Those Wonderful 60`s

A Memory of Kensington.

My father was the caretaker for the Linquists` Club in Holland St from 1959 to the early 70`s, when the building (Niddry Lodge) was demolished to make way for the new Kensington town hall. We lived in The Cottage next to the lodge and the old stable was below my bedroom. The club was a school of English during the day and a social club in the evening. For 10 years, from the age of 9, I met people from all nationalities and my playground was the largest private garden in Kensington, about 1 acre I`m told.
Memories of Holland Street? Apart from living at the best address on the street, I went to St Mary Abbot`s school in Church Walk, off Holland St. I moved from a school in Fulham with a few hundred pupils to this tiny school with 3 or 4 classes. We all passed our 11+ and I went on to Westminster City school.
There were lovely, small shops in Church Walk; bookshop, newsagent, fancy goods and a pet shop. On Saturdays I did deliveries for the pet shop on my bike. 3lb of Fido meat for Lord & Lady X in Holland Park. The wages were low but the tips were good!
Every year a duck would nest and hatch her chicks in Holland Park. When they were old enough, for some reason, she would walk them to Kensington Gardens. This entailed walking the length of Holland Street and the park keepers would alert the police who provided an escort to stop the traffic, and stop the chicks falling down the gutter drains. They were reared on the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens.
I remember the Cullens grocery shop closing in Church Street, main road at the end of Holland St. This became the first Biba shop.
My sister, 4 years older than me, got her first job in the finance dept. in Barkers store in the High Street. There was a rumour that one of our family was killed in a lift accident at Barkers shortly after they opened but I`ve not been able to find any accounts of this.
I got my first suit at Harry Fenton`s in the High Street and my first stereo at the shop next door. Went to an all-night showing of Woodstock at the Odeon and remember the copper roof being put on the Commonwealth Institute in Holland Park ( before it turned green).
How is this for your address at 10 years old :- The Cottage,
Niddry Lodge,
Holland Street,
Kensington W8

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Added 23 February 2013

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yes, I too remember those days , we lived in the council flats in Sheffield terrace, I did a paper round morning / evening for the Newsagent in Holland street , can't recall the owners name - do remember he only had partial sight.
there was a little café in church walk we frequented and the Catherine wheel pub on the corner of church st / Holland st
I recall Niddrey lodge - probably delivered their newspapers.
bought my first suit ( short trousers ) from a shop cnr of hornton/high st with my earnings from the paper round.
attended school at St Georges , Edge street , nr nottinghill gate

By gavin_gillespie on Thu Oct 23rd 2014, at 5:31 am

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Hello Gavin . Seem to recall some work being done at St Mary Abbots and we had to go to the school in Edge St for a while .I can`t remember a newsagent in Holland St but the one in Church Walk was called Stebbings ( I think ) .
My dad went to the Catherine Wheel or the pub on the corner of Church St/ High St , can`t remember the name . The Elephant & Castle in Holland St was quite `posh` .

By David Malster on Thu Oct 23rd 2014, at 2:33 pm

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Just like to add my comments to Gavin and Davids memories ..... My maiden name was stebbings and I lived in 1 kensington church walk from the mid 50s until my fathers death in 1971....before that my grand parents had the shop since 1914..... the newsagents in Holland St was called lewis and there was a bit of rivalry between the two newsagents! The cafe next door was called Andy's and many times he sent in meals to mum or dad if any of us were ill. Just had to say that bibas first shop was in a grocery shop called Nichol's and not Cullens as Cullens was on the corner of church street and camden street. Loved growing up in Kensington in that era....

By ahowe53 on Fri Apr 17th 2015, at 9:36 pm

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I LIVED IN CAMDEN HOUSES, PEEL STREET; THIS WAS ON THE RIGHT UP CAMPDEN HILL ROAD. I WENT TO THE FOX SCHOOL FOR A WHILE THAT WAS JUST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ROAD. MY DAD USED TO BE A ODDJOB MAN FOR THE FLATS IN CAMDEN HOUSES AND BEFORE THAT WORKED IN LEX'S GARAGE. I WAS BORN IN 1949 IN HAMMERSMITH HOSPITAL AND WE FIRST LIVED IN LINDEN GARDENS NEAR BAYSWATER. LOVED LIVING HERE AS A CHILD AND SEEING THE 'STARS' OF THE DAY WHO LIVED NEARBY DUE TO THE PROXIMITY TO THE TV STUDIOS. SPIKE MILLIGAN ALSO LIVED INLINDEN GARDENS FOR A WHILE. WE WOULD GO DOWN TO THE PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET WHICH WAS JUST A FEW BARROWS THEN AT THE NOTTING HILL END AND SOLD MOSTLY FRUIT AND VEDG. IN THE SIXTIES I LIVED IN WHEATSTONE ROAD WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY PULLED DOWN TO BUILD THE ESTATE THAT IS THERE NOW. I TRAVELLED TO SCHOOL IN BARNES AND THIS WAS 'THE CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS' AND ONE OF MY SCHOOLMATES LIVED IN THE RED BRICK FLATS JUST BY THE THAMES AND HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE. THERE WERE ABOUT EIGHT IN MY CLASS AND HER NAME WAS MARY. ANOTHER FRIEND WAS VIVIAN WHO LIVED AT THE TOP OF A VERY LARGE HOUSE IN CASTLENAU. THEY WERE LOVELY AND I WISH WE HAD KEPT IN TOUCH. MY NAME WAS CINDY, OR CYNTHIA IN SCHOOL, AND I LIVED AT 56 LILLIAN ROAD, BARNES FOR A WHILE. HERE I PLAYED WITH THE KIDS IN THE STREET; BRENDA MILLS, RONNIE MONGER, PAMELA HEALES, ANN AND JOHN.

By cindyandjohn on Sat Dec 23rd 2017, at 3:02 pm

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Hi Cindy & John, Id like to get in toush to see if you have any contact with Pamela Heales who I believe lived at 61 Lillian Road. My long lost cousin. Many thanks Bob Heales

By robertheales on Tue Mar 3rd 2020, at 5:46 pm

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