More On Colindale

A Memory of Colindale.

It's quite some time since I submitted my 'War Times, and a bit more' and having read a few later submissions I thought I might as well add a few more observations.
Many have suggested that for those who moved away many years ago might be disappointed should they make a return visit as much has changed. I haven't been back but using google maps I can see that there are many differences. I was too young to have anything to do with pubs, but once I'd reached 18 and home on leave from the army made the occasional visit to the 'Red Lion'. Now I see it's gone. The King's Arms and the Surrey Arms appear to be some type of drinking establishments, I hesitate to guess what they might be like inside. Lots of car showrooms, The Odeon building is intact, but it seems to be no longer a picture house. We're living in a changing world which we need to learn to live with, but I'm not going back to Colindale. Even the men's outfitters, Goulds on the corner of Springfield Mount is now an Ice Cream shop.
Regarding shops I notice a reference to 'Florries' on Sheaveshill Ave. When I lived there during the war it was called 'Flora' and there was a lady behind the counter who I guess may have been Flora. She never seemed to be all that happy, but as the shop was a tobacconist and sweet shop this is quite understandable as she couldn't have been selling much with sweets rationed, cigarettes sometimes hard to come by and no ice cream at all.
Trolley buses: What became Colindale Bus Garage was originally 'Hendon Depot' and was originally built as a Tram depot. Trams were replaced by Trolleybuses in 1936 and the ground behind the Depot was used to scrap the old trams, much of it by burning. This land later became allotments for staff at the Depot. Contrary to another entry, my memory, and a book 'TrolleyBuses in NW London' the routes through Colindale were 645, Canons Park to Barnet, 664, Edgware to Paddington and 666 Edgware to Hammersmith(?). My father was a shop-steward at the depot, one of the items negotiated regarded collision damage. This would be repaired 'out of hours' at overtime rates at the 'home' garage or depot. It came to pass that in Feb 1948 an Avro Anson crash landed onto trolleybus 215 as it was going along Burnt Oak Broadway. Those on the plane were killed, I seem to recall that none of the trolleybus passengers was severely injured. London Transport wanted to have 215 repaired at Chiswick, the main LTE Workshops. The union prevailed and my father was able to take us on holiday that year.
A couple of names have cropped up, Bradbury and Prideaux. I recall a Tony Bradbury who was at Colindale School at the same time as me, also a Joan Prideaux who passed her scholarship to get into NLCS. She and I were in Mr Marlow's class 3A in 1948 along with 47 others. I was lucky to be in Mr Marlow's class from Sep 46 until July 48. I have many more names in my head, all now rapidly approaching 80, if they are lucky enough to have survived thus far.
I used to do a bit of LMS train spotting at the footpath going through the tunnels on the way from Colin Gardens/Crescent towards the Burroughs. Mainly Jubilee class with the occasional Patriot and Beyer-Garret. It was there I saw the first diesel LMS loco Number 10000. There is a clip on the British Film Industry site which can be accessed with a 'smart' TV showing the building of this loco. Sometimes I could afford the half-return fare (7d) to Euston where a platform ticket was 1d. This enabled me to spot the huge Pacifics etc which never went through Colindale.
I read with interest about the V2 damaging a lamp post in Woodfield Ave. I feel that might have been another piece of the one which broke up and was mentioned in my earlier contribution?
Varley Parade. At the outbreak of war Varley Parade had not been finished. At each end of the building the steel reinforcing bars for concrete were still sticking out of the walls. Also at each end a set of wooden steps had been built so those living in the flats above could easily access the pavement along the front. There were also concrete steps at the back but this would have involved an extra walk. The ground at each end was just an empty site, there was an EWS tank at the end next to the rear of the Congregational Church.
I enjoy reading the comments of Samoo1941, I wonder if we might read all her memories?