Growing up in West London

Yes I remember the flyover going up. It dwarfed everything around it. Including the large Odeon, now the Hammersmith Appollo music venue.

I used to go to ballet down a lane called British Grove at Youngs Corner, where Chiswick High Road met Hammersmith.
There used to be lots of individual shops along Turnham Green, I seem to remember liking going shopping there. My Granny lived on the High Road, nearby.

I saw Herman's Hermits at the big Cinema near Hammersmith town Hall.

x

Trebles in Hounslow High Stree had one of those high wire systems.
The original Chiswick Empire was pulled down and very modern office block erected - my husband worked there in the early sixties - called Chiswick House. When they built the M4 section that went to Hammersmith Broadway they knocked down the house one of my uncles lived in - the end wall was inside his house and my aunt lived in a house which would have been in the centre of the carriageway.
I remember Goodbans and there was a supermarket along there somewhere too - I shopped in there when I was first married - we lived in a flat near the Chiswick Flyover. My Aunt had the newsagent shop opposite Turnhams Green station for many years.
Remember the dreadful smell going past Brentford Gas Works?

LullyDully - oh, yes, those endless drum solos - I loved 'em. I wonder when the drummer got a break? Ealing Bentalls, too, those high wire systems were clever, weren't they? Clifford Evans in Southall had one as well. I went to what used to be Clifford Evans in Southall High Street only a few years ago. Of course, it now sells a different type of clothing but the semi raised floor as you walk out of the shop is still there and brought back memories of hopping up and down it as a small child.

Yes J52 we went to student gigs. I remember endless drum solos to give the rest of the band a "break". We saw Cream for half a crown at The London School of Fashion.

.I remember Goodbands. We used to go to Ealing for more posh shopping with my Mum as a youngster. I loved the money shooting around on a high wire system in Bentalls. My granny lived in Gunnersbury ave so used to get the 267 from Isleworth. Then used to walk through a transport caf called Jock's Box path against all advice.

Happy days indeed when you turn from a child to an open world of live music. and a bit of freedom to explore the world. We used the NME. If nothing better was on we went to the gods at the Royal Albert Hall

I'm also a West London girl, Chiswick until my late teens, then moved Hampton near Hampton Court.

I went to school in Hammersmith so I got the 267 from one end of the route to the terminal in Hammersmith. Allthrough Twickenham, Iselworth and Brentford. Along the river at Brentford was heavy industry, not the luxury flats that are there now.

I had a Saturday job in the jewellers, called Sanders, in Twickenham.

I remember shopping with my Gran in Chiswick when the Empire was still standing and her pointing it out. I thought it was now the Antique Emporium called The Old Cinema?

Does anyone remember Goodbans department store, on the High Road? Most of my nights out to see bands were focussed on student union gigs at Imperial College, Royal College etc..In the 6th form, we used to get Time Out and MME on a Friday and plan our Saturday nights. We sometimes went to the RoundHouse in Camden, when it was just a done up engine shed!
Happy days!

x

aquagran - thanks for the pm. Fancy your mum working at Meesons, perhaps she sold me a Crunchie bar - my favourites in those days.

nanasam - I did a sharp intake of breath when you wrote that Keef took you to his dressing room but then I was -disappointed- relieved when you said he only put his arm around you. Mind you, I'm still wildly jealous!

Wasn't it wonderful to live so near to London in those days? Every day I walked past the coffee shop in Ealing Broadway where the Stones hung out and wrote some of their early songs on my way to my first job in Acton Vale. Unfortunately I didn't know that until I read it recently in a book or I would have dropped in for a coffee.

Haha, NotTooOld Keef bought me a drink at the bar, then we went to the dressing room above the stage. He spent the rest of the break with his arm round me, reading the New Musical Express which had done a piece on them. It was the night before they started their very first UK tour, so who knows what might have been?
deedaa I seem to recall the name Muleskinners. There were so many local bands around at the time.
I remember going to see The Who at De Brome school in Feltham. My husband had a pee with Rod Stewart in The Airman! I knew a guy who worked for a magazine and he took me to see Ready, Steady, Go at the BBC. We got in for the rehearsals and there I was leaning on Dave Davies shoulder watching the other acts - Dusty Springfield, The Kinks and The Stones. I was even in the opening shot when the show started. My mum watched TV from home and had the shock of her life to see me on TV! My friend and I went to Kingston Odeon to see Billy Fury and again when the Stones were playing, backed by The Nashville Teens and Lulu. I got a nosebleed so we knocked on the stage door and were shown into Mickey Most's dressing room so I could clean myself up. My nosebleeds got us into some pretty good places!

The Chiswick Empire was replaced with an office block in the sixties.
When you think about it that area was a good place to live then

I think it was Ian McGlagan who was at Spring Grove Grammar school. We used to go to the panto at the Chiswick Empire. Does anyone remember the theatre on Kew Bridge . It has been replace with a huge office block.

Anyone remember the Chiswick Empire? They used to have talent shows there and one week our school skiffle band played in one of these - guitars etc and a tea chest as a double bass! Needless to say we all went along to support them.

Wow Nanasam all those names! Do you remember The Muleskinners who were based at Twickenham Tech? Ian McClagan was one of them and of course went on to join The Small Faces. I missed out on the Crawdaddy but a lot of people at college talked about it because they were all big Stones fans.

