Showing posts with label Willesden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Willesden. Show all posts

Thursday 22 June 2023

Willesden Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing Workshop - June 29th from 1pm at Ashford Place Community Centre


 We would like to hear from you!

 

Join us for an interactive afternoon discussing care, wellbeing and health provision in Willesden Green, Cricklewood & Mapesbury, and Dollis Hill. This workshop is a key opportunity to share your thoughts and experiences on the current state of services in our neighbourhood, and work collaboratively to address and prevent health inequalities.

 

The event will take place on Thursday, June 29th, 2023 from 1 PM at Ashford Place Community Centre, 60 Ashford Road, London, NW2 6TU. We will start the event with half an hour of lunch and networking before beginning our discussions.

 

During the workshop we want to hear from you on a range of topics including the challenges faced by children, young people and their families today, what you want to see from the future of health and care in the Willesden neighbourhood, and potential solutions to improve the quality of wellbeing, health and care in our community.

 

This is a great opportunity to have your voice heard and contribute to the ongoing conversation about wellbeing, health and care in the Willesden neighbourhood. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

TICKETS

Saturday 17 June 2023

Brent Xtra International Reggae Day Day UK 2023 Friday June 30th - events across Willesden and Harlesden


 I am honoured to have been asked to take part in this event. See you there!

Come join in us, as we usher in International Reggae Day Brent stylee!! From a walk, to talks, performances, community stalls, prostate cancer awareness and fund-raiser, to a DJ set marking "the Global Influence of 80s and 90s Dancehall" IRD 2023 theme: 

 

FRIDAY JUNE 30 2023

 

1. 4.00-5.00pm The Brent Black Music History Walk

 

Starts from Willesden Bus Garage, Pound Lane, London NW10 2HW (full details provided upon booking). The walk is led by Brent resident and author of 'Brent Black Music History Project book and DVD Kwaku BBM. Discover some of the hidden music histories along the route to Harlesden, the heart of black music and reggae in Britain. £5 adult; £10 2 adults (plus 2 youths under 18 years).

 

2. 5.15-6.15pm Gathering Around The Reggae Tree

 

Join The Reggae Tree Ambassador Diane Shrouder Johnson and local dignitaries by The Reggae Tree in front of the Hawkeye record shop (2 Craven Park Road, London NW10 4AB). We will have a short chat about the environment by Wembley Matters blogger Martin Francis to underpin International Reggae Day's Plant A Tree environmental remit. There will be performances by the likes of local singer-songwriter Owen Deacon and others. £Free

 

3. 6.15-9.15pm Talks, Presentations, Screenings, Performances And Community Stalls

DJ Pascoe will welcome attendees to Windrush Hall in Tavistock Hall, 25 High Street, Harlesden, London NW10 4ND (use Tavistock Road entrance; parking by Burger King/Tesco) with a British reggae set.

 

Engagement with local community organisations, with stalls available to book at £15, performances by Music4Causes ft. Kimba (repeating the reggae performance from the same stage last year), singer-songwriter Owen Deacon, plus performance and talk by Sparky Rugged via video, music history presentation by Kwaku BBM, and prostate cancer awareness presentations by prostate cancer advocate Keith Gussy Young and a Cancer Black Care representative.

 

Starts with video featuring artists from Brent, and a preview of the Brent Reggae Album Covers presentation.

 

We will auction off a reggae themed drawing by Mike Hawthorne as part of raising funds for Brent-based charity Cancer Black Care

 

We'll end the evening with the Vinyl Xposure of DJ Lady Juicy's lovers rock, whilst DJ Pascoe's selections speak to the International Reggae Day 2023 theme: "From Brukins to Bogle: The Global Influence of 80s and 90s Dancehall".

 

Stalls £15; African Caribbean meal £5 - vegetarian, rice and peas with either fish or chicken can be bought on the day or pre-booked.

