Southall Chat

Southall-History actively solicits and gratefully welcomes any personal recollections, or scans of old photographs of the town, from current and former ‘long-time’ Southall residents.

Building this website on Southall’s past is to a great extent something of a community project, as although the editor can compile numerous facts, figures and even images relating to Southall’s past, page features are afforded a ‘life of their own’ with the addition of personal contributions from old Southallians.

The period covered by Southall-History extends from the earliest times to the mid 1980’s and all contributions will help to build this free resource into a substantial source of interest for anyone interested in Southall as it used to be; in former, perhaps more genteel times. Feel free to leave your experiences below.

149 responses

  1. Colin Rainbow avatar
    Colin Rainbow

    Just a small correction to your dates for the new Featherstone Road School built on Western Road, the school opened in the new school year in September 1958. I was created school captain by that delightful man, school head Maurice Down. My tenure was short in that I left school bound for a Chartered Surveyor’s office towards the end of October 1958, being succeeded as Captain by my twin brother Brian.

    regards
    Colin Rainbow

  2. Joanna Woodley avatar
    Joanna Woodley

    Correction to Grove House: Mr Stroud, veterinary surgeon, did not die in 1913, he died 1 Aug 1961 39 Egerton Gardens, Ealing. 1913 is probably when the family moved from Grove House.

  3. Mr Colin Schubert avatar
    Mr Colin Schubert

    Good Morning,
    I wonder if someone could please help me with some information.
    I am searching for a Southall telephone directory for details and telephone number of a removals company my Father worked for in the mid 1950s called Warren & Beck who had a branch at Southall and another in Hanwell or Ealing.
    Could you advise me where i could search for this information please.
    Many Thanks
    Colin.

  4. Jacqueline Crooks avatar
    Jacqueline Crooks

    Does anyone know the name of the librarian at Osterley Road library during 1973 to 1979? She was wonderful and helped me a lot and I’d like to thank her.

  5. Helen Doddrell avatar
    Helen Doddrell

    I worked as an industrial nurse in a factory located in Scotts Road during the 1970s.I cannot remember the name,but they did chromium plating.I seem to remember it was near Crown Cork.Is there anyone who can put me out my misery and let me know the name of the factory,please? Also,spent 7 years in Clifton nursery with Mrs. Richard’s as headteacher.Myname then was Helen Ingarfield.I subsequently worked at Wolfields nursery for 14years with Miss.Skegg as headteacher.My surname was Lawson.Does anyone remember me?

  6. Stephen Little avatar
    Stephen Little

    Spent some time over the weekend trying in vain to find maps that would name all the roads in Southall.
    I was looking for the location of Hamborough Terrace, long since gone but unable to find its location.
    Support guidance welcomed.

    1890’s

  7. Mark McLellan avatar
    Mark McLellan

    Hello from Canada. I’m looking for the address of Bolland Photography in Southall. I have a family wedding photo that’s from the 1920’s, I think. Unfortunately, there are no names or dates on the photo. The only marks on the picture are ‘Bolland, Hanwell, W and at Southall’. I’ve searched a few business directories of London (one from 1915), but no mention of them.
    I can send a pic of the wedding photo and the Bolland label if that helps.

    Thank-you, Mark

  8. RITA BURGESS avatar
    RITA BURGESS

    I forgot to add that there was a boy named Norman Kidd in my class at Junior school, used to live in Fern Lane I think, any relation?

  9. Mrs Rita Burgess avatar
    Mrs Rita Burgess

    Sorry, I cannot recall Frogmore although I grew up in Norwood Green/Heston, my father was the manager of a grocery shop – Platts Stores Ltd, the branch on the corner of Fern Lane and Crosslands Ave. The company’s headquarters was in High Street, Hounslow, with branches all over Middlesex. I attended Norwood Green Infants and Junior Schools then after the Scholarship, I went to Southall County Grammar School from 1954-60. I have been trying to locate archives for my school but no luck so far for the years I was there. I was in the school tennis team and choir, also the dramatic society and can remember being in productions of Pygmalion and The Devil’s Disciple. My favourite teacher was Miss D Brookes, head mistress and Mr Vernon was headmaster. I once was given 25 lines by a prefect for missing assembly – some friends and I stayed in the cloakroom singing the Ying tong song which was very popular about that time because of The Goons.

    I have lots of odd memories of that area. If anyone wishes, please get in touch re Southall Grammar or indeed local life in Norwood Green in the 1950s. I used to take my dog for walks across the fields to Osterley Park or along the nearby canal and recall the police station just near where the 120 bus stopped. I belonged to the 1st Heston pack Girls Life Brigade and we sometimes had Battalion parades which met on Norwood Green, then marching to a church in Southall. I can remember the huge cricket bat which hung up outside one of the two pubs near the canal at Norwood. Cannot recall their names, maybe one was The Plough? My Dad would cycle to buy fish and chips sometimes on a Sat night from the chippie along that small parade of shops. I remember the Anglican church at the back of the Green but my family attended Heston Methodist where one of my Sunday School teachers was a lovely elderly lady called Miss Walker who had either a chemist shop or opticians at the very back of the Green at Norwood. I remember our GP was Dr Millar, who lived on the corner opposite our small parade of 3 shops: a wine merchant Stowells, then a newspaper/sweet shop and then Platt’s.

    I am now nearly 80, my sister 88, but we have very happy memories of our childhood in Norwood Green.

  10. Mr Brian R Kidd avatar
    Mr Brian R Kidd

    Good afternoon,

    I am interested in Frogmore Nursing Home in Norwood Green
    my reason for interest is that I run the website for Norwood Green Residents Association
    and occasionaly I get requests for information and photographs of Frogmore nursing home because it was where they were born, sadly I cant seem to find any information on it at all.

    I would be most grateful if you could help in this matter.

    Regards

    Brian Kidd


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