Featherstone Road, H. Tompkins, High Street; Ted Earthy and Chapmans, Uxbridge Road – whilst waiting for a haircut or shave you got all the local news, also the form of horses worth backing and, in most cases, could leave your bets to be picked up. One could go on – butchers Moss and Hutching who were Councillors; Willis and Raymonds Dining Rooms where you could get a good meal for 1/- (5p); away from the main roads were dozens of corner shops. What a service they gave – and it will never be known how much credit, termed ‘putting it on the slate’ was given during hard times. Most now have had to close, unable to compete with the supermarkets. Even Sharps, the Undertakers, were well known for the very sympathetic service they gave, also finding time to interest themselves in Southall Football Club. Quinions Saddlers and Leather-merchants in the High Street, a very old family business. Cyril Quinion was for a time a Councilor, also Freeman City of London. Frank Avery – bakers, High Street was one of several brothers well known in the town.
The two brothers Jiggins Butchers, in the High Street, with the slaughter house just on the right of Avenue Road behind the shop. Chaplin’s Oilshop, and ‘Penny’s Stores’ (Ebdens) Off Licence, now waiting to be pulled down to extend Police Station.
A very old business still going in 1982 – Bradbury’s, Jewellers, High Street. My, how many wedding rings were bought there. Lastly, one must not forget the Pawnbrokers, Harris, at the top of Abbotts Road and in the King Street. To some of the older residents these formed a vital service on a Monday morning.
1957
It had been a fairly mild winter and most local organisations were flourishing. On January 18th a new Court of the Independent Order of Foresters was inaugurated with a ceremony at the Community Centre; Mr V. Baker was installed as Chief Ranger. Southall Chamber of Commerce raised over £1,000 for hospitals. The Southall Norwood Angling Society released over 6,000 coarse fish in the canal and another 3,000 followed later in the year. Southall Photographic and Cine Club were very active and were holding very interesting monthly meetings. Both Junior and Senior Football Clubs were doing very well and the Football Association presented Mr W. G. Smith with a gold medal for fifty years service to the Middlesex County Association. Southall Conservative Club celebrated its 44th birthday. Revd G. S. Gilbert retired from St Georges Church after 28 years, he being the first vicar of the new church.
Schools
With the opening of the new Senior Roman Catholic School in Springfield Road, Hayes, it made way for Senior Scholars from St Anselm’s to attend there. In June Tudor Road School held it’s Golden Jubilee. Mr Ebbutt retired as head of Dormers Wells School after 25 years as a teacher. Proposal plans were put forward for a new Grammar School to be built at Norwood Hall but, despite a lot of meetings for and against, it has never been built. The first meeting was held to find ways of educating the increasing number of Indian children.