Extraordinary flatmates

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 1

Extraordinary flatmates

From

KEN COATES,

London

According to a bound copy of the 1980-81 electoral roll kept by the London borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames, there was an extraordinary household at 41 High Street, Hampton Wick. The occupants are clearly listed: Sidney G. Holland, Keith J. Holyoake, Norman E. Kirk, John R. Marshall, Walter Nash, Wallace E. Rowling, and Robert D. Muldoon. But the celebrated seven have apparently moved on, for they do not appear on the 1981-82 roll, or on the lists for the new register due to

be printed on February 15

Electoral officials were mystified when asked to check the rolls after an anonymous sender from Enfield, North London, sent “The Press” a photo-copy of a page of the old roll. Light dawned when it was explained that the names were all of New Zealand Prime Ministers.

“We update the roll each year. Last year, we received a list of United States’ Presidents from the same address,” said the electoral officer, Mrs Carol Botwright.

These names were immediately recognisable as fictitious and the roll did not

go to press listing John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter at 41 High Street, Hampton Wick. Messrs “Muldoon” and “Rowling,” etc, would not have • registered votes “as there were neither parliamentary nor borough elections that year, fortunately,” said Mrs Botwright. The pranksters of Hampton Wick (near Hampton Court Palace where Henry VIII once lived) have either moved to another borough, perhaps Enfield, or back to New Zealand and the United States. This year’s roll soon to be printed has no names with the address, 41 High Street.

"Being High Street, it could be flats above shops that have been vacated because of a change of use,” said Mrs Botwright. She explained that as the roll was used for both local and national elections, it was compiled afresh each year, and forms left with householders in September had to be filled in and collected by October 10.

“Someone obviously likes to have a little joke,” she said. “It is very difficult to prosecute because evidence has to be presented from both the canvasser and another individual witness that false names were actually supplied.”