Fabulous Hatch End

A Memory of Hatch End.

I also remember this scene of Hatch End.  I lived in the Pub which just about appears in this picture on the top far right, its the white buillding that is just sticking out slightly.  Next door to the pub was the Conoco garage where someone called Tony Waite worked.  I used to watch him from the side window of the pub.  Just past the pub there was a baby/knitting shop and then came the newsagents called Dells which my parents later bought in the late 1970's.  Dells used to be on the site of Sainsburys which was a large shop with marbled counters.  Past Sainsburys was a small gift shop called Smails and then came the TV repair shop.  This part has now all changed.  After that came a greengrocers and the photographers Malcom Morgans.  Down the other end of Hatch End we had Bristol Street Motors where I had my first office job, opposite the garage on the other side of the road was Bunces newsagents and the very first Indian restaurant in Hatch End was next door on the site of the old Steakhouse called the Cavern.  There was a lovely Bakers next door to this but I cannot remember the name at the moment.  Near to Bristol St Motors was Woolworths.  This was very tiny and soon closed after I moved there.  You used to be able to buy scoops of biscuits here in paper bags!!!  The other shops that I recall in the High Street were Sightseeing International Travel Agents where I had my second job and a lovely clothes shop called Madelaine where I bought my long dress for my 21st birthday.  Opposite here there was a small department store and I am sure it was called Wiles.  I remember it sold Clarkes shoes and this is where my mum took me to buy my school shoes.  There was a Budgens and Payantake, McPhails greengrocers and a Chinese restaurant.  Opposite the pub there was a very classy restaurant called the Court Steakhouse.  This was bought out and it became a Greek Restaurant called Akropolis.  This was next to the Barclays Bank and near the post office.  I loved living in Hatch End in the 60's, it was a great place to grow up and we had the Youth Club which was attached to the church.  We had discos there called Project A.