 

+Vinyl Xposure

+Videos

+Stalls

+Discussions

+Networking

+Performances

+Photographic Exhibition

+Prostate Cancer Awareness

+African-Caribbean Food on sale

+SURPRISE

 

A family-friendly event organised by BBM/BMC (BritishBlackMusicMusic.com/Black Music Congress) and BTWSC/African Histories Revisited, with support from Serene One and Sparky Rugged.

 

TICKETS

Wednesday 11 January 2023

Exhibition next week on major redevelopment between Dudden Hill Lane and Willesden High Road


 

Website link (live after Exhibitions)

Plans for the residential led redevelopment of the current light industrial/commercial site between 54-68 Dudden Hill Lane NW10 1DG and 370 Willesden High Road NW10 2EA will go on public exhibition at Mencap 379-381 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2JR on Tuesday January 17th 4pm - 8pm and Thursday 19th January 4pm to 8pm.

The development website will not go live until after the exhibitions. Purple pin below marks  54-68 Dudden Hill Lane and red pin 370 High Road.



 54-68 Dudden Hill Lane (Google Streetview)
 


370 High Road (Google Streetview)

Wednesday 9 November 2022

New Boundary Commission proposals cast Harlesden adrift from Willesden. Comment by December 5th

The Boundary Commission for England has published new revised proposals for parliamentary constituencies across the country and opens a final month-long consultation, giving the public a last opportunity to send in their views.

The Commission has taken into consideration over 45,000 comments sent in by the public during the previous two stages of public consultation, and has changed nearly half of its initial proposals based on this feedback. A third and final consultation on the new map of revised constituency proposals is open now until 5 December. The public are invited to view and comment on the new map at bcereviews.org.uk.

The Commission is undertaking an independent review of all constituencies in England as requested by Parliament. The number of electors within each constituency currently varies widely due to population changes since the last boundary review. The 2023 Boundary Review will rebalance the number of electors each MP represents, resulting in significant change to the existing constituency map. As part of the review, the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.

After this final consultation has closed on 5 December, the Commission will analyse the responses and form its final recommendations. These will be submitted to Parliament by 1 July 2023.

Submit a comment HERE

For Brent the change means there will be three constituencies: Wembley, Willesden  and Queens Park and Little Venice. Harlesden will be in the latter constituency, separated from Willesden.

You can zoom in to your area on an interactive map  that includes the wards by inserting your postcode HERE



Proposed Wembley Constituency

 

 

Proposed Willesden Constituency 

 


Proposed Queens Park and Little Venice Constituency

Saturday 8 January 2022

Letter: More great local history opportunities from “Being Brent”

 Dear Editor,

 

In a letter last month I wrote about “Flying from Brent”, and some of the other Heritage and Wellbeing projects being facilitated by Brent Museum and Archives as part of their “Being Brent” programme. There are now more “gems” from this project that your readers might like to know about, and take part in, so I’m writing to share the details with them. 

 


Brent Heritage Tours – Willesden logo

 

After a number of popular guided walks during the autumn, Brent Heritage Tours are going “online” for January 2022, with three free illustrated talks on Friday evenings. Tickets can be booked via their Eventbrite pages here:

 

"Queen's Park - Past and Present":  Friday 14 January at 7pm (to 8.30pm):
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queens-park-past-and-present-tickets-180818451857?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

 

 

"Willesden - Past and Present":  Friday 21 January at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/willesden-past-and-present-tickets-180847889907?aff=ebdsoporgprofile 

 

 

 

Postcard of the High Road, Willesden Green, c.1900.

 

 

"Welsh Harp - Past and Present":  Friday 28 January at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/welsh-harp-past-and-present-tickets-180984247757?aff=ebdsoporgprofile


They will be back with free “live” guided walks from February (numbers on each walk are limited so book early if you are interested), and also have self-guided trails that you can download to explore in your own time. More details on their website at:
https://brent-heritage.co.uk/

 

I hope that readers enjoyed my series of articles last month about Ram Singh Nehra and his family. The story of Brent’s multiracial and mixed-race community is one area of our social history which has not received much attention, but another “Being Brent” project is hoping to shine more light on it, with a digital exhibition planned for March 2022. 

