings Corners And Its Ghosts by J. Bruce Parker On the southeast corner of Ridout and Chester streets, known as the ‘Ridout Street Plaza’, above the facing doorway in black text, is painted ‘Tambling’s Corners’. As a resident of Chester Street for over 30 years, I have always noticed it, and in recent years, the fading letters were repainted, highlighting the importance of the building.
plying their trade. Suddenly, two cans of hairspray do not fall, but rather hurl themselves off a shelf. The shelf did not tip, and no one was near it during the incident. Just north of the block is Thomas Tambling’s home. Dean Hall moved into the residence in 1992 and was kind enough to spend some time with me at his home explaining the history of the building. He tells me that during a renovation, protective plastic sheets seemed to move inside his home as if a wind was blowing, but no windows were open. He also recalls his wife hearing soft singing, but only on Sunday, as if someone was singing in church. In the 1990s, rectangular brown boxes which allowed push-button change of television channels were quite popular. In the Hall household, the brown box would often decide on its own what the Hall family would watch, as it would change channels on its own. It was at this point that I cautiously looked over my shoulder, just to check. All clear. Did the ghost of 350 Ridout Street migrate a few doors north, or does Dean’s home have its own family of spirits? The residence was purchased from the Tambling estate by the Horwood family in 1904. Young Bert Horwood served his country on the battlefields in Europe during World War I. On August 16, 1918, his mother in London experienced a visual image of her son calling for help. Shortly after, she was notified by the war department that her son was missing. In quick time, Bert Harwood’s death on the battlefields was confirmed. Just after Dean purchased the home, with a chance meeting with a member of the Horwood family, he was asked, “Have you met Bert yet?” Dean replied that being new to the area he hadn’t met many of his neighbours. He discovered that the reference was to the presence of Bert in the house. So Bert had a history here. Dean admits firmly, “I don’t even believe in this stuff”. I’m thinking, “me neither”, but how do you explain the unexplainable? Thomas Tambling died in 1902, leaving behind a block of bus- inesses and memories which have come and gone. Maybe Thomas himself hasn’t left the neighbourhood?
When the City of London was founded in 1826, it was more of a hamlet, with a population of about 2,400. The city limits barely spilled over the south branch of the Thames River. But just beyond was a piece of land owned by Thomas Tambling, who eventually established the building at 350 Ridout Street South in 1872. Tambling, with his brother, were involved in the construction trade and were quite successful as the city was growing. He purchased a block of land, subdividing it into lots. There are two other addresses in the city under Tambling’s name. With the city of London just a dash to the north across the river, the hamlet of Tambling’s Corners was strategic as a stagecoach stop for those coming into the city. Near the end of the century, a post office was established, as well as a grocery. The post office did not last, but was renewed in 1903. In 1943, it became a sub-post office, run by the Jupp family. By the 1950s, the corner was referred to as Pugsley’s Corners, as run by the Jupp’s daughter. Since that time, businesses have come and gone, and within my lifetime, a bakery, a green grocer, Village Cycle, and the well-known ‘London Pride’ fish and chips and ‘Kalamata Restaurant’ were part of that block. There were always plenty of ghost stories lurking in the building. Years ago, I recall talking to the owner of the former bicycle shop, suggesting the rumours of paranormal activity in the building. “Oh yeah, there are definitely ghosts here,” he replied, then went on to describe several incidents of things falling unexpectedly, and strange and inexplicable noises coming from the basement of his shop. Carlos, who works at J.S. Ryan & Co. Barbershop next door, takes it one step further. He shared with me a video taken from the in-house security camera. The video shows a normal working day with customers in barber chairs and employees
Page 6 Wortley Villager • October 2025
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