General Memories

A Memory of Wealdstone.

Born in 1954 I lived in Graham Road, Wealdstone until I was 25. I started my school days at Whitefriars whilst waiting for a place at St Joseph’s and then ultimately Sacred Heart Grammar.
I had a Saturday job in Poplar Stores and when I watch Are You Being Served it brings back memories of the offices with their wooden walls and serving behind counters, keeping a note of one’s sales so that the commission could be worked out to be added to the wages the following week. After leaving school and working elsewhere for a few years, I got a job at Ruffell’s Motors.
I remember as a child going with my mum to the tea bar at the back of the Woolworths store. There was no seating we just had to stand at the counter.
I was living in Wealdstone when the Police came to evacuate people in our street, Graham Road and the surrounding area because the huge gas tank at Whitefriars Glass Works appeared to be leaking. We had to leave our houses and listen to the radio for news of when it would be safe to return (which was the following day). Arrangements had been made in Harrow for those who had nowhere else to go. We decided to go to my sister’s. We smoked in those days and as we were getting in the car to leave, my husband was told by a policeman to extinguish his cigarette lighter in case we blew up.
On another occasion we returned home one night to police cars, police dogs in the garden, helicopters etc. because apparently a miscreant used our side alley to escape through our garden and on to the playing field of Whitefriars School. He must have been bad to warrant that kind of attention, although we never found out who he was.
Both my mum and my sister Liz (17 years older than me (born 1937)) worked in The Cabin and still remembers serving sweets whilst still on ration. Mick was the Manager and Mary his wife.
Liz says the Herga cinema opposite was a flea pit and remembers standing up to let someone out to get an ice cream, and as she stood up the seat fell apart. She also remembers standing outside the Odeon Cinema and asking grown ups to take her in (something you wouldn’t do today).
Liz was 15 when the Harrow and Wealdstone train crash occurred but was lucky enough to be on a previous train going to London and didn’t know anything about it until our father phoned her at work to see if she was OK. Later she remembers seeing the trains piled up high and the loud banging whilst the station was being cleared.
Liz remembers there was a murderer caught near Old Redding and crowds of people gathered to catch a glimpse outside Wealdstone Police Station where he was taken. Perhaps someone can recall his name. She also remembers a fire at a carpet warehouse near St Joseph’s School and all the kids picked up discarded rugs to take home, although some kids got caught and told off by the Police.
Happy Days!!