Cricklewood And Kilburn Area

A Memory of Kilburn.

I was born in this area in 1939 and lived in Cricklewood until 1955 when we moved to Dollis hill (Hamilton Road). We were in Olive Road throughout the war and would shelter in the street shelter and sometimes in Smiths (near what was Rolls Razor on the Broadway near the Bus Garage).I remember the Queen's cinema on the Broadway and the Crown(which is still there. The 16 bus ran to Kilburn where I went to school from 11yrs-16 yrs. In those years the cinemas were the Ionic,the Grange the Essoldo and the State. My parents were both born in Kilburn and never moved far from their roots. When I married,I moved away to South London but I was never happy there and in 1976,I came back to North London and here I have stayed! I have returned to Mora road school and to St Michaels church,it hasn't changed much.I remember the bomb that dropped in Ivy road,killing several people.I remember the artillery battery in Gladstone Park,the collection of iron railings and gates,shrapnel,the bitter winter of 1947 when icicles formed on everything. I remember St Andrews Hospital in Dollis hill lane,the Hub in Gladstone Park and the skating rink on Cricklewood Broadway not to mention the snooker hall over Burton's!
There were 'prefabs' by the Library and the squatters huts just inside the park-both remained there long after the war. What about the Sunday school outings to Southend where the tide was always out and the teatime buns were always stale! Good days,though remembered with much pleasure.Carters,the stationer is still on the Broadway to this day as is the Post Office (but not the Sorting office) and Barclays bank. Lyons teashops,liptons,Hillmans,the Co-op,Pearks,the United dairies,Jackmans,Debroys and the fish and chip shop have all gone as has a way of life.