Heston Middlesex 1950s

A Memory of Heston.

It was good to see people's memories of Heston, as I spent much of my childhood there. My father was manager of a branch of grocers called Platts Stores Ltd, Norwood Green, although we were on the corner of Fern Lane Heston and Crosslands Avenue which came under Norwood Green. There were 3 shops in our parade, Platts, a newsagents cum sweetshop and Stowells wine shop, where my best friend Sylvia Merton lived. I recall the day when sweets came off ration, there were queues of people outside next door, maybe 1956? I attended Norwood Grn Infants and Junior schools then after scholarship went to Southall County Grammar School taking the 120 bus each day.

My family attended Heston Methodist Church where I joined the Sunday School and Girls Life Brigade. I had music lessons with Mrs Selby of Fern Lane where I learned to play the piano and took up to Grade 5 examinations at the RSM in London. I can remember enjoying Heston Carnival every year when the floats would drive by in slow procession, where my sister and her friend (8 years older than me) would take part in the Carnival Queen's retinue. I had swimming lessons at Heston Baths where we had hot Bovril to drink afterwards. Heston Fair was always good to see too, held in Heston Park. I recall going to the village hall when very young for some sort of health checkup, maybe dental, and I think there was a library in there too.

I used to take my dog Chummie for long walks across the fields to Osterley, or Heston Park or along the canal towpath (not popular with parents!) at Norwood Green. Grandparents lived in Bedfont and Hatton Cross so Dad and I sometimes cycled across the back of Heston and Cranford Park then around the Perimeter Road at Heathrow Airport to visit them.

I recall walking to Heston to the National Provincial bank every Saturday morning with my Mum, carrying her old shopping bag with the shop's takings in! Amazing! There were some nice shops in Heston too, I remember a chemist, post office, greengrocers, a china and glass shop, a butchers and I think a hardware shop there were probably more.

My sister went to Heston Secondary Modern School just across the road from the Methodist Church, then afterwards she attended Acton Polytechnic I think to do office studies. I recall attending a wedding at St Leonard's Anglican Church in Heston, where the bridegroom was so nervous he fainted twice! Also going to church parades at the War Memorial for Armistice Day each year, with GLB, when all the various uniformed organisations in Heston would parade including a band.

I revisited Heston and Norwood Green in the 1990s, it all looked much smaller and busier, more vehicles of course!
But I have very happy memories of growing up from 1947 onwards in the Heston area. Thank you.