West Drayton, The River c.1965

Photo ref: W578008

I used to be a regular at Sterling Scooters which you can see in the service road next to the laundrette. Came to West Drayton in 1963 after living in Greenford for the first 7 years of my life. I remember taking the weekly rent money (7/6), my Mum had given me, up to the town hall from Thornton Avenue where we lived. Also remember mucking about in the cells with my little muckers when the cop shop was ...see more

Barry Hawgood's memory of the carvan site is spot on. Some time before 1952 I went to visit one of my colleagues from West Drayton Primary School. The way there passed by the Anglers p.ub with a branch of the river from Colham Mill on the other side of the road in which I and my friends used to fish for tiddlers to be carried home in jam jars with string handles. The blacktop road gave out and there was a ...see more

In this picture I can remember that on the left was W H Smith's, a bicycle shop and an Options on the corner of Colham Road. To the right between the two pubs many years earlier was Pat's Garage. In the picture we have the new railway bridge which was a great improvement from the old one. The old bridge was lower, narrower and only had one narrow foot path on the left. The vehicles came so close to you and ...see more

Across from The Angler Retreat in Cricket field Lane is the river Coln. Down the lane on your left you pass the West Drayton Cricket Club with the river on your right. Next to the cricket field is The Coln Park Caravan Site where I lived in 1952. After the war accommodation was scarce and many people lived in caravans, these were spread throughout the district on many small privately owned sites ...see more