The Brentford branch of the GWR was again opened for passenger traffic on April 12th, 1920.
On Friday, January 9th, 1920 the 25th annual party of the employees of the Maypole Margarine Works was held with 1,100 employees having a good time. During the evening two bronze tablets were unveiled by Mr Otto Monsted. One was to commemorate the visit of King George and Queen Mary, the other to honour those employees who had been killed in action.
In 1920 the Council started to implement the order requiring them to provide council houses. A. & B. Hanson were contracted to build eight houses in Norwood Road, right hand side, to cost £420 each. These were occupied in August 1921. Another Southall farm was about to disappear — Etheringtons, North Road, was purchased and, together with an allotment site, began to be developed as a Council House estate.
In February, the Featherstone Road School Monument Memorial to old boys who fell in the war, was unveiled by Field Marshall Sir W. Robertson. Each church had its own choice of War Memorial Scrolls installed and dedicated.
In Southall we were aware that things were not too good in Ireland but it came as a shock that Senn Fein sympathisers attacked Councillor J. Culley whilst he was at work in Southall Station Signal Box on the night of June 16th, 1921. Although badly treated he managed to prevent any interference with the signals.
A brand new school, St Anselm’s Catholic next to St Anselm’s Church, was opened on August 20th, 1921.
The Council began to seek suggestions as to the form of a Town Memorial. After much debate it was decided that a Cenotaph be erected. This would be on a site in Southall Green where the small cottages attached to the Manor House had recently been pulled down. Iron railings had been put up and a niche made to accommodate the Memorial. On April 8th, 1922, with suitable ceremony, it was unveiled by our MP – Hon Sydney Peel.
Before the Council started to build houses in North Road, Mount Pleasant had always seemed to be a small village on its own. Separated by fields, it had its own sub-Post Office, pub (The Beehive), two small general shops, and laundry. ‘Hill House’ was at the start of what was known as Muddy Lane which did go through to the Ruislip Road, Greenford and well lived up to its name. Leading off on the right hand side was Dormers Wells Lane, with a large allotment complex on the left hand side and, further round, Dormers Farm (Ewers) quite near to what was the home of Mr Harry Rowntree, the artist. With the golf links on the left and Southall Cricket Ground on the right, the lane joins the main Uxbridge Road. The population of Southall-Norwood in 1922 was 30,261.
Schools were frequently in the news. A Schools Dental Service started in 1921. The County School was already overcrowded and had to transfer two classes to Beaconsfield Road School September 1st, 1922. In 1922 the Headmistress of Tudor Road Junior — Miss Woodford — was granted only £39 instead of the £91 asked for to provide a year’s materials, so the staff and parents organised sales to help out.
