Forum Topic

Intro from an ex-pat Brentonian

Hi all,Having signed up a week or so ago I'd first like to say how much I enjoy the site and how wonderful it is to be able to keep up with the happenings in my home town!I was born in Mafeking Ave (my mother was born in New Rd) and lived in Orchard Rd for many years before moving further west and then north as house prices increased. I now live in Leeds and get 'home' every other week or so to support my beloved Bees, as I'm sure everyone knows they're having one of their better seasons although yesterday's game was a little disappointing. What little spare time I have's devoted to running one of the Brentford FC message boards at www.brentfordalways.org, a site which helps Bees fans worldwide to stay in touch, needless to say all are welcome.Kind RegardsColin

Colin Halstead ● 7334d19 Comments

More news re that Brook stream.!!Bill Drinkwater, on another thread, has encouraged me to dig out my set of old 1895 Ordnance Survey maps which are available from Brentford Library..and wonderful they are too!.THE BROOK STREAM is shown coming southways from the Enfield Road /Whitestiles junction!  It probably started at some ponds near Little Ealing Lane and came down RadBOURNE Avenue and Junction Road. it then flowed down under York road and Layton Road and into Brook Road South.

Jim Lawes ● 7257d

Hi Jim,Thanks for your help on this.  I do have internet explorer btw.Emma

Emma Rowlatt ● 7258d

Emma:You raised a good query. As I understand it the old pages are not lost for ever..but are just not on the immediate index system..only the last 10 pages of Topics?threads being listed.However, if you use the SEARCH FORUM box on the front page of the FORUM site...type a word or two..and the old subject matter will reappear.  eg THE HAM    or Watermans  or Forum. Hopefully, Matt the Webmaster will clarify what happens to those old messages.PS I've only had a computer for 15 months..so I'm new to this pastimes too!...being a silver surfer..as the over 50's over 60's are called....and as for the pictures...well I'm only 2 weeks old at that...and you will learn too!!  Do you have Internet Explorer?

Jim Lawes ● 7260d

Hello Emma and Audrey.The subject of streams running down from ponds at Little Ealing Lane...and Windmill Road north (near junction with Darwin Road).....and going via Griffin Park or Brooke Road South has been dicussed on this Forum earlier this year.I recall that house numbers in Brook Road south were mentioned ..as being the site if water rumblings!!If you type "brook road stream" into the SEARCH FORUM box you should find location of all those messages. Have luck!

Jim Lawes ● 7260d

Hi Jim,Where is the underground stream in Brook Road South?  And can you tell me how I can read further back than the most recent 10 pages as this is all it will allow at the mo.  I'm not as advanced as you at the technicalities of how this site operates as yet, but am a keen learner.  (Although I doubt I will become as proficient as you at posting photographs!)Thanks

Emma Rowlatt ● 7261d

I lived in York Road and we had a coal cellar that flooded every so often. My Dad always said it was that underground stream from Brook Lane!

Audrey Walton ● 7261d

Sarah,I'd say the stiff and icy fiord gales probably dispersed any unwelcome odours!Anyway, "Heidi Sted", are you accusing the "Elrics" or are you claiming the dubious pong for your clan??????

Ann S. Allridge ● 7329d

Okay Ann!  So what about the story of the person with smelly feet?  t'was a small, long boat, I understand...!

Sarah Felstead ● 7330d

'A few miles south was a town called Baastead which would have made a fine postal address over here!...met a few from there, tis true..... did she say that?

Sarah Felstead ● 7330d

You could be right there Colin as i spent a few months in a town called Halmstead in Sweden on the West coast.A few miles south was a town called Baastead which would have made a fine postal address over here!

Paul Fisher ● 7330d

Vikings?  Allridge is said to stem from Elric.......maybe our folks all travelled over to Brentford on the same long boat??????

Ann S. Allridge ● 7330d

Stead - always believed it to mean 'place', Halstead being "Hal's Place" and Felstead "Fel's Place", both of which sound Nordic to me. So presumably we're both ancestors of Vikings?

Colin Halstead ● 7330d

Vyborg and St Petersburg?Our gang of travellers been laid up ..under the weather! in some snowbound hidaway...tuning into Radio Chiswick and Brentford to listen to Councillor Ewes and HIS ramblings.Thankfully he seems to have been silenced..and we can study the map again ..and make our way towards Moscow!...soon!

Jim Lawes ● 7330d

Halstead - very pleased to meet you - do you know the origin of Stead?Don't quite understand what Ann is referring to, y'know, ramblings and all that, tsk tsk.  Bye the way, where did we get after St Petersburg, on the Vyborg thread?

Sarah Felstead ● 7330d

Hi Ann,Thanks for the welcome. I'm sure I'll enjoy both the tours and the ramblings, in fact I'm quite looking forward to them :)

Colin Halstead ● 7330d

Colin,A belated welcome  to you from an old Chiswickian/Brentfordian :  I hope you will enjoy our historical tours and occasional ramblings (and when I say 'ramblings' I do not refer to walks!)

Ann S. Allridge ● 7330d

Thanks for the welcome Jim & Gareth... "the underground stream in Brook Road South!" - funny you mentioning this, I was going to ask if anyone recalls what I'm sure was a water main bursting at the Ealing Rd end of New Rd years ago (early 60's?) which turned the latter into a river, I remember watching it from my grandparents bedroom window at No 12?

Colin Halstead ● 7332d

Welcome to the Forum Colin...and thanks for the weblink to the Brentford FC site.If you have time...look back through the earlier pages of the Forum  index...and you will find lots of interesting threads and messages...submitted to the Forum during the past 12 months or so.We've covered lots of history topics...including old families, old shops, the Canal scene, the trams and trolleybuses and recently the new developements. Brentford is fascinating. and not forgetting the underground stream in Brook Road South!Your memories welcome..stir us up!!

Jim Lawes ● 7332d

Welcome to the forum Colin and good luck to BFC.

Gareth Evans ● 7333d