We used to walk to Isleworth baths ( not pool) from The Green and back. It was a very sociable time and took most of the dinner hour, going past the chippy. Was the bus the 367?
Remember when they filmed The Grass is Greener in Osterley Park with Cary Grant. He was grumpy and wouldn't sign my autograph book.

aquagran - I left in 1960, before the tech joined on, so I must have been ahead of you. I'll PM you with some memories.

Stop you? No, carry on Nanasam! How did your date with Keef go? Was he the perfect gent?

All you West London girls are in esteemed company - the grandmother of the future king, Carole Middleton, grew up in Southall!

I also went to Southall Grammar NotTooOld! Was there when the "tech" joined and we had the new buildings. They were fun days. Do you remember Miss Brook? Boy was she scary, but there was another half a dozen equally frightening teachers.
Unfortunately many Southallites have moved from the area. I am still fairly near, are you? I went back to teach at North School, it was great.

I remember the area well. I was born in Teddington and moved to Hanworth, where I lived until we moved to Wiltshire. I went to Twickenham County School and was lucky enough to have been around when Eel Pie Island was popular, as well as the Crawdaddy Club and Ricky Tick. We used to watch the Rolling Stones (in fact, I had a date one night with Keef!!!), The Others (I used to run their fan club), The Yardbirds, Brian Auger Trinity ( Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger) to name but a few. My sister used to go to Eel Pie Island before me, when you had to wave to a ferryman in a boat to take you over!

Oh, I'm off on a trip down memory lane now! We had swimming lessons at Twickenham open air baths and had to get in the water if the temperature was over 49 degrees! The Odeon cinema at the junction - my dad used to play the Wurlitzer organ for Saturday morning pictures. The Cave cafe, where we used to hang out with the rockers. Chertsey Road, Hanworth, where the rockers used to race up and down on their motorbikes from the Hope and Anchor car park.

Stop me, someone!!!

The June of O levels, if there were a few of us with no exams that day, we were allowed to go the Isleworth pool which was just down the road. I remember it as very large and modern but I expect it's shrunk like everything else. We felt very daring if we sneaked off home early.
Not long after I started work I bought a two piece outfit in Martin Fords, black and white houndstooth check with a very short pencil skirt and blouson jacket. I thought I looked wonderful and wore it to a wedding.

This thread has made me wish I'd got to Eel Pie Island.

We used to go to swimming lessons at the baths in Treaty road . I think they knocked them down and built the new Civic Centre there.
When you think about it we were well served for cinemas too - the Regal at the Bell and Dominion near the bus garage (saw Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments there!) and one in the middle and also an Odeon at Hounslow West opposite the tube station.

Wow Hounslow High Street. Not what it was I fear. We used to meet in the Golden Egg after school and go to the bowl at the top of town near the Bell. Also there was a swimming baths at Treaty Road.

Yes! deeda middle of Hounslow High Street, had many a hood shuffle through their rails! and Edmonds in the middle of the high street - was it that shop or the cinema which closed and became Waitrose? That Waitrose was one of the first supermarkets. They had the loveliest chap there who collected the baskets and entertained the babies left in their prams lined up inside the door while their mums did their shopping.. He knew all the babies and if any of them got distressed he went and found their mother!

Any one remember Martin Fords shops for really cheap clothes? I had a denim mini that I bought for about 15 shillings and wore till it fell apart.

I'm a Southallite, too. I went to the grammar school there. We used to go up to Oxford Street on the 232 or the 120 bus on Saturdays at quite a young age. C&A at Marble Arch was a favourite shop. Sometimes we'd buy a dress there, take up the hem, wear it out that night, then return it the following week having turned the hem down again. Naughty! We went to Southall Community Centre for the bands and the dancing, Eel Pie Island and the Castle at Richmond. We also went skating at Richmond rink. Ealing Town Hall was another favourite on Saturday nights, after which we'd go 'up west' to a coffee bar although this exceeded my curfew so could not happen too often. I saw Heinz (the bloke, not the beans!) and his band - was it the Telstars? - at Greenford Granada.

Lovely shared memories welshwife Abanethies was where we bought our green blazers with the middx coat of arms on. Trebles, there for the striped green dress fabric . Can see them now.Brother at Spring Grove until about 1964.

Deeda, yes. The Zambezi became the Attic.

The coffee came in lovely white mugs at the Troubadour. We loved it there. I remember seeing Battleship Potempkin in the basement at the Vietnam Solidarity Film Society!!!!!!
Laura Ashley was in a tiny shop in SouthKensington. I bought a long purple dress with a high collar, pin tucks, leg of mutton sleeves and a bow at the back. I loved that dress.

Where to start? We lived in Southall till I was 10 and I remember my mother taking me to the Community Centre to see the Gondoliers. My grandmother lived in Isleworth and we used to see her evry weekend and go down to the London Apprentice or Syon House. When we moved to Acton I went to Chiswick County School. I remember we played a hockey match against the Green School - can't remember who won!

I wasn't supposed to go to Eel Pie Island dustyangel it was wonderful when I did! I went to Twickenham College and spent a lot of time in local folk clubs. Went to the Castle with my best friend and was trodden on by Paul Jones when The Animals played an early gig at The Attic in Hounslow.

Loved going up to the west end. I seemed to be able to roam round places like Leicester Square late at night quite safely. Not something I would do today! Went to The Marquee and The Flamingo. Kensington of course for Biba and Bus Stop and Earls Court for The Troubadour. Happy Days