The "original" Harrow Arts Centre at Wealdstone

Before the Harrow Arts Centre moved to its new swanky premises in Hatch End, it occupied a collection of what appeared to be old school canteen buildings just opposite the Alma pub. There is little trace of the site now as some new shops have been built there.

I remember going to this original Arts Centre in the late 1970's with my piano accordian. I played for a clog dancing class a few times run by the folk dancing group from the Centre. They were taught by - I think - Sam and Dodi who came over from Reading to teach. The class ran for about a year or so, but I moved on to playing regularly for Whitethorn Morris dancers instead. It was a lovely Arts Centre and attracted many different local clubs from painting to radio!

There was even a nice bar. On occasions in the 1980's my wife Elizabeth and I would take our son David with us and he would happily sit in the club bar drinking orange juice and chatting to the club barstaff at the tender age of five or six while we enjoyed our music and dancing!