Harold Clifton

Report taken from an undated newspaper cutting

Mr Harold W Clifton, founder and managing director of Clifton’s service station, Sidcup Road, Eltham, and owner of a string of race horses, [has] died at his home at 13 Manor way Blackheath…aged 64.

Born in Lee, Mr Clifton had built his business up from a small motorcycle repair shed. 

He wrote in a booklet a few years ago that the firm had its beginnings ‘in a tumbledown shed in Lee’, and after ‘years of working night and day’, he launched out on his own, repairing motorcycles. In 1936 the present imposing service station was opened and rapidly expanded.

During the six years of World War II Clifton’s were engaged solely on the production of high precision aircraft parts.

Mr Clifton, who leaves a widow and a married daughter, was known to many eminent race-goers, especially at Royal Ascot, where his racehorse ‘A 20’ won the 1958 Queen Mary Stakes. Although he no longer had ‘A 20’, he owned six horses, five of them two year olds. The number plate of his Bentley was also A 20.

Mr Clifton was a past president of the Motor Agents Association and had served on the committee. Mr Clifton was well known at Catford Greyhound Stadium, where he was a regular patron. 

Monte Carlo drivers knew that although his garage was not a scheduled stop on the way to Dover, there was always refreshments available to them. For many years drivers had stopped there, but last year the rally bypassed London. 

Mr C.M. Dunn secretary of Kemnal Road Residents Association writes: ‘When the Kemnal Road Residents Association, after an unfortunate lapse, was reformed in 1959 Mr Clifton somewhat reluctantly agreed to be chairman however the position was accepted. Once the position was accepted however, such was his enthusiasm that in spite of his many other activities he attended every one of the association’s meetings. On one occasion recently he made a return journey to Newmarket specially to attend a public inquiry affecting the interests of the members of this Association. 

One other way in which he showed this interest was when he offered to buy from the Kent County Council the beautiful grounds in front of Selwood for the permanent pleasure and recreation of the old people living there. Unfortunately for these old people this offer was not accepted.  His hospitality kindness generosity and passionate enthusiasm in the task of preserving the amenities of Kemnal Road will be deeply missed by the officers ,committee and members of this Association. In common with many others who knew him personally or who had cause to be grateful for his many discreet good works we mourn his loss.‘

The funeral is arranged …at Hither Green Cemetery.