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Ruislip
Ruislip maps
Historic maps of Ruislip and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ruislip maps
Ruislip area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Ruislip and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Ruislip
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Ruislip.
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Hayley's Toyshop
The shop on the right belonged to Mr and Mrs Hayley and was a toyshop. You stepped into the shop, which was very dark. Here were Dinkey cars and packets of fivestones and jacks. To the right you stepped down into a separate room which had tricycles and dolls prams. The Hayleys were very old, to my memory; Mr Haley with a white moustache, and a waistcoat, his wife wore a large flowered apron. Both had country accents. Next to their shop was a sweet shop, where the shopkeeper lady's sitting room could just be seen behind the door.
Queen Mary
My mother, Heather Carter, her sister Roma and my sister Janet Davies were all married in St Martin's, which was very high church, the smell of incense is still strong in my mind.
I remember, though I don't know quite when this was, old Queen Mary visiting the church. I and my sister and other kids lined up behind the chain barrier at the entrance; Queen Mary was very short with a pale grey long coat and toque hat with a veil. We all cheered, though I don't know why.
High Street Ruislip
On the left is the Swan pub, on the right Barbara's Pantry. My grandmother Hilda Carter used to come up to Ruislip, to Bishop Winnington's on Saturdays from East Dean (near Eastbourne) to teach elocution to my sister and me and other local girls. After the class she would go to Barbara's Pantry for tea and cakes before going back home.
Nearer than the Pantry was a row of very old cottages; a boy in my class at Bishop Winningon's, Michael (?) Stockdale, used to live in one, and one day when my sister Janet and I were caught in a hail storm, waiting in the front of the pet shop, and his mother found us and took us in and dried us with towels in her kitchen.
Next to that was the Police Station behind which was a tower with the siren still in place, which they used to set off now and then, just in case... My younger brother Patch, having gone down the road... Read more
Pub Sign at The George
The George Hotel was newly decorated and it re-opened with a special day around 1985. The horse drawn Whitbread Brewery dray arrived and the newly painted pub sign was unveiled by the mayor.
Everything looked great and a good day out was ensured by a dazzling display from the dancers and musicians of Whitethorn Morris - a team of clog wearing morris dancers from nearby Harrow. They looked fine in their scarlet and blue kit, waving their sticks, tapping the rhythm of the jig and polka tunes with their black shiny clogs and waving their bells and hankies.
This pub became a popular venue for morris dancing and passers by would stop and quickly form a large crowd to stand and watch. It was great fun and I enjoyed playing my piano accordian and leading their Whitethorn Band.
Middlesex memories
Church Fete at St Lawrence Parish Church Eastcote
Morris dancers were often asked to provide entertainment at church fetes in the Harrow area in the 1980's. On one occasion the Whitethorn Morris dancers and their Whitethorn Band were booked to entertain at a fete run by St Lawrence Church in Eastcote. I remember this occasion well as at that time I was the band leader and our noisy drumming spooked the pony and trap rides at their fete.
Every summer we would have half a dozen or so village or church fete bookings but this particular event at St Lawrence Church was one of the best attended. Usually fete organisers made a donation to cover our expenses but on this occasion the lovely people at the church also provided our dancers and musicians with a strawberry and cream tea!
I remember playing my 48 button red Hohner piano accordian and really enjoyed performing lively dance tunes including jigs and polkas for the Whitethorn Morris dancers.
Back in the 1950's I went... Read more
Caretaker..
My name is Rachel Page and my grandmother was known as Betty Tapping. She was caretaker at Haydon Hall for many years.I remember her looking after me while she would do her job. I used to watch her wax the floors. I remember the green cups that were in the kitchen. I remember the W.I. meetings. I remeber the art group. I rememer the storeroom tht had a ventriloquist dummy in that gave me the creeps! I was in the ballet classes there with Mrs Reece. There was a prefab bungalow that my Grandma used to live in which was in the right hand side of the Hall. I remember staying there on Saturdays. I remember playing with plastic soldiers in the rose bushes surrounding the Hall. These are just memories I have right this moment..
Whitethorn Morris Return to The Case is Altered in 2007
On March 3rd 2007 Whitethorn Morris danced at The Case is Altered at Eastcote again. Although my wife Elizabeth and I had retired from the morris "side" to live in Devon in 2006, the dancers invited us both to come out of retirement and join them for a day of dancing in both Harrow and then this nice pub.
The sun shone, the sky was blue, the pub served good beer and hot food and we gathered a small (very small) group of onlookers to watch and listen to our dancing and music. One of our dancers - Mary - performed in her Whitethorn red, white and blue kit for the very first time.
For me, having been the bandleader for more than 25 years, it was a strange experience to play my piano accordian for the dancers once again. Not having attended any of the weekly practice evenings for almost a year I thought I would have trouble with the tunes but it is... Read more
