Osterley Park Radio Trivia
Osterley Park has featured twice on radio in the last few months.Today on Radio London there was a brief feature. The house and history was briefly described. Osterley was then discussed around the theme "the place that time forgot", so near M4 and GWR but with much of a village atmosphere although many of the detached houses had become flats. The local parade of traditional shops had strong consumer support and preference - with no Starbucks like they have in Chiswick. There is a farm-shop with excellent produce. The second-hand bookshop was described - it's a conversion from the original Osterley tube station and is passed by the tube line. The owner since the sixties, Patty Smith, is a top rock photographer.The other program some months ago examined Osterley House's role in the formation of the Home Guard. An unofficial army was started in the run-up to WW2 led by Spanish War veterans who would have assassinated Chamberlain etc if there had been a rapprochement with Nazi Germany. There was full SAS-type training with guns issued and an explosive store in thre house. Eventually this organisation taken over by the Government became the Home Guard.
Michael Fletcher ● 7005d3 Comments