Perivale Maternity Hospital

If you go to a site called Lost Hospitals of London, you can look up Perivale maternity hospital to read its history. At the bottom f that page, of the various links there - flickr1 will show you a pic of the hospital and flickr2 in partial demolition.
Good Luck, cheers

I and my sisters and brother were all born in perivale hospital.

Im growing up in Perivale now and i am sad to say that the front part of the Hoover building is being redeveloped into 66 luxury flats and they have changed the windows which lets just say my dad is not too happy about! Also i dont know if you know but the west side of the hoover building has been turned into an indian restaurant called the Nawaab.

Ah well! as they say goodbye london, so sad to see the Hoover building being messed about with. I though it was supposed to be protected.

I was born at Perivale Maternity Hospital at the end of March 1947, just at the end of the dreadful winter people suffered. At the time my parents and older brother would have been living in a cottage on Horsenden Lane, just past the lower end of Bilton Avenue, sharing the home of my three unmarried aunts, family name Seward. By 1948 our family were living at 87 Gurnell Grove, Greenford, our prefab seemed palatial to my young eyes, even if I did have to share a room with my brother. The kitchen had a built in oven and fridge. The bathroom was modern if cold in winter. There was no heating in any room other than the sitting room. Yes, frost inside the windows in winter and cold, cold Lino on the floor. My parents had a carpet square one the sitting room which would be rolled up so that they could dance to Victor Sylvester and Henry Hall on a Friday evening. We were fortunate to have a minute television, but of course broadcasting was intermittent. I went to Cuckoo Hill Infants, then Brentside School for Girls. In 1955 my class teacher was N.A. Pitts; 1956 V.M.Donaldson and M.B Grant - the headteacher was a Miss Hooper. (I still have my report book). My ‘best friend’ was Jenny Clifford, one of six girls. Another friend was Monica Walsh; another family were the Leavors - there was an older sister Brenda I think, and twins my age Marion and Edward, they all lived in Gurnell Grove. We roamed freely; loved the River Brent flooding as the water came up
through the drains into the road and we would don wellies and splash about.
I went on the push and pull to Ealing Swimming baths for lessons. My brother and I would go to St Mary’s church Perivale on Sunday mornings to join our aunts for the service. My brother would look for lost golf balls on the links, and if we had any money we would head for the shop at the crossroads (the Western Avenue was hardly developed) and feed a machine for some sweets, gum I presume. The gardens at Gurnell Grove seemed large, but my parents also had an allotment, probably where the swimming pool is. The Coronation in 1953 was royally celebrated, with a fancy dress parade and decorated bicycle competition. My Queen of Hearts dress was made of parachute silk (or so it was claimed) my brother was a pirate - costumes made by my mother, who made all my dresses. We were kept warm with jumpers, cardigans, scarves and gloves knitted by an aunt. But oh, elastic keeping your long socks up was a nightmare in winter as it dug into cold legs making them sore - Germolene was applied. Ouch.
In November 1956 we said goodbye to Middlesex and moved to Cheshire as my father got a job with the newly formed Granada TV in Manchester; we visited regularly as long as our remaining relatives were alive; my surviving aunt leaving in 1983 to be nearer our family. I last visited 4 years ago after a break of 30years or so, it was a shock to see how BUSY the roads are, but lovely to see St Mary’s church still standing, the Millet Arms, Perivale Library and the Community Centre building. My aunts’ cottage had been modernised and enlarged, the Ballot Box still stands and Horsenden Hill still a landmark.