 


 

The curators of “By the Cut of Their Cloth”, local artist Warren Reilly and director of The Mixed Museum, Chamion Caballero, need your help to collect as wide a range of memories and photos as possible, to make a permanent record celebrating our community’s rich history of migration and mixing. They are holding two online “open days”, on Saturday 15 January (10am to 4pm) and Sunday 16 January (12noon to 4pm). If you have stories you would like to share, you can find more information, and “book" a private zoom meeting with them, at:

 

https://mixedmuseum.org.uk/news/btcotc-open-days-booking-now-live/   and,

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/by-the-cut-of-their-cloth-open-day-tickets-231641404677

 

I hope you will take, and enjoy, these opportunities. For more about “Being Brent”, and links to the videos already produced from a variety of projects, you can find details on their website. Best wishes,


Philip Grant.

Friday 30 April 2021

UPDATE: Man charged with murder after fatal stabbing of Michael Fadayomi in Willesden High Road

 From Metropolitan Police


UPDATE SUNDAY

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Michael Fadayomi in Willesden earlier this week.

Police were called to High Road, NW10 at 17:11hrs on Thursday, 29 April following reports that a man had been stabbed.

Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. 40-year-old Michael was found with serious injuries.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

A post-mortem examination has since found that the cause of his death was incised wounds to the neck.

Marcus Griffiths, 42 (02.04.79), of Hoveden Road, NW2 was arrested later the same day.

On Saturday, 1 May, he appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court charged with Michael’s murder. He is also charged with being in possession of a bladed article.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the Crown Court on a date to be determined.

 

SATURDAY'S POST

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a fatal stabbing in Willesden, Brent.

Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 17:11hrs on Thursday, 29 April to a report of a man suffering from stab wounds on High Road, NW10. Officers attended.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the victim, aged 40, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards. His next of kin are aware.

Formal identification awaits. A post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.

A 42-year-old man was arrested following the incident at his home address in Willesden. He remains in custody. Police are not searching for anyone else in connection with this incident.

A crime scene remains in place and the public can expect to see an increased police presence in the area.

While enquiries continue, the incident is being treated as isolated and is not thought to be gang-related. The victim and suspect are not thought to have been known to each other.

Detectives from Specialist Crime are leading the investigation, led by DCI Claire Hine.

She said: 

 "Foremost in our thoughts are the victim and his family, who are coming to terms with his very sudden and violent loss. My specialist officers are providing them with support at this very sad time.

"At this early stage in our investigation we believe the incident started on a Route 260 bus. It continued out onto the High Road and into a fast food shop in front of a number of horrified onlookers in the street, and on the bus.

"I know there are videos circulating on social media that feature some incredibly distressing images and I ask that people please refrain from sharing these to avoid causing the victim's family any more trauma.

"We've spoken to a number of people who have told us what they saw, but there are others who have yet to make contact. I would ask those witnesses to call us, so that we can fully establish the chain of events that has led to a man losing his life in such a horrific way.

"I'd also like to acknowledge that this incident would no doubt have caused incredible panic and alarm to the people who saw it. There are resources available via Victim Support (https://www.victimsupport.org.uk) that can help you if you need to speak to someone."

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD 5109/29Apr. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Thursday 18 February 2021

A Crown Court judge has ordered a landlord to pay back a record £739,264 in illicit earnings made from overcrowded properties in Willesden

 Press release from Brent Council

A Crown court judge has ordered a landlord to pay back £739,263.58 in illicit earnings made from overcrowded properties in Willesden. It is believed to be the largest such order for a planning breach made anywhere in the country so far this year.

The enormous order was made against Mohammed Mehdi Ali of High Road Willesden, following a prosecution brought by Brent council's legal team.

