REDIFFUSION ENGINEERING,
187 Coombe Lane West,
Kingston upon Thames, Surrey

COOMBE HOUSE

Coombe Warren Lodge once stood at the entrance to the house.  The adjacent Coombe House (previously Coombe Cottage) of about 1863, with additions of 1870-1874, still survives. This was built for Currie’s neighbour Edward C. Baring (later Lord Revelstoke) of Baring’s Bank, with a tower and gables of different sizes.  Coombe Cottage was far from ‘cottagey’ boasting 60 bedrooms.  Queen Victoria visited and on occasions stayed as the guest of Edward Baring and of the widowed Empress Eugenie whilst a resident during part of 1881 – 1882.  Dame Nellie Melba, a famous operatic soprano but perhaps more famous for having the dish ‘Peach Melba’ named after her, lived at Coombe Cottage in 1906.

When there was a threat of a railway being built nearby it was sold to the rail company but the line was never built.  The house later became Rediffusion Engineering and is now split into apartments.

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REDIFFUSION LINKS         

In 1964 after being re-awarded its franchise, Associated-Rediffusion became Rediffusion Television Limited, trading as "Rediffusion, London". The black version of its ident was used for all its programmes for the first year before being relegated to regional use only. The fanfare was composed by John Dankworth.

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