Growing Up In A Community

A Memory of Northolt.

my parents moved to Sussex Crescent in 1954 with three young children, having been re homed from temporary housing - a prefab. The Northolt estate was a great place with a genuine community spirit, families all rallied round and helped each other, bonfire night was a good example all the kids would spend weeks collecting wood for the bonfire. Mums would make toffee apples and potatoes would be placed round the edges of the fire. We made guys out of old clothes and straw and the Dad's would be in charge of lighting the fire and keeping the fireworks in the community 'tin'. It was always a good night for all.

Everybody looked out for their each other and I remember how kind our neighbours were, they were all 'aunties and uncles' to the children. As kids we would play on the green by the park, playing rounders or non stop cricket, we made 'trollers' out of planks and unwanted pram wheels and got quite a speed up as we raced around the estate. I remember the Cabin and the numerous 1p sweets, it was the place we would meet up to walk to school together. Everyone went to islip Manor infants and then juniors, with the clever kids going to the Grammer School and the not so clever going to Vincent. It didn't matter what school you went to, we were all friends we just in different gates.

I remember a group of us making up a play and entertaining the folks in the old peoples home and the big smiles on faces - even though the plays were probably rubbish. I remember Sunday nights in St Richards Church hall was live music night with bands setting up and us bopping about, mini skirts, flower power, bell bottoms and my very first pair of Levi jeans, which I had on my fourteenth birthday, purchased from a 'mans' shop in South Harrow - my dad was horrified. Sitting in the bath to shrink them and then ironing them dry. As kids we walked everywhere together, it was safe and it was the only way to get around. I had lots of friends, I still keep in touch with my best friend Lin but often wonder where the others are living and doing - it's strange how you remember their faces so clearly and even the date of their birthdays. I remember the excitement when Northolt swimming pool opened and the hours we spent there, not forgetting the many relationships that began and blossomed.
The biggest achievement by the community was building the social club which was run by the tenants association my Mum and Dad gave up their time to help run the place and I pulled many pints behind the bar,there was live music nights, bingo nights, birthday parties and whatever night you went in there was always plenty of people to talk to. The tenants association ran sports days on the green, Punch and Judy would make regular appearances as would the odd travelling fairground. At a push I could still name most of the families in Sussex Crescent - well the end I lived in, nobody moved away until the children, and there were a lot of us, had grown up.