Colindale The Early Years

A Memory of Colindale.

I was born in the house on the corner of Woodfield Avenue and New Way Road in 1944 and lived there until the end of the 1970s. My birth was in fact on Friday the 13th of October, which coincided with the dropping of a V2 bomb in Colindale which hit a lamp post on the way down for extra effect. But I survived it, perhaps a bit deafened, to enjoy Colindale in the following years when it was at its best. Yes, Rushgrove Park was the epicentre for my early years both for playing football and socialising. The adjacent Silksteam provided a somewhat rural backdrop and the unofficial pathways alongside its banks were ideal places to ride our bicycles. Of course I had to have one sporting the trendy 'cow horn' handlebars rather than the common straight ones, but I did dispense with the bell as this was considered to be uncool!
It was there in 1959 I met my first girlfriend and our date was a visit to the cinema in Colindale to see 'The Return of the Fly' and 'The Alligator People'. Not exactly films of distinction but enough to retain the attention throughout.
Nearly everyone remembers the boating pool in Rushgrove Park which on hot summer weekends was filled with youngsters of all ages. Even then I considered it unwise to enter the water which was untreated and subject to run-off from the surrounding area each time it rained.
The Silkstream, which was more of an open surface water sewer, would meander its way slowly along during the dry summer months but then turn into a dark and forboding torrent after heavy rainful. It was even quite exciting watching the force of the water especially at the Colindeep Lane waterfull as debris of all kinds was swept down stream to finish up in the Welsh Harp.
But on normal summer days we would venture further along the area between the stream and railway line. It was quite woody and somewhere else to explore off the beaten track!
I can still remember a lot of people from 1958 onwards and often wonder what became of them. Revisting Colindale is a mistake - better to keep it untouched in one's memory.
However, I would like to hear from anyone from about this time especially as my main interest is local history.
Very little written history is available on Colindale so what there is remains in memory form only.
But it is the minor events, rather than historical events, which linger such as the St Matthias summer garden fete. This was a miniature fairground of pleasures, even though I had no idea where to keep the goldfish I had won when I got home!
The days went by so slowly then unlike the present years which are for ever increasing in velocity.. if only we had a brake and reverse gear!

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