Wood End

A Memory of Northolt.

I lived in Wood End Lane until rather late in life really. Moved out of the family home when I was 29 and moved to Ruislip.
I went to Wood End Nursery, infants and Junior Boys school, then moved to Horsenden Secondary Boys School.
Both schools were good and I have many happy memories of my years there.
My mother used to keep my brother and I busy during school holidays and sent my brother who is 2 years older than me to South Harrow for shopping, while she used to send me to Oldfield Circus. I went the shorter distance.
In Wood End Lane before the Lancaster Road estate was built, the Radio Station grounds were much bigger and if I remember correctly, there was an RAF guard at the entrance. One time when I was walking by with friends there was a fly past led by Concorde and English Electric Lightnings and they flew right over head. I was thrilled!!
We used to play football on the Racecourse green alongside Mandeville Road and were always having to retrieve our ball from the main road.
In the 60's as young kids we used to go to Saturday morning pictures at the South Harrow Odeon, which I recently found out was the first Odeon Theatre to be built and opened in the London area. My brother was interested in buses and trains and told me the first Routemaster on the 187 route along the Whitton Avenue would be running on the Saturday morning. We ran to catch it to go to the cinema and did so. It was great and I have since had much affection for that bus. From that time on we went on the Routemaster every Saturday and stopped using the old RT's on the nearby 140 route.
After many years away, I moved back to Northolt in 1995 in nearby Russell Road.
What I notice over the years is the way in which the area has changed. Of course there is the change in the population with many people coming in from abroad. Therefore the shops have all changed, but one thing I remember with affection, was the way we shopped years ago.
In South Harrow before the current self-service Sainsbury's there was the original Sainsbury's with many deli counters with curved back glass where you had to join different queues for cheese, cold meats, fish, and other groceries. Yes shopping took a lot longer, but the personal touch and customer service is something I miss.
There was also a shop opposite the old Woolworth's called Kilby's. The counter was in a "U" shape where you entered and joined the queue on the right, working your way around the shop to the final counter where the manager used to cut the cheese. He was so accurate that people used to stand there guessing whether he would get it spot on or not, and he did at least 95% of the time. He'd done that job for many years and his experience of cutting cheese aided him to be that good at it.
The summer holidays used to go on forever it seemed and the sun always seemed to be shining throughout the 6 weeks we were off, but it didn't burn and we didn't need to worry about skin cancer like we do today.
I remember too the stream in Northolt Village. We were banned
from going there as my father was concerned we may fall in and drown, but we were often to be found there jumping from one side to the other.
So many memories come flooding back once you start writing that I'm sure I could be here all day.