LOWER PLACE PHOTOS

 
  THE END OF LOWER PLACE SCHOOL  

Lower Place School as we knew it

 For children between the age of 5 and 11 years old
The beginning of the end Survived the war brought down by man
A view from the big playground This was the entrance to get upstairs to the class rooms

The fondest memories we shall keep

As they lower you into a heap

 Terry Johnson, some would know him as Terry Swainsbury kept the weather cock in his back garden
The end of an era gone but not forgotten Lower Place Primary School 1915 - 1997 R.I.P.
Remember the shed and the girls and boys toilets We used to play kiss chase, the girls always ran for cover in the toilets
When we played football in this playground the third opening from the left of the shed we used as the goal This photo was taken in front of the main gate and entrance to the school
This photo was taken where the dinner shed used to be Many a good time was spent in this playground during our summer holidays
Mr Long's shop Pitts Stores
The entrance to Lower Place School as we remember it
  BELOW PHOTOS OF THE OUT BUILDINGS  
This is the gate house, the brick work to the left of the picture used to be another entrance to the school The gate house was situated left of the main gates to the school opposite Steele Road
The gate house being pulled down Never see it being used in my time at the school
The caretaker's house Mr Tucker, later occupied by Mr and Mrs Circus from Steele Road Situated opposite Park Royal Hospital in Barretts Green Road. We called it "The Lane"
The end of a good house to make way for warehouses Mr and Mrs Tucker never got involved with the Lower Place community
This is the other side of Lower Place School as seen in the early 1900's - To be used for the handicap children later on
 
To see photos of the People of Lower Place their names and the road where they lived click here
The school to the right in the photo is Wesley Road Secondary Modern School Most children from Lower Place School went here after sitting for the 11 plus exams
On the opposite side to Wesley Road School was Stonebridge School, most of the children from there went to Wesley Road after they sat for their 11 plus exams Some of my class mates from Stonebridge were Wally Welstead and twin brother Fred (Winney) Sammy King, Timmy Billings, Ken Soden, Robert Butcher,Peter Cullen and Ian Stewart
  IN THIS SECTION ROBERT RUSSELL (ROSCOE) HAS KINDLY GAVE HIS PERMISSION FOR ME TO USE HIS COLLECTION OF PHOTOS  
Lower Place Nursery 1918 Lower Place Nursery 1918 Lower Place Nursery 1934
Lower Place Nursery 1934 Lower Place Nursery 1934 The Playground 1956
  THE NEW LOWER PLACE  
  BARRETTS GREEN ROAD  
  DISRAELI ROAD  
  STEELE ROAD  
  WHERE THE HOMES AND AMBULANCE DEPOT USE TO BE  
  HEINZ THEN AND NOW  
  THE CUT ( CANAL )  
  BELOW PHOTOS OF LOWER PLACE AND IT'S RESIDENTS  
Bert Reading - Corby RoadRoad
A view of gardens at the rear of Berts House
Lower Place school play
Lower Place school play
Lower Place school play
A Lower Place outing
Corby Road coronation party
Corby Road coronation party
Lower Place football team 1951
   
  Lower Place School 1977  
 
  Me with some of my mates you might recogize one of them  
 
Keith Pennell Harry French John Moone Derek Wicks Terry Johnson Billy Gregory Derek Pearce
This is me with my mates at Butlins Holiday Camp Filey in the 60's it was a right boozy Bash From the left - Keithy Pennell myself Johnny Moone - Tommy Johnson and Billy Gregory
Lower Place Rams Club
The Rams Club was a club that was formed in the Grand Junction Arms Lower Place and named after the Youngs beer logo the Ram, photo was taken in a pub at the Grand National Liverpool Top left at the back Terry Johnson - Harry French - John Moone Del Wicks - Keith Pennell - Del Pearce - Alan Pennell bottom right and Benny Hill between the two ladies who's with the governor
  Lower Place School Football Team - Willesden Champions - 1948 - 1949  
This photo was taken in the top playground of Lower Place School in front of the white handicap childrens dinner shed. The top row from the left Terry Smith -Freddy Elderfield - Freddy Baldwin - Harry French - Tommy Johnson Second row from the left Brian McDonald - Dont know? - Terry Johnson - Derek Pearce - Billy Williams and the bottom row from the left are two dont knows? Does anyone know these three unknown boys? If you do please email me address at the bottom
Lower Place boys sitting on the seats at the top of Barretts Green Road to the left of them would have been the red telephone boxes with the bill boarding directly behind them

