Category: West London

First published in 1864, ‘Pretty Polly Perkins’, was a very popular Music Hall song composed by Harry Clifton. Harry Clifton was born in Hoddesden in 1832 and he passed away in Shepherd’s Bush, aged 40, in 1872: ‘I am a broken-hearted milkman, in grief I’m arrayed, Through keeping of the company of a young servant Continue reading

The following newspaper article appeared in the West London Observer on 8th November 1957: ‘Free drinks were available to customers who visited a new public house which was opened at the White City Estate on Wednesday. The new “local” is called the ‘Springbok’ and is in South Africa Road. For the opening many local residents Continue reading

The following article appeared in the Dundee Evening Telegraph on 14th March 1930: ‘Using a commandeered motor car, P.C. Leslie B Warren, of the Metropolitan Police, chased and stopped a runaway horse at Shepherd’s Bush. The horse, which was attached to a dairy van, bolted while in Cobbold Road and made off towards Askew Road. Continue reading

The following article appeared in the Daily Mirror on Thursday, 1st November 1917: “Did you notice that they served us like mother would, but that they never took their gloves off!” Thus remarked a little boy when the Queen served him yesterday with a dinner at a communal kitchen off the Uxbridge Road, London. The Continue reading

Charlie Allum is a Notting Hill legend, a boxing champion who tragically lost his life in WW1 serving his country in France. Son of Mrs Rose Ellen Allum of 296 Lancaster Road, Notting Hill, husband of Millicent Maud Allum of 189 Lancaster Road, Notting Hill. Colin Woodley contacted Chris Allum via his Ancestry family tree, Continue reading

Following the suicide of Adolf Hitler on 30th April 1945, Grand Admiral Donitz briefly became President of the Third Reich. He travelled to General Eisenhower’s HQ in France, where he accepted an unconditional surrender on 7th May. At 3pm the next day Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast to the nation, which was relayed over Continue reading

The BBC DIY SOS – The Big Build – television programme is appealing for help from the trades for a very special project at the Dale Youth Boxing Academy. The amateur gym was destroyed in the devastating and horrific fire that killed 71 people in June 2017. The gym is where James DeGale and George Continue reading

Two articles appeared in the West London Observer in 1957, regarding a very young Rock ‘n’ Roll band from Hammersmith. Firstly they were featured on 25th January: “The Shooting Stars”, youngsters from the Caroline Estate, Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, were the big hit at the children’s Christmas party sponsored by the Caroline Estate Tenants Association Continue reading

The following article appeared in the West London Observer on 14th February 1936: ‘The first bout on Monday evening was a six-round contest between Billy Gibbs (Notting Hill) and Young Fraser (Westbourne Park). Both fought well, but Fraser was more pronounced in his left-hand deliveries and he was given the referee’s award. Another six-round contest Continue reading

The following article appeared in the Northern Whig on 16th July 1946: ‘How Mrs R. Cosby of 129 Urney Street, accompanied by her sister, crossed to London three days ago looking for the son whom she had not seen for a long time, and how she eventually found him, makes strange reading. Mrs Cosby had Continue reading