The Pheasant Cottages were the home of Dixon of Dock Green, the actual policeman Gordon Snashall whom Ted Willis based his books. Gordon was the local Chislehurst Bobby and he and Ted were great friends. Gordon was a great story teller too, not of fiction but of his own true local encounters. He died in 2010 at the age of 92 and I’m hoping his last words were “Evening All”.
Dixon of Dock green TV series ran for 20 years and in that time Gordon never told a soul that the true life events were based on his life as a Bobby. He also made television series Virgin of the Secret Service, Hunter’s Walk, The Adventures of Black Beauty, Copper’s End, Sergeant Cork and Mrs Thursday.
Gordan Snashall was a British playwright, novelist, screenwriter and ardent supporter of the Labour Party.
Born in Tottenham, Willis was elected Chairman of the Labour League of Youth as their candidate of the left in 1937, and 4 years later became Secretary General of the Young Communist League.
Coincidentally the owner of Scadbury Lodge had an office in one of the cells of the Dixon of Dock Green Police Station in Paradise Street, London SE16.
Some text extracted from; https://chislehurst-society.org.uk/pages/about/people/sir-ted-willis/
