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The Metropolitan Police (Hayes) RFC was formed in
1948.
We were formerly known as the Metropolitan Police 4 District side but with several organisational changes over the
years we are now called the Metropolitan Police (Hayes) RFC.
We play at the Metropolitan Police Hayes
Sports and Social Club otherwise known locally as The Warren.
The ground on which the Club House was formerly owned by Colonel Sir John Farnaby Lennard who was a substantial Landowner
in the district but it was his wife, Dame Julia Maria Francis Lennard, who, in 1882, leased to Walter Maximilian de Zoete
six acres of land for ninety-nine years at £6O per annum. On this land Walter Maximilian built The
Warren and its Lodge.
The Club House, when built,
was called Warren House, a name derived from the wooded valley on the west side of the house (now the Dell where the mini
golf is situated) and is known locally as the Warren because it was overrun with rabbits. Here the
locals came to catch rabbits with their ferrets and polecats - hence the name of the footpath, Polecat Alley, which runs from
the back entrance on the north side of the Club grounds and skirts the valley to Croydon Road.
In 1885, Walter Maximilian de Zoete assigned his leasehold interest to a Martin R Smith a well-known Banker, for
£8,000. In the same year Sir John Farnaby Lennard, and others, leased to Martin Smith an extra 16
acres of the enclosed land for 93 years at £320 per annum. Smith extended Warren House by adding
a Billiard Room, a new wing overlooking the rose garden, a pair of cottages, a summerhouse in the wood and a range of
glasshouses.
It is not generally known but the Carnation flower as we know it today was developed from
the French Gillyflower, Dianthus Caryophyllus, Martin Smith the new owner of The Warren became one of the leading
growers of its hybrids. The old Cricket Pavilion next to The Hobbit, stands on the site of the many carnation
beds developed by Mr Smith and his team of gardeners.
The cultivation
of the carnation began in 1889 and no doubt much of the work and credit must go to Head Gardener Charles Blick. a
cutting from the Evening Times, dated 21st March 1911 (the year of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary),
which read:
“It is just 22 years ago since Mr Martin Smith
started to raise the carnation from its lowly state, and it in entirely due to his efforts that it has become a flower of such character that a
Queen has chosen it to adorn her on the proudest day of her life.”
Martin Smith died in 1908 and in 1909, his son, Everard, conveyed Warren house to Sir Robert Laidlaw, Member of Parliament
for Renfrewshire, for £15,000. A small triangle of land on the Northeast corner of the estate, between
the footpath and the road to Hayes, included in the original purchase by Martin Smith was excluded from this sale.
In 1914 at the beginning of the War Sir Robert gave Warren House to the British Red Cross Society for use as a 50 –
bed hospital. He also contributed £25 a week towards its upkeep together with produce from his gardens.
The use of the house as a hospital continued until 1916 and during those two years many soldiers in hospital blue could
be seen recuperating in the grounds.
Sir Robert died in 1915 and in 1920 his Executors
conveyed the property to Edwin Mumford Preston of Monks Orchard, West Wickham, for £19,500.
On 1st June 1926 The Mayor of Bromley asked for gifts towards the purchase of a Sports Ground for
the Police of ‘P’ Division, comprising Lewisham, Camberwell, Beckenham, Penge and Bromley. He
pointed out, that a ground at Thames Ditton (Imber Court) as suggested for the Police generally, would be little use to men
in our locality. Some may have contributed already to the fund but may be glad to support one which means
so much to the men of our locality. The appeal raised £2,025 which was invested
and called ‘P’ Division Recreation Ground Fund. Mr Preston was a donor to the fund and it is
fitting that his home was later to become the Sports Club for 4 Area. Hayes had become part of ‘P’
or Camberwell Division in October 1885. Before then it had been part of ‘R’ or Greenwich Division
since 1840.
In 1934 Mr Preston conveyed The Warren to Gordon Ralph Hall-Caine, MP of Woolley Firs, Maidenhead, but he did not take
up residence and later that same year it was purchased by the Receiver, through the good Offices of Lady Margetson, wife of
Major Sir Philip Margetson, KCV MC, the Deputy Commissioner.
Extensive work was necessary to convert the property into a Club House and to clear an area to
provide a playing field. A bowling green was laid out on the southeast side of the house. The
bedrooms on the first floor were converted to dressing rooms and two large rooms on the ground floor became a Dining Room
and Dance Floor, the original oak panelling, paintings and fireplaces being retained. The Billiard Room
built by Martin Smith, beautifully panelled in Italian walnut, was used as a Lounge or extra Dining Room. Marshal
of the Royal Air Force, the Lord Trenchard GCB DSO DCL LLD, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, officially opened the
Club House and grounds on 13th June 1935.
During the Second World
War the Stables were used as Headquarters for the local Home Guard and beds were moved into the Club House in readiness to
receive Police casualties – fortunately they were not required. The Club became a favourite rendezvous
for pilots from nearby Biggin Hill; ‘Sailor’ Malan, Stanford Tuck, Jamie Rankin, Al Deere, Don Kingaby, ‘Spy’
de la Torre, E H Thomas and C Masterman, were just a few of The Few who signed in at the Club.
There was then very little change until 1984 when the Commissioner, Sir Kenneth Newman, opened the new Hobbit Sports
Pavilion which is where you will find the MP Hayes RFC most Saturday's in the season.
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