HHJ Wood, sitting at Harrow Crown Court, made the order against Mr Ali on Friday 12 February. He was told by the court that he would face a prison term of 5 years and 9 months if he did not pay the order in full within three months.

Mr Ali was found guilty of failing to comply with planning enforcement notices in April 2018 at Willesden Magistrates Court, after investigations by Brent's planning enforcement team.  The case was then referred to Harrow Crown Court for confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Brent was represented in the crown court by Edmund Robb of Prospect Law.

Detailed investigations carried out by Brent's financial investigators and Brent's planning enforcement officers revealed the extent of the number of illegal dwellings created and the illicit earnings made by illegally renting out the properties, which were owned by Mr Ali and his father. The properties were used as houses in multiple occupation and as undersized flats.

Mr Ali was also ordered to pay Brent council £30,000.00 to cover its legal costs in the long-running case.

Cllr Shama Tatler, Lead Member for Regeneration, Property & Planning, said:

This is another huge win for Brent. The council will take robust action to prevent the creation of poor quality housing. This penalty sends a clear message that rogue landlords will not be allowed to get away with ignoring planning laws. The accommodation provided was some of the worst residential accommodation that officers have ever come across. Brent will not tolerate this type of behaviour, landlords providing such horrible conditions. Brent residents deserve better.

Sentencing for the enforcement notice breaches is adjourned until 1 March 2021.

 



Monday 11 January 2021

Brent Planning Officers recommend refusal of major Willesden development application

 



In a move that is quite unusual in Brent, planning officers are recommending that the Planning Committee refuse the application for a major development on an industrial site that lies between Dudden Hill Lane and Willesden High Road.

Adjacent sites are also earmarked for development and other nearby developments are a major housing project at the College of North West London  and flats on the Learie Constantine Community Centre site. This application would form part of a Masterplan for the area.

Taken together the developments will change the face of this part of Willesden and continue the proliferation of high rise developments in Brent. Although the maximum height of these blocks is less than half of those around Wembley Stadium they would still make a major impact on the local streetscape as can be seen from the images above. The two storey terraced houses on Colin Road would be dwarfed by this development and experience a significant loss of light.

 


The proposal

Demolition of existing buildings and erection of 5 mixed use blocks ranging from 4 to 10 storeys plus basement levels, comprising; 245 residential units at 1st to 9th floors, and light industrial floorspace (Class B1c), food retail floorspace (supermarket) (Class A1), gym (Class D2), nursery (Class D1), commercial units (units 7 and 9) (flexible use for Class A1, A2, A3, D1 and/or B1c) and HA office (Class B1a) at basement, ground and part 1st floors, together with associated vehicular access, car and cycle parking spaces, bin stores, plant room, substations, landscaping and amenity space (Amended description)

Housing

Given the current controversies over the short-comings of shared ownership it is noteworthy that the officers' report states that  95% of those in affordable housing need cannot afford intermediate products such as shared ownership. There has been considerable dialogue between the developer and the council over the housing provision and compliance with policy:

The Brent Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2018 identified a need for 42,000 additional homes between 2016-2041. Using a limit of 33% of gross household incomes to be spent on rent/mortgages, affordable housing comprises 52% of that need. Of the affordable need identified 85% was for social rent (council house type rents) and 10% was for London Living Rent-LAR (pegged at a percentage of median incomes). Just 5% was for people able afford to between that and 80% of median local rents (typically these people might seek to buy shared ownership units). Whilst the headline figure provided by the applicant, being 66% affordable housing, is well in excess of the 50% overall target set out in DMP 15 and emerging policy BH5 , this figure is weighted heavily in favour of intermediate product (shared ownership units) and therefore the proposal is not in accordance with this policy. As stated above, the SHMA identifies that intermediate products are essentially unaffordable to 95% of those in affordable housing need and are more likely to be occupied by people who have a choice within the market for alternative accommodation e.g. market rent.

