‘All In A Day’s Work’ is a profusely-illustrated 250 page book centred around 100 oral history interviews conducted by the Britain At Work London Group (of which I am a member). It covers an area stretching from Paddington to the outer West and North-West London suburbs. It recalls, for instance, the days when the Park Continue reading
Category: West London
The Aftermath of Masonry Falling in Lancaster Road, Notting Hill in 1915
The Portsmouth Evening News reported on 19th March 1915 that: ‘This morning a serious accident, resulting in the death of one woman and serious injury to another, occurred in Lancaster Road, North Kensington. It appears that a large portion of the coping attached to the fronts of No’s 56, 58 and 60, Lancaster-road suddenly collapsed, Continue reading
The Tribute to Rik Mayall’s ‘Bottom’ in Hammersmith Broadway
The following article was written last June by Alix Culbertson and appeared in the local newspaper: ‘Hammersmith and Fulham Council said it is interested in honouring a petition by Rik Mayall fans asking for a bench to be placed in Hammersmith in memory of the TV comic. The online petition, signed by nearly 2,500 people Continue reading
VE Day – Tuesday 8th May 1945
Today marks the 70th anniversary of ‘Victory in Europe Day’. This momentous occasion will be commemorated with events all across the UK. The following account is from the diary that Stella Freeman kept throughout the war years and was later reproduced in a booklet by members of the Shepherd’s Bush Local History Society, titled: ‘Around Continue reading
The Queen’s Head, 13 Brook Green, London W6
Following some research at Hammersmith Library recently, Bernard, Colin and I headed round the corner for the short walk to ‘The Queen’s Head’. And who should be leaving as we headed to the bar, but Terry Venables, who we were told, used to live locally. I proceeded to order a steak sandwich and a pint Continue reading
Charlie Ferris – White City Legend
As a child growing up on the White City Estate in the 1960’s, life had a familiar rhythm: football matches on the back lawns against neighbouring blocks on Sundays, which would last all day long and were played in deadly earnest, with kids taking turns to go up and have their dinner before re-joining the Continue reading
The Missing Paddington Babes
In May 1965 three young children went missing in the Paddington District of London. The actual area where this happened was called ‘Maida Hill’, although few, if any locals called it that. The area was populated mostly by white working class people, with added immigration throughout the 50’s and 60’s of Irish and West Indian Continue reading
When Women were drafted in as Ticket Collectors at Paddington Station and Railway Porters at Marylebone Station in 1915
The following article appeared in ‘The Illustrated War News’ on 14th April 1915: ‘Since the Government instituted the ‘Register of Women for War Service’, with a view to filling up gaps in the ranks of labour for making war material, and also for releasing men of military age for the Army, large numbers of women Continue reading
From 1917 – Caring for the Wounded at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Shepherd’s Bush
The images shown below are taken from the Illustrated War News, dated 17th January, 1917. It’s titled: ‘A Royal Nurse and some of her Patients’ and the caption reads: ‘Queen Augusta Victoria of Portugal, who, with the young King and his mother, Queen Amelia, has displayed the most anxious care and sympathetic consideration for the Continue reading
Curly Bartlett, the Window Tapper of Notting Hill
The following article appeared in ‘The Bystander’ section of the Graphic on 20th March 1909: ‘Curly Bartlett, the window tapper of Notting Hill, is employed by many whose callings compel them to start work in the small hours. He starts work about 2am and continues till 8am. He goes his rounds on a tricycle, and Continue reading