Hillingdon In The 1940s And 1950s

A Memory of Hillingdon.

My family lived in Hillingdon from the beginning of ww2 until 1953 when we moved from Biggin Hill. Our first home was a top floor flat in Pinewood Ave which was not ideal for a family with 4 children and then Grandmother descended on us with her 2nd husband. Amazing to think of todays children being prepared to share a bedroom with 3 others, however when child no. 5 came along we moved to Evelyn Villas just round the corner in February 1947 a really cold winter. I went with my siblings to Providence Road school, then St. Matthews in Yiewsley and finally onto Evelyns secondary modern school, We had a large area of grass at the back and shelters built underground(partially at least) our journey to school was over the school grounds and through the orchards, scrumping as were went. The most memorable things are going to Sabey's Pits (it was out of bounds of cours) but we went anyway until one time the siren went and we tried to get home quickly and in doing so my young sister lost one of her new shoes. I also remember watching the queens coronation in a hut of some sorts followed by a party in the street. The only shops I remember nearby were Wymans and a sweetshop next door, my sister used to work for Wymans. I think there may have been other shops around the corner in Chapel Lane but I am not sure. My uncle tells me that a petrol station is now on the corner of what was waste ground (our playground). I left school in 1950 and finally went to work for Kirby Bros. in Uxbridge I wonder if this is still there. We then moved back to Kent and have remained there since.

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