The Maypole and Southall Green

                        One thing that will please all old Maypolians is that where their bowling green and tennis courts were, now stands a very nicely built Old Peoples’ Home – “The Limes”. ( Maypole Lime trees are still along the front ). Council-owned, it was opened the middle of 1966. The first couple were Mr. & Mrs. Fields from Queens Road. I know at least two old Maypolians have ended their days there.

                         More recently, offices of the London Borough of Ealing Social Services have been opened just a few yards down Bridge Road and these, in a different way, contribute to Peoples’ Welfare. Maybe before very long the whole area will have a new look when the new road is constructed to by-pass King Street. The public enquiry was held in 1968 and the scheme was agreed to but, of course, since then the cost would have gone up by at least £10,000 a year, due to inflation.

                          In 1936, the old water pumping house, just in Bridge Road, was converted by a lot of hard voluntary labour into a first aid station for the local No. 55 Division St John Ambulance Brigade. Although the idea of Superintendent Taylor was a good one, unfortunately, it proved not quite suitable for its intended purpose. The entrance was on the East side, when it would have been much more useful had it been facing the bridge, where a path for ambulances could have been made. Also, it was not big enough for general Brigade work, so the Division still used to meet at Featherstone Road School. It carried on, however, and several of our local police were very grateful for same, finding it very convenient and warm to pass away a few hours of night duty. At the outbreak of the 1939-45 war, it was taken over for A.R.P. work and not used again afterwards.