Inwood Park Air Raid Shelters

There were air raid shelters everywhere. I remember Stanley Road. In Hanwell in Elthorne Park there was a large one. I tried for many years to get in it, I never suceeded. However I did get into three in my early teen years. There was a concrete bench, rusty light fittings
They were dank, really dank.

There were air raid shelters everywhere. I remember Stanley Road. In Hanwell in Elthorne Park there was a large one. I tried for many years to get in it, I never suceeded. However I did get into three in my early teen years. There was a concrete bench, rusty light fittings
They were dank, really dank.

I lived in Stanley Road from 1954 and remember the square brick objects that we were told were air raid shelters in Inwood Park. We used to gather there after school. Summer days were spent in the paddling pool and boating lake. Now sadly gone.

Used to live the boating lake and paddling pool in inwood park. Used to try and always get on to "island" in the middle of the lake to see what was on there.

Yes quite substantial Shelters down there, my mum lived in last house at end of inwood avenue (Simpson) and they used to go in them until their dad built an Anderson one in the back garden. My dad who lived in Bristow Road also went in them when necessary. Concrete capped air vents were there still in the mid-70s but removed some time after that. If you want to know any more I can ask dad who is 89 next month, unfortunately mum who would remember more died recently.

Spoke to Dad earlier today. The entrance to these shelters was near the tennis courts, a gentle slope downwards he recalls, not steps. It was a large open area concrete inside with bunks all aroundand obviously the vents in the roof.. He said quite often his family would be the only ones in there (their anderson shelter was often flooded he said) - they lived in Bristow Road. He remembers having to walk quickly at the age of about 10 (1940) from the school, down school road, across pears road, through the alleyway to Inwood avenue, holding hands with a girl.