The final offer presented by the applicant shows that even with 100% affordable workspace and on a policy compliant tenure split the development could reasonably deliver 13 additional London Affordable Rented homes which would help the most specific needs of the borough. Whilst this would be at the expense of a large proportion of intermediate units, there is far less need for this type of housing.

Given that primary need in the borough is for LAR homes (as reflected in adopted and emerging policy) the overprovision of Intermediate Housing and other benefits of the scheme are not considered to be of sufficient benefit to outweigh the harm associated with the under-provision of affordable rented homes to meet local need.

Comments on the planning consultation portal were fairly evenly split between those in favour and against.  The provision of a supermarket (named as Lidl in the drawings) was seen as positive as was a nursery, but the impact on traffic and parking in the are was a negative factor, as well as the loss of daylight to the local two storey terraced houses in Colin Road.

Officers' recommendation

Whilst the proposed development would undoubtedly bring forward significant benefits, largely in the form of modern affordable workspace and the provision of a large number of homes to meet borough housing targets, including a high overall number of Affordable homes, the development would also fall short in a number of policy areas. In particular, the proposal fails to deliver the maximum reasonable amount of Affordable housing on a policy compliant tenure split. Whilst the headline affordable housing figure is high, this is not considered sufficient to justify the number of London Affordable Rented homes, which are proposed at less than the maximum reasonable number. There is a significant need within the borough for the lower cost Affordable Homes (Social or London Affordable Rent) which look to cater for those most in need in accordance with adopted and emerging policy. 

 

 Furthermore, at the scale proposed the development would result in significant daylight impacts to a number of neighbouring properties. The benefits of the scheme are not considered to outweigh the harm identified to these properties. 

 

Finally, the development would provide parking for the supermarket well in excess of standards without an appropriate parking price regime to encourage non-car access and would therefore encourage additional unnecessary car journeys to and from the site and from the area in general. Again whilst policy deviations can be accepted when having regard to a wider planning balance, in the case, the benefits of the scheme are not considered significant enough to outweigh the harm associated with the failure to provide adequate means to encourage non-car access to the supermarket. 

 

To conclude, the development is contrary to policy, and would fail to deliver the degree of benefit necessary to outweigh the harm associated with the proposal.

The statement on shared ownership will be significant for future planning applications in the borough.

 

 

 

Saturday 18 July 2020

Uncovering the history of Church End and Chapel End, Willesden – Part 3


The final part of this local history series by Margaret Pratt. (Thank you very much for this series Margaret which has aroused a lot of interest.  I hope to publish more about the history of our various Brent communities)
Last week, in Part 2, we looked at local landmark buildings, many from the 19th century. In this final part we move to the 20th century, especially the industrial development of the area.
Before the First World War, Church End and Chapel End had many small workshops and businesses which depended on the reliance on horse power, in agriculture, and in everyday life in the village. Stablemen, grooms, blacksmiths and farriers, suppliers of horse-drawn vehicles, saddles and tack were all living and working in the area. Gradually the horse was overtaken by the motor vehicle, and businesses had to adapt. 

Many coachbuilders and blacksmiths reinvented themselves and opened garages and motor engineering works, using the skills they had already learned. Other small-scale industries included stonemasons, sawmills, cycle makers, shoemakers, and printers, who were established in the area from the 1880s onwards.


1. 20th century industrial developments, added to a sketch map of the district based on the 1895 O.S. map.
Church End had large areas of land which had not been sold for housebuilding, unlike Willesden Green (where terraces of small houses filled most of the farmland). These local fields were opened up by companies such as British Thomson-Houston, the electrical engineering firm. In 1913 BTH built its workshops on the cricket field, north of St. Mary’s vicarage, starting the area’s industrialisation. This continued after the war, when jobs for the returning soldiers were in short supply, and large-scale industries began to fill the gaps.

British Thomson-Houston was a subsidiary of the American General Electric Company. They had opened a factory in Rugby in 1899, making electric lamps, turbines and electrical systems. Their Willesden plant specialised in switch-gear equipment, (a collection of circuit breakers, fuses and switches, needed to control electrical systems). By 1919 it employed 462 people.


