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History of the Great West Road: Talk on Wednesday

"The history of the Great West Road"    Where: Gunnersbury Park Museum    When: Wednesday 22nd May 2013, 2:00 pm - 4:00pm    Admission: FREEAn illustrated talk by James Marshall, Local Studies Librarian for Hounslow and author of “The History of the Great West Road”. Visit the museum and see some of the products made in the famous Great West Road factories. At 2.00pm, join everyone in the Terrace Room to hear about the history of the factories, their architecture and their products. Afterwards, share your knowledge and memories over a cup of tea.There is no need to book.ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooJames Marshall's splendid book about the GWR is in short supply and sells on the second-hand market for over £80!

Jim Lawes ● 4642d22 Comments

Once there was only one brand of crisps on the market...and they were made on the Great West Road!

Jim Lawes ● 4613d

Here's is the Windmill Road view of Performance Cars..and seeing this picture many memories will be triggered. Weren't there old fashioned petrol pumps at the front..which were mostly unattended?Wasn't it a centre for MG cars too?

Jim Lawes ● 4615d

Hello Audrey. Yes York Road is included in this extract from a larger picture. I didn't crop it because I thought that you'd be seeing it here or on Flickr.Behind the Globe Pub, those three block of flats are called Burdens Close are under construction in the picture.I expect you remember Mr Goldsmith and his empire.

Jim Lawes ● 4615d

Tiny bit of my back garden in there Jim! What is that whitish construction down Boston Park Road, don't remember that at all.

Audrey Walton ● 4615d

The popular annual Local History event took place at Brentford Library (upstairs) on Saturday.It attracted a goodly crowd who were treated to talks, plenty of pictures, samples of "Made in Brentford" manufactured items, old directories and experts to whom one could ask questions. There was lots of chatter going on.I enjoyed meeting the lady called Dawn who had lived in Chiswick close to the sole "Prisoner of War" camp in Magnolia Road and who had bags of knowledge about it.It was difficult to photograph pictures wrapped in cellophane bags... but this shot of Performance Cars on the GWR was treasured.

Jim Lawes ● 4615d

I remember Jim, I went on to do a bit more research and was given conformation from the company Minuets located at Reckitt Heritage about their war work

Paul Allen ● 4634d

..on the Great West Road up till 1970?The site later occupied by British Oxygen.

Jim Lawes ● 4635d

""At the time I found an old 1938 map of the GWR, which showed a list of companies along a small stretch and wondered if this is the factory in question?From Clayponds Lane travelling westSimmonds Aeroaccessories Ltd = aeronautical accessories manufacturesH G Products Ltd = EngineeringThe Bungalow, Caretaker Mr Lancelot A WainwrightEaling RoadBerners Radio wireless manufactures"Actually Paul this information is listed in Kelly's 1938 Street Directory and I recall posting this on the Forum some 6 years ago..and you were pleased to read the HG Products reference. You said in reply that HG Products was taken over by Cherry Blosson who then were requisitioned by the Government to do the War tasks.At James Marshall's talk he said that the Wallace Tower was first occupied by Simmonds and when their activities declined after the War..the building passed on to the Air line BOAC. They later found the building too large..and they passed it onto Beechams..and the rest is history!

Jim Lawes ● 4635d

Great West RoadSeeing this post I had a look through some old email correspondence I had in 2003 / 4.I was asked if I could find a missing Cherry Blossom factory, which was located on the GWR.I seam’s that Cherry Blossom acquired a company on the Great West Road called H G Products in 1940 in order to secure additional factory space in the event of bomb damage to the exiting sites, specifically for the use in filling operations and the storage of waxes.  No sooner had this happened than in a Minute dated May 1941 it is recorded that the company received a form of Requisition from the Ministry of Aircraft Production which proved for taking over that factory. This adds some doubt to Cherry Blossoms Second World War effort in the making of Aircraft Fuel Tanks. Were they manufactured at the Chertsey Road Site or on the Great west Road Factory?The operation ran from 1942 until late1944 at which time just fewer than 70 employees were returned to working on Polish Manufacture, during the time of operation they were employed in what was known as the Aircraft (Fuel Tank) Department and were working under a contract afforded to the Frigidaire Company.  At the time I found an old 1938 map of the GWR, which showed a list of companies along a small stretch and wondered if this is the factory in question?From Clayponds Lane travelling west Simmonds Aeroaccessories Ltd = aeronautical accessories manufacturesH G Products Ltd = EngineeringThe Bungalow, Caretaker Mr Lancelot A Wainwright Ealing Road Berners Radio wireless manufactures

Paul Allen ● 4638d

Oops!  Try again..reducing size.

