Bakers And Ealing Studios

A Memory of Ealing.

My God! I remember the baker shop fondly as it was opposite the Ealing Studios, and we used to hang outside Ealing Studios loads of times as kids, hoping to see someone famous - and we did. I've said "Hello" to Hattie Jaques, she was so lovely and warm, I remember her just walking over to my sister to say hello and ask why were we there, we explained we lived in Northolt but our nan and grandad lived in Regina Road, West Ealing and our dad was in the pub so we always came here when he went for his drink. She kissed our heads and waved goodbye. Another week me and my brother Andy were there eating hard scones that the baker gave us free, I think they were the day before's, and Sid James came walking out of the studio to go to the bakers. When he came back he gave us a cream bun each. He had a fag in the side of his mouth and as he walked away he gave that famous laugh, what a lovely man, can you imagine film stars of today doing all that? As it turned out, we found out later that Sid lived not far away on the North Circular Road near Gunnesbury Park, I go past his old house 46 years later in my lorry and his house has a blue plaque outside saying that he lived there, what a small world we live in!As for the bakers, yes I remember the very nice old man baker, I seem to remember my nanny Nicholls knew him very well and so he knew of us, hence why we used to get free creem buns etc when we visited the studios. We saw Dirk Bogarde a few times, he always used to wave to us kids, as did Peter Sellers. Why is it that it always seems that when you were a child it never used to rain in those long summer days? If anyone wants to share more memories of Ealing or Northolt, my e mail is: john.nicholls@sky.com

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