2. Aerial view of the British Thomson-Houston factory in Neasden Lane, 1953. (Brent Archives image 2409)

Before and during the Second World War, the factory diversified, producing lighting, radio and signalling equipment for the Royal Navy, and helping the RAF’s success in the Battle of Britain with their magnetos, compressors and starting switches. In 1949, around 2,000 people were working at its Church End factory.



3. Two scenes from the Dallmeyer optical works, c.1910. (Brent Archives online images 2711 and 2718)
J.H. Dallmeyer, makers of optical instruments and precision lenses, was founded by a German immigrant in 1860. The company first came to Denzil Road, Church End, from Central London in 1907, moving to Willesden High Road in 1920, and building extensions to their works in 1945 and 1952. By 1979 the business employed around 90 people, manufacturing high-precision optical products, hopefully in more comfortable conditions than in the early years! It was taken over by a larger company in the 1980s, but Dallmeyer lenses are still highly collectable.


4. A Dallmeyer advertisement for one of their photographic lenses, 1914. (Image from the internet)

Next to Dallmeyers was Chromoworks, high class printers and lithographers. The lithographers had an unusual assignment after World War Two. The Directors of Lyons Tea Shops wanted to spruce up their premises, but decorating materials were in short supply. They commissioned famous artists to produce paintings of post-war Britain, to be made into poster-sized prints, at Chromoworks. 

The prints were large enough to cover as much of the shabby decor as possible. Three series of prints were produced, from work by Lowry, John Piper, Edward Bawden, John Nash, and many others, 40 artists in all. The scheme was a great success, and the prints appeared in Lyons tea shops all over Britain. They were also on sale to the public, and provided Chromoworks with plenty of work from 1946 to 1955. The prints are still collectors’ items, and have been shown in art exhibitions


       5. A Lyons Tea Shop with prints on its walls, and a lithograph of Shopping in Mysore by Edward      Ardizzone. (Images from the internet - © the Towner Collection)

The land occupied by Church End Paddocks was purchased by Messrs Park and Ward, in 1919, for their Park Ward coachbuilding business. Despite Henry Ford’s assembly line method for making motor cars in America, many British cars, especially for wealthy drivers, were still built to individual designs on a manufacturer’s chassis. Below are before and after views, showing a drophead coupé sports car built on an MG chassis at the Park Ward works in 1936.  In 1939, the business was sold to Rolls Royce, who had been a major customer. It traded as their Mulliner Park Ward Division, an important employer in Willesden until the 1980s. 

 6. Before and after photographs, showing the coachbuilding skills of Park Ward, 1936. (Images from internet)

On the Cobbold Estate with Rolls Royce were several other manufacturing concerns. The Adelphi Works, of Heaton Tabb & Co, were famous for luxury decorating and furnishing, used in passenger liners, hotels and restaurants. Nearby were the Trojan Works, and the North London Engineering Company, producing bus and heavy goods vehicle bodies.


7. A Heaton Tabb advertisement from 1936, listing Willesden as one of their workshops. (From the internet)

With the need for local skilled workers, Willesden Technical College opened in 1934 at Denzil Road, off Dudden Hill Lane. The College provided courses formerly taught at the Polytechnic in Kilburn, and also included courses in art and building. In 1964, the College took over the buildings of Dudden Hill Lane school, on the corner of Cooper Road, one of Willesden's wonderful three-decker Board Schools, built in the early 20th century.


The sites became part of the College of North West London in 1991. The new Telford building, in Denzil Road, opened in 2009. The Edison building in Dudden Hill Lane was demolished in 2015, now replaced by state-of-the-art facilities for technology education, from access courses, BTECH and GCSE, to foundation degrees and other Higher Education qualifications. Around 8000 students presently attend courses there.