Top row from the left Derek Butler - Johnny Wilson - Billy Williams Bottom row from the left Terry Johnson - Terry Smith and Freddy Baldwin
  Below is a video of some of the boys from Lower Place on my boat in 1987 just after leaving the Junction heading towards Paddington on the canal - click at the bottom of the photo to play video  
In this photo and the video is Terry Johnson from Steele Road on the boat sitting down on the left is Benny (Colin Hill) worked for Saby's in the yard opposite the Junction
Click here to play this Video
Sitting in the middle is Harry French builder from Steele Road and sitting on the right is Terry's dad Tommy Johnson also from Steele Road
Frank Long outside his shop "Pitts Stores" on the corner of Barretts Green Road and Steele Road I worked in this shop when I was 12 yrs old delivering groceries and beer on a bike with a carrier on the front of it
A street party in 1945 at the bottom of Disraeli Road. The tall man in from the left of the picture is the only one I recognize Mr Snooks. I would have been 4yrs old at the time I was good friends with Mr Snooks's son Johnny who married a girl from Iver in Buckinghamshire he was also friends of the Wilsons in Barretts Green Road
We are now in Corby Road, to the left of the picture 2nd house from the end was Joe Tweed the news paperman's house who sold his papers on the corner of Waxlow Road and Acton Lane across the Road from the Junction pub Still on the left hand side lived the Baldwin's,the Haynes's and the Pusey's. At the top of Corby I can only remember the Burges. On the right hand side were the Reading's,the Mac Donald's,the Norris's and the Pennell's. The little girl is Eleanor Pusey
  MY FAMILY THE MOONES  
I had to make this photo up because my family never had a group photo taken The church in the back ground is St Mary's Ealing where I got married
From left to right - me John,Roy,mum Lou,dad Jim,Jimmy and Ron
This is Barretts Green Road at the homes end of the road, most of the houses and shops now boarded up, the first house with the curtains still up in the middle of this block was my house As you can see the two shops at the end of the houses are boarded up, the first shop was Keeches the bakers and post office, the shop next to it was Sophie Kempster's greengrocers shop
If you haven't guessed by now my name is Johnny Moone owner and creator of this website. I was born in the house in the middle of this picture 95 Barretts Green Road in 1941 (ooooh that hurts) along with brothers Jim, Roy and Ron Two doors to the right of my house was Keech's the bakery.The house to right of mine lived the Goodman's and the Newbert's. To the left lived the Wheeler's next to them lived Mrs Richards and next to her was the Fishenden's. Behind them was the Homes and the hospital
Willesden Infermary 1931 later to be renamed Central Middlesex Hospital opposite to it was Harold Wesleys in Acton Lane Park Royal We always knew it as Park Royal Hospital. Again Harold Wesleys and the hospital provided employment for the Lower Place people
Central Middlesex Hospital as we would know it in our day opposite Harold Wesley's I would hear the clock tower chimes striking on the hour from my house in Barretts Green Rd
This is Joe Kempster with his Morris car out side his house in Barretts Green Road next door to Bonniface's grocery shop Sophie Kempster used the front room of the house to make it into a greengrocer shop, later she moved to where Smith's dairy was, next to Keech's the bakery
This is inside of the mission hall which was about three quarters of the way down Steele Road on the left hand side in between the Henderson's and the Tarling's houses Miss Gearing from Wesley Road School would run the Sunday School classes here. It was used as a youth club in the 50's I remember those chairs
This was a reunion in the 70's for Miss Gearing at Lower Place School assembly hall for her hard work and dedication to the mission and the Lower Place community. In her very own words she said "It's like coming home" Behind Miss Gearing from left to right is myself John followed by brothers Ron,Roy and Jim the eldest. We only ever had two photos taken of us four boys together and this is one of them
These are some of the girls that went to Miss Gearing's sunday school classes. In the bottom row from the left, the 1st one not known, next is June Owen, then Pat Allabaster and Betty Fishenden don't know the last one