Southall 830-1982

As the population increased so the need for another school. In 1901 the large Featherstone Boys’ School was built for 500 boys. The first Featherstone School became a girls’ school and Mr Dunn transferred as Headmaster to the new one. He retired in 1904 and Mr West became Headmaster. The motto of the school ‘We Seek — We Find’. Mr Albert Smith (more later) became the first caretaker (living in the school lodge), a post he held until retirement in 1932.
We now have a new King – Edward VII – and in his honour Denmark Road changed its name to King Street in 1902. At each of the Council Meetings plans were passed for more development. Roads were taken over and more street lighting sanctioned. Plans for the ‘King of Prussia’ (Victory) and a Dairy (Dorset) where now the betting shop is at the corner of Dagmar Road were submitted and approved. The names of builders around that time were Baker Brothers, W. Gibbs, H. Watson, Clements (Wompy). Several of the old cottages were condemned and already it was becoming clear that the water supply and sewage were inadequate. The South Western Water Company were asked, and sank an artesian well on the site where stands the water tower. This was built in 1902 by A. & B. Hanson for the South Western Water Company at a cost of £8,500. Its castle-like facade is 105 ft. high and is on the right hand side, just inside the Gas Factory Straight. It conceals a 250,000 gallon water tank in the top and steam pumps. The pumps had the job of keeping the tank full, this ensuring enough downward pressure of water. It went out of use in 1968 — it is a listed building. It was sold, with some land, in 1977 to the Water Tower Co-operative Housing and a report in the Gazette in December 1981 says that work will begin to provide housing for single people and childless couples. Conversion to commence in February.
The beginning of the Catholic Church in Southall Green came when Mr Thomas of the Manor House, allowed a Catholic Priest from Hayes to hold mass in the Barn’ on Sunday mornings. He later donated a plot of land next to the Manor on which was built a small church (St Anselms). This carried on under Father Buckle and Father Ward until the new St Anselms was built (more later) when the site became a school.

1895-1910

The Bricklayers Arms in Western Road was built in 1898. On the sign display the motiff – ‘In God is all our Trust’. In 1895 the Prince Albert, an old beer house on the left hand side of the Gas Factory Straight, closed down and Mr Freemantle gave a dinner, to announce to other local pub landlords, on 11th February, that he was moving to the newly built Railway Hotel (the ‘Glasshouse’) in the South Road. The Plough, North Road, was built in 1896 – Elizabeth King, landlady.

Up till 1895 only nine men were employed by the Urban District Board on the roads. This was increased to twelve in 1897. With street lighting on the increase, the council requested the Gas Company to provide two lamplighters. Their job was to ensure the lamps were alight. The lamp standards were 11ft. high with a square shaped glass box on top which contained the burner and two mantles. A clock device regulated the pilot for lighting up time. An iron bar was provided on which to rest the ladder for maintenance.