8. An aerial view of Willesden Technical College, Denzil Road, 1930s. (From “The Willesden Survey – 1949”)
Cliff Wadsworth, a Willesden local history expert, attended 'The Tech' between 1951 and 1954. He remembers that his walk to Denzil Road in the morning was accompanied by the sound of a blacksmith’s hammer, clanging away in the smithy on Dudden Hill. How times have changed!


Church End was one of four Willesden districts where heavy industry was prevalent. The others were Park Royal, Cricklewood and Kilburn. By 1936, Church End was almost wholly industrial. In 1937, Willesden as a whole was described as “the largest manufacturing borough in Britain.” 14% of Willesden’s population were employed at Church End and Chapel End by 1939.


9. Map showing where in Willesden people were willing to move from to a New Town. (Willesden Survey 1949)

After the war, the Greater London Plan of 1950 recognised the over-industrialisation and poor housing conditions of areas such as Church End and Chapel End. It proposed moving some firms and their employees to a New Town, being developed at Hemel Hempstead. The Willesden Survey of 1949 had found that 49% of Willesden’s entire population would be willing to move immediately (36% out of London), if housing and employment were available. They would expect wages of at least £5 per week, wanted a 3-bedroom house (preferably detached) and expected to pay rent of between £1 and 24 shillings a week for this.


     10. Two ladies (from Willesden?) chatting in Hemel Hempstead New Town, 1954. (From the internet)

Many skilled people, particularly younger workers and their families, were persuaded to move. In all, twenty-six firms, employing 5,000 workers, moved out of Willesden, including to other New Towns, such as Harlow, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City. The vacated factory sites and workshops were given over to warehouses, retail outlets, trading area, builders merchants, and other non-manufacturing concerns. 

British Thomson-Houston remained in Willesden into the 1960s, with its name changed to GEC.AEI, but was suffering from falling sales. Hansard records a speech in Parliament on 28 February 1969, by Laurie Pavitt, the MP for Willesden West:

‘I raise this matter affecting 1,100 families in my constituency, namely the proposed closure of GEC.AEI switchgear factory, Neasden Lane, Willesden. What can be done to keep it going? I am aware that the industry is facing a falling market, yet the Willesden factory managed to increase its share from 10% to15%, in 1968. There should be recognition for their efforts. The problem is that there have been 5,187 redundancies and 37 factories in Willesden completely closed down. Many valuable teams of skilled workers will be dispersed and uprooted. This is a fine factory. It is a gem of a factory. It is an asset for the nation ....’

Sadly, even Mr. Pavitt's eloquence could not prevent the factory’s closure in the early 1970s.


By the 1950s, the streets on the west side of Church Road, between Craven Park and Neasden Lane, were deemed fit for redevelopment. The Council purchased properties from 1963, and work began in the 1970s. Large houses at the Craven Park end were swept away first, and Church Road was widened into a dual carriageway, and carried straight on to a roundabout at the Neasden Lane junction, near St Mary's Church. The north end of Church Road remained, curving right towards the White Hart Public House.


11. “Resiform" flats on the 1970s Church End Estate. (From Flickr, on the internet)

 
The Church End Estate was completed by 1980, as far as Talbot Road, although the flats built using the “Resiform” system (with fibreglass exterior panels) have since had to be demolished. A second wave of improvements were made in the 1990s. The estate has a mix of low-rise flats and family houses with gardens, some are privately owned, some social housing. There is a large Community Centre, sheltered accommodation for the elderly, children's playgrounds, and the modern St Mary’s Primary School in Garnet Road. Unfortunately, there is no shopping centre, so residents have to cross to the east side of Church Road, where parades of small shops have survived since the late 19th century. 



12. Two views of the Church End Estate, including the Unity Centre, July 2020. (Photos by Margaret Pratt)

The story continues. As the population grows, and new building continues, it is easy to forget what has gone before, to lose track of our history, and how the places we know became what they are today. I hope you’ve enjoyed uncovering the history of Church End and Chapel End.