The Town Clerk was still Mr Lawrence Houlder; Surveyor, Mr Reginal Brown until 1919, Mr C. G. Else 1919-1920.
By this you will see that the Labour Party was gradually coming into the town’s affairs. The Labour Party had formed a club with a club house just off the Uxbridge Road, in 1921, and were gradually gaining members. Mr Whilesmith was the first Secretary and the HQ was a tin hut purchased from Hayes Arsenal. The present premises were opened in June, 1930. Mr Hamblin was Secretary for 21 years. The Labour Club of 1982 is proof in itself of progress made. Now known as Southall Labour Hall Club, it has parted company with the Political Labour Party which now has its Headquarters at the old Co-op Hall at the corner of King Street and Featherstone Road.
During the period 1910-20 the population increased from 25,000 1910 to 29,000. This again made necessary more schools. An addition to Tudor Road School made provision for 200 boys with Mr Reed (Gaffer) Headmaster in 1910. Western Road Girls’ School, which was officially opened 27th October, 1911, with Miss Rixson as Headmistress, was built on a site on the right hand side of Western Road which had been purchased by the School Board in 1896. Mr Rolls was the first caretaker.
By 1915 Beaconsfield Road School had been built but was not used as such until after the First World War.
Between 1915-16 part of the old North Road School was pulled down and a new one built at the rear, facing Meadow Road. This came into use after the summer holidays. Due to the war teachers were in short supply and Mr Bunce, the caretaker, had been called to the Services so the senior boys were often called on to do a great deal of the cleaning and maintenance.
In 1910 a then model bakery was built on the right hand side of the Uxbridge Road on the corner of Tudor Road, for Prices. Bread was retailed at 3¼d for a 2lb loaf. Before an Act of Parliament was passed which stipulated that a loaf should weigh 2lbs, a loaf could be any weight. To comply with the law, until methods were changed, if a loaf was weighed and found light a piece of bread was added to make up. As the author remembers, this piece rarely reached home! In 1981 this bakery still exists but in the hands of Rank Hovis and MacDougall Group. The bakery closed down and, at the end of 1982, plans have been approved to build a four-storey hotel on the site.
