Second World War: The funny and sad times
A group of enthusiastic volunteers recently came together at Gunnersbury Park Museum to share their experiences of the Second World War and trade tales. Louise Hollaway reports. The project was set up by Ealing and Hounslow councils to highlight Gunnersbury Park Museum’s collection of objects from the war period 1939-45 and to help preserve our […]
War memorials to fallen locals
Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day form an important part of the national calendar in November, and it is when the country’s many memorials to our war dead take centre stage. During the 20th Century, war memorials were commissioned to commemorate the sacrifice made by our servicemen, notably during the two world wars. There are a […]
Greenford’s forgotten mansions
Most of Greenford’s houses were built in the 1930s and range from maisonettes to semi-detached. However, fewer than a hundred years ago, there were several mansions standing in the town. They were all located in or around Oldfield Lane. The only one still in existence is Greenford Hall, near Holy Cross Church and now a community […]
Ealing and the Titanic
There may seem to be no connection with Ealing and the sinking of the RMS Titanic 100 years ago in April 1912, which resulted in a large loss of life. But it also resulted in many of the survivors losing all their possessions, and furthermore, families of crewmen and passengers were often left without their […]
Ealing and the Diamond Jubilee of 1897
With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee approaching, we look at what happened the only other time such a celebration took place here – 115 years ago. Initially it was not thought that much needed to be done in Ealing to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1897, even though a British monarch had […]
Dr Who and its links to the borough
November marks the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. Production of the original television programmes was closely linked to west London, including Acton and Ealing, so the series is very much part of our local heritage, reports Linda Davies. With this in mind, earlier in the year Ealing Libraries brought together a small group of experts […]
A Victorian farmer in Northolt
Until the 20th Century, farming was one of the biggest employers in Greenford and Northolt. Frederick Crees was one of these local farmers during the late Victorian era. Although he was born in the West Country, in 1871, he bought Ravenor Farm in Oldfield Lane, Greenford, after being told by his wife’s cousin that it […]
Ealing’s election – 100 years ago
Because general and local elections will be held this year, it seems particularly apt to look back at a notable general election that took place exactly a century ago. It was the first of two that year. Nationally, the Liberal government under Herbert Asquith was facing a Conservative opposition, as well as the Irish Nationalists […]
A stack of plaques
We have all seen blue plaques on walls all over London. They commemorate and record where a well-known or historically significant person lived and who they were. They connect people with places. There are also some plaques referring to organisations, societies, buildings, events, and companies, writes Brian Shapley. The commissioning of plaques is now the responsibility […]
Our almshouses
Dwellings for the ‘elderly’, called almshouses, existed in most English villages and towns from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century and our borough’s towns were no exceptions to this. They were usually built and endowed by private charity, and then managed by a board of trustees. Residents lived rent-free and usually received food, fuel […]
The mind of a serial killer
John Christie had been killing for years when women’s corpses were finally found at his house in Notting Hill in 1953. One was of Acton woman Muriel Eady, who had gone missing in 1944. Muriel had worked in Park Royal for Ultra Electronics Ltd, which made radios. It was here that she met Christie, who […]
Days in the movies
Most people have heard of Ealing Studios, even if they know nothing else about Ealing. Not so well-known is its equivalent in Southall. By Jonathan Oates and Paul Lang EALING STUDIOS A film-making studio has been operating from the same site on Ealing Green since 1902, but it officially became Ealing Studios in 1931. It is […]