Thornbury Road, Osterley And Spring Grove Central School, Isleworth

A Memory of Osterley.

I was born at West Middx. Hosp in 1940. Christened at St. Mary's Church, Osterley. I lived in Syon Park Gardens until I was 34.
I remember Thornbury Road and can remember some of the shops;- Post Office on the corner of the Great West Rd. A car sales place on the corner opposite. Travelling North towards Osterley Park on the right hand side was a bank, next to which was Gapps Stores, then I think a butchers shop, then Cyril Hilliers bakers, then a double fronted chemists. There were others but it is all a bit vague now. Opposite, I remember a little old lady running a sweet shop and newsagents (for whom I worked as a paper boy at aged about 10). The last shop before the railway bridge on the west side was I believe a ladies hairdressers. Over the bridge was the disused original Osterley Station.
I went to Spring Grove Central School in 1951 until about 1955, when I started my apprenticeship. I never liked school from the time I went to Marlborough Infants, through Isleworth Town School (where I was bullied) and was pleased to leave Spring Grove Central in 1955. I did gain good qualifications in maths & english though.
I recall the Head of Spring Grove Central was Mr. Odell, he gave me the cane (3 strokes on the hands) which hurt like hell but did me no harm and I probably deserved it. I also got detention quite a lot, probably for not doing my homework. During my apprenticeship I went to Isleworth Polytechnic in St.Johns Road, Isleworth, which was marginally better than school. Qualifications gained here were Technical Drawing and Telecommunications and Engineering. I went there later again for night school at my own expense, in order to gain further qualifications in electrical engineering and chemistry. I completed my apprenticeship at R.B. Pullin & Co. Ltd. Great West Rd, Brentford and then went to work in 1961 at Admiralty Engineering Lab. West Drayton, during which time I studied at night school as aforementioned. Still living at Syon Park Gardens, Osterley. After about 8 years at AEL I went to work for Ilford Films as a Service Engineer until 1979. Various other jobs followed, mainly in engineering but not relevant to my memory of Osterley.