Memories of South Harrow
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Year: 1947
Earlsmead School
I wonder if anyone else can remember Earlsmead School, which was housed in the reception rooms of Mrs Bates's home at 13 Corfe Avenue. I lived across the road at No 14, where I was born in 1942, and I was allowed to begin my education there at the age of three. Every morning the thirty or so pupils, aged from three to fourteen, had assembly at which we said prayers and sang hymns and the school song: Scientia potestas est, 'Tis Earlsmead that calls for the best, Our best in work, our best in play, With joyful hearts we start each day. How different it must have been for me when we moved to Hayes in 1948 and I transferred to Pinkwell School, with 40 children in a class! In 1996 I went back to Corfe Avenue and met the current owner of our house, who was very welcoming. I had some photographs with me and she was as interested to see how the area had changed as I was. No sign of Earlsmead School though! Last edited: 05/11/2008 19:53 by Wendy Rhodes |
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 South Harrow, Northolt Road c1965 (ref: S642019) |
Year: 1964
Stanley Road
I lived at number 90 Stanley Road from 1964 until 1985. My dad worked at the Gas Board at the top of the road where the gas holder always seemed to dominate the skyline. Although it was an ugly building it was part of South Harrow and I think a few people were sad to see it taken down. Not many people knew that it was a nesting site for a pair of kestrels and they nested there since I was a kid until they pulled it down. I can remember when they built Brember Road and knocked three houses down to make the new road and built industrial units round the back. The market was always an exciting place to go as kids and most of the market traders knew us and our parents. At the top of the road was an old antique shop called the Brass Monkey and I think Grahams the sweet shop was opposite. Just further down under the railway bridge was Toy Craft Seventy and we always used to sneak round the back of the shop and root around the rubbish and sometimes find old broken toys that they threw out . I remember only once ever going to the cinema in Northolt Road to see Jungle Book, then not long after it closed down as part of the building collapsed. Once, when all us kids were playing in the street a steam engine stopped on the railway bridge at the bottom of the road and we were all waving at the driver, it caused great excitement as we had never seen one before. Another shop I remember well was Macdonalds Fishing Tackle shop which was a short walk under the arches and up the road and it was on the corner. The hedges around the shop were cut into shapes of fish by an elderly man that lived around the corner and he was always tinkering with an old 1950s red Volvo. I haven't been back for years but the last time I did it was almost unrecognisable, it was a lovely old town full of wonderful memories but sadly as with everything, things change and like they say, you should never go back! Last edited: 11/09/2008 10:44 by Paul Cook |
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South Harrow, Northolt Road c1965 (ref: S642019) |
Northolt Road
I lived at 99 Northolt Road from my birth in 1954 until approx. 1961. My grandfather, Walter Taylor had a cafe there although it was closed when I lived there with my parents & grandparents. My grandmother was Florence taylor and she ran the cafe in the market for many years. I remember well some of the other stall holders, Henry at the fish stall, Brummy at the handbags etc. Grandad used to go to The Three Horseshoes which was opposite the house and I remember going to the rec to watch the steam trains. I and my Mum before me went to Miss Parnell's school in Corbins Lane. Only 2 classes - upstairs & downstairs . Sadly, when I last visited in 1996, little of the area around 99 was left and the school was gone. Posted: 05/09/2008 18:11 by Linda Wilson |
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South Harrow, Northolt Road c1965 (ref: S642019) |
Year: 1940s
Stanley Road, south harrow
I lived with my foster family in Stanley Road South Harrow, during the war. Our house backed on to the gas works and I always wanted to climb the gasometer which I did eventually with a friend from across the road. At the top of Stanley Road were all the usual local shops. Peacheys the grocer where we collected our rations and where I would take back empty jam jars and collect a farthing for a small one and a ha'penny for a big one. The fish and chip shop near by would sell a haporth of chips and give away batter bits to any hungry child that asked for them. I would get my hair cut in the barbers at the back of Hatherly's paper shop where I would also pick up a comic each week. At first it was Micky mouse and then either the Dandy or the Beano until I started to get the Hotspur. We children would carry comics to our friends and ask if they had any to swap that way we got to read just about all the comics there were. There was a cycle shop opposite Stanley road on the Northolt Road where we would buy tins of something called 'carbide' which was a kind of lumpy powder which when dropped into a bottle of water and the top clipped down made a very satisfactory bomb. We were never aware of the danger and Stanley road was often littered with glass. Further along was a sweet shop, I think it was called Davis' but I rarely went there as the woman was a bit of a dragon. At one time, I think it was during the early days of the war the school I went to Roxeth Hill, was closed and the teachers came round to houses and four or five children in the same street would get lessons in one house. I was pleased about that as I had to walk to school every day, home again at dinner time which we had at mid day walk back and home again in the evening. I expect we were fitter than seven year old children are today. I think the head teacher was a Miss Doel, and the teacher I remember best was a Miss Rouse as I was so scared of her but she did read good stories to us while sitting in a very high chair. There was a removal firm in Stanley Road. R.J. Walkers and in the yard was a fire watching office and I would go at night with my foster mother when she signed the book. I am not sure how that was suppossed to help as she always came home after signing. A friend of mine had relations who worked in the yard and we played there sometimes. No one seemed to mind even though vans were going in and out. We children spent hours wandering about South Harrow, the market by the station was a favourite spot as there were so many interesting stalls there. We often went to the rec and played around the park keepers hut. There were several round huts where sports clubs kept equipment and they were ideal for running around playing chase. part of the rec' was turned into allotments and we were not allowed to go near. Saturday mornings we went to the Odeon cinema for childrens films. my favourite was a serial called Thunder Riders which left us with a cliff hanger each week. We played games in the street like Tin Can Tommy and Knock Down Ginger. We also went scrumping apples and I remember getting caught once by an irate house holder and getting a clip around the ear. We only went scrumping in streets other than Stanley road as we were frightened of getting caught and our family being told. In those days no one would call a policeman for children scrumping. I did go back about twenty years a go to Stanley Road and the house I had lived in had been pulled down and where the gas works was stood a super market. Posted: 10/04/2008 19:10 by Paul Howard |
