Miss N. Lewis, Founder member and First Lady Superintendant Ladies Division St John Ambulance, made a Serving Sister of the Order of St John in April, 1946. The Salvation Army celebrated its 60 years in the town – coming in 1886. Cromwell Film Corporation have reopened Gladstone Road Studios. Osterley Park has been presented to the nation by the Earl of Jersey
1947 came in with very cold weather. There was skating on the canal and Golf Links Pond – this lasted until nearly April. There was still almost 100 items on points. The County rate was up from 8/4d to 11/8d, which meant that Southall rate had to be raised by 4/-, making 20s in the pound.
Other Council news – 2,260 tons of salvage made £8,908. Mr Lindsay Taylor, Town Clerk (appointed in 1940), resigned and Mr J. S. Syrett from Feltham took his place. The first permanent council house built after the Second World War was opened on the Holly Lodge Estate on Wednesday, 28th May. Several more prefabs had come into use, including a new aluminium type which was to prove a great success.
Mr J. Culley, JP, MBE, died in April, aged 68, first leader of the Labour Party on the Council and three times chairman. On a brighter note Mr and Mrs Chard, both JPs and long serving members of the Council, celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, and two Councillors married – Alderman Hamblin and Mrs Ellen Jackson and, in doing so, became Deputy Mayoress. At the Council elections Conservatives gained four seats from Labour.
The Boreas destroyer adopted by the Borough had now gone out of commission and the Comforts Fund was discontinued. The cost of education was still on the increase, rising from £29.15.0d to £35.5.0d. Double British Summer Time was still in operation.
Other town news – In January a fire at LeGrand Sutcliffe caused £10,000 of damage. The Southall Chrysanthemum Society, which had been formed as a breakaway group from the Southall Horticultural Association, held its first meeting on the 19th January and had 60 members. Over the following years it was very successful but, changing conditions and dropping membership, forced a full turn of events and, in 1982, it became amalgamated with the Horticultural Association. Something else also has turned almost a circle. During the year the GWR had built a hostel for its long distance drivers and single employees. Not long after the railways became British Rail the hostel closed down. It stood empty for several years during which time it was vandalised almost to the point of being unsafe. Eventually, in 1976, it was bought and repaired at a cost of more than it cost to build and is now `Martin Court’ with 18 flats.
Captain J. J. Bridges retired as British Legion Secretary after 14 years and Mr Bill Garrod (Charter Mayor) retired from the Salvation Army Insurance Branch after 32 years, and Mr J. S. Orwin retired from being manager of the Southall Labour Exchange after 25 years – he became well known in the early 1930s when there was so much unemployment in the town. The Duchess of Kent paid a visit to Southall on June 24th — Alexandra Rose Day. The Scouts of the District held a Jamborette at Western Road Football Ground on Saturday, 21st June – 21 countries were represented.
The Wolf again won the Bat on The Green.