Jim Lawes ● 4638d

From an article in the B&C local history journal by James Marshall:

Jim Lawes ● 4638d

I suppose Firestone brought jobs..which attracted locals from surrounding farms and nurseries..but what conditions of employment they had to endure!!(according to a recent edition of the local History Society Magazine!)But enjoy this picture..from the Gunnersbury Park Museum!

Jim Lawes ● 4638d

"I was fascinated to learn that one of the attractions of companies to the area was the supply of electricity from the borough's power station sited at the Bridge Road depot"Yes, that was a another gem from James Marshall's talk.As Brentford, Chiswick, and Isleworth were separate District Councils until the early 1930's there must have been some friendly cross-district co-operation!

Jim Lawes ● 4638d

I was fascinated to learn that one of the attractions of companies to the area was the supply of electricity from the borough's power station sited at the Bridge Road depot.Battery powered refuse trucks were sent out from there and the collected rubbish was burnt on site to generate steam and electricity. The trucks (big milk floats) were charged up overnight.After the recent decision to send West London waste off to the energy from waste incinerator in ?Avonmouth, I am now waiting the change to operating low pollution electrically-powered bin lorries !

Tim Henderson ● 4639d

Of course it was!Oldies will all be familiar with Lucozade, Macleans Toothpaste, Brylcream and so on.  This image appears in the permanent exhibition in the Gunnersbury Park Museum..which is well worth a visit. Schoolchildren were there on an educational visit today.

Jim Lawes ● 4640d

James Marshall (above) confirmed today that he certainly had a good teacher in YOU Neil!  He described to me how you had helped him so much during his first years in the Local History Studies Department when you were both, as novices (?), operating under the umbrella of the formidable Andrea Cameron.And now he's at the top of the tree... especially having written the fine GWR book.There were some 30 odd people at the Small Mansion this afternoon..and it was all very pleasant.

Jim Lawes ● 4640d

Bit mischievious of Mary given that LBH only applied for an exemption from the office to resi relaxation for part of the GWR in the first place.And bearing in mind only 17 locations (not whole Boroughs, but 17 locations within those Boroughs) were granted exemptions, with absolutely no exemptions granted for any outer West London boroughs, Mr. Boles and Mr. Pickles aren't going to suddenly go a U-turn for one road in Hounslow.

Adam Beamish ● 4640d

At the factory tour a few years back the guys would have been miffed if you just said they were assemblers.This looks like more proper manufacturing to me ! :http://cycling.raven-family.com/Brompton%20Tour/Images/DSC01194.JPG(from the set of pics athttp://cycling.raven-family.com/Brompton%20Tour/Brompton%20Factory%20Tour.htmlThough I suppose things might have changed since.On the topic of business on the GWR, I see Mary Macleod was trying to bend Eric Pickles ear in the House the other day :"West London is a hub for great business, and I am glad that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is in his place, because I want to appeal to him on permitted development rights and change of use from offices to homes. We really wanted the Great West road in west London, which is right next to Heathrow, to be exempt and protected, because we want to build businesses there. I invite him to come to the Brentford golden mile and see what we can do for businesses and job creation for the future."http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2013-05-14a.551.1

Tim Henderson ● 4640d

James had some great teachers

Neil Chippendale ● 4640d

You'll have to look very hard to find a manuafacturer these days. Maybe Bromptons Bicycles..but are they not just assemblers?

Jim Lawes ● 4641d

Here here Neil.Who remembers this building when it was Henlys and a Jaguar showroom?

Jim Lawes ● 4641d

Well worth it. James is so knowledgeable about the road

Neil Chippendale ● 4641d