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South Harrow, Northolt Road c1965 (ref: S642019) |
Year: 1946
455 Northolt Road South Harrow
I was born at 455 Northolt Road during the 2nd World War where I lived with mum, grandad, granma and young uncle. My father was killed in Normandy Landings on June 6 1944 and was called Arthur Blerkom. My mum was Lil Blerkom and worked in munitions factory and later as usherette at the Odeon in South Harrow. After the war we had to move to Hayes as the house was only rented to us for the duration of the war, having been moved there during the Blitz from the East End. If there is anybody out there who remember my family of Arthur and Florence Hubbard, Les Hubbard and Arthur and Lillian Blerkom I should love to hear from you. Doreen Walton nee blerkom doreen.w@tiscali.co.uk Posted: 19/02/2008 23:01 by Doreen Walton |
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South Harrow, Northolt Road c1965 (ref: S642019) |
Year: 1954
Born here in 1947
I was born around the corner from the photo, at 15 Eastcote Lane, just off the Northolt Road, in 1947 (born at home, too, not in a hospital!) Remember going to school on Northolt Road, maybe a quarter mile west of the intersection of Eastcote Lane. A school still appears to be there, when I look at the images on Google Earth. Still remember buying a Beano comic book at the corner of Northolt and Eastcote. I also dimly remember seeing the last of the killer smogs in 1954. My family emigrated to Canada in 1954, when I was seven, and I have only been back to South Harrow once since then. Last edited: 12/01/2008 12:22 by Ray Perkins |
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Year: 1960
South Harrow as a child
Growing up in South Harrow was much different than today; I do go back from time to time. Welldon Park was on the Wyenhoe site, although there was always talk of the infant school being built on the allotments. I actually lived in that road, which then was devoid of cars until Sainsburys was built next to the library. Until then going to Sainsburys was a wonderful experience. They still patted the butter in front of you and the aroma of the different cheeses were mouth watering - delis in supermarkets today are not a patch on that. On the corner of Eastcote Lane was 'Co-op' corner. This comprised of the laundry, mini supermarket and butchers the funiture shop was further down Northolt Road near the library. I always remember giving the share number for my mum to get her 'divi'. South Harrow market was unique in itself as do not know of another one in the area built under the tube viaduct shopping was always accompanied by the rumble of the trains. The best shop in there was the toy shop of course! Many of the shops were run by loacal people, like the Newsagents Stratmans, Miss Pages the sweet shop Sallys the shop where you could get bread on a Sunday, the fish & chip shop Charlies, he moved to Southend in the late 60s, Parkers the chemist and optitions next door to the greengrocers Ancelleys - I spoke to someone recently who was a niece and that was miles away from South Harrow! There was the barbars 'Noels' in Wyvenhoe Road and also the cobblers who did a good shoe repair none of this heal bar service you get today. One last thing on shopping Wednesday was half day and all the shops did close. It was quite errie. Another activity of mine was to go to the Baptist church the minister during most of my childhood was Mr Lorkin who died in January 2008 he was in his 90's. At the church I attended 9th Roxeth Brownie Pack and when I was ten 'flew up' to the Guide company there. I was in the junior choir (we occasionally sang at Harrow Cottage hospial and 'Valleyfields' a home for blind elderly people) and also the Sunday School. I have been invited back to church anniveries which are very enjoyable. Lazy summer days were spent round Roxeth Rec. As well as playing on the hanging roundabout swings etc there were games in the 'witches hut' so called as it was round with a pointed roof on such game was based on guessing the colour undergroud trains that ran along side the park. Away from that area I played rounders near the pavillion and some Sundays scoring for the local cricket club. The other event that happened there was the annual school sports. The Odean cinama was a novel experience the circle was a raised area separated by a barrier. My dad would never entertain paying to go in there we made do with the stalls, Aged 7 I went to Saturday morning pictures @ one point they got local bands to play in the interval. I thought it was great when my neighbour's son's band played! South Harrow station was attractive with a nice booking office - I believe now gone. To the side of the station was a waiting room for the buses that terminated at South Harrow. I am not sure if it is still there, if it is then I doubt whether it would be a pleasure. By the side of the statiion runs Southill Avenue, a third of the way up is an alleyway which has a footbridge that takes you over the railway. Many a time I waved to the driver, it was open plan. Such is the time now the footbridge is enclosed to stop people throwing things at the trains. Down the other side would lead you back to the rec. These are just a snippett of my memoires. Last edited: 11/08/2008 08:33 by Doreen Stockton |
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Year: 1963
Those were the days!
We lived above a shop in Northolt Road, South Harrow close to the station for two years. We had no hot water, no bathroom, and very limited space. It was our first married home. Traffic outside was constant. Despite all this it was a new experience and a lot of happy days. On one of our visits there from North America we travelled down Northolt Road (about 1990) and were surprised to see that the building was still standing, all boarded up. The general area looked much the same. As for us, well....... Great memories. Peter G. Lay Posted: 10/01/2007 15:21 by Peter Lay |
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