The Bridge Hotel

I was born at 64 Runnymede Gardens on the Western Avenue in 1939, only about three doors up and less than 100 yards from the Bridge Hotel, which could also be seen from our back garden. There was a petrol station in between. I lived at Runnymede Gardens until we moved to Wealdstone in 1958. I thought, from memory, that a family called 'Stand' or something similar, were landlords or managers at the Bridge in the late 40s or early 50s. I do remember playing with a lad called Robert in the very spacious beer cellars of the pub/hotel and also being sent to the attached off-licence for lemonade, sweets or crisps on a Saturday evening and getting money back on the bottles. I have a host of memories of Greenford Broadway, the covered market, the Granada and Playhouse cinemas, the fish and chip shop across the Greenford Road from the Red Lion, the 92 and 105 buses, etc.

I was born in the front bedroom of 11 Medway Drive, in 1958, I went to Selborne infants and juniors school. I used to go and play in the Bridge Hotel and the garden, with Diane Norris, who came to Selborne juniors around 1968. I thought her parents were The owners/ managers. I believe they lived in the Hotel.