Hendon, the Town Hall c1955

Bombing of West Hendon

I remember when three streets were demolished by a huge mysterious bomb just after eight in the evening. At the time my mother was out on fire patrol and I was fast asleep in bed whilst my three brothers and sister were downstairs listening to the wireless. The tremendous blast rocked our house in Milton Road causing severe damage to our ceilings but luckily not much else. I was carried, fireman style, down the stairs by my brother and can still picture all the plaster littering the lino. We all went into our next door neighbour's home as no real damage had occurred there. What a relief for my mother when she came home to find that we were all safe.

St John's School

This was the year I took my 11+ exam. There was such deep snow that winter that it was very difficult to walk to school. Luckily I lived in Milton Road where St John's was then situated. On arriving at school we were all so cold that we had to warm ourselves in front of the stove in the corner of the classroom before we felt able to take our exam.

St Johns CofE girls' school was tiny, only 2 classrooms. Father Chester from St John's Church would often visit the school and take morning prayers. Other times we would all walk up Park Road to the church for a service. On the way we had to walk over the railway bridge and I well remember how terrified one of the pupils was when a train passed underneath with all the steam billowing around us.

Another memory is of our teacher Miss Henderson bringing in primroses and violets each spring that she'd been sent by her sister who lived in the country. I thought the flowers were so beautiful, never having seen them before.

Gaumont cinema/Greyhound pub

I lived opposite K Garage at 476, Watford Way, a little way north of the Gaumont cinema. I also, along with friends from St Mary's School, Hendon, and my girlfriend (I like to think!), Susan Booker, the daughter of the publican of the Greyhound, went to Saturday morning pictures at the Gaumont.
I along with my friend Mickey Standon, used to do deliveries on the monster grocery bike of wines and spirits for the wine store in Vivien Avenue off of the Central. This would be before we left St Mary's around 1960.
I left 476 at the age of 19 and was shocked and surprised to find on my return to my old 'haunts' that my old school, dating from 1707, had been demolished and a 'modern pile' had taken its place.
Anyone recognising my name etc is more than welcome to email me on brian_schulz1@hotmail.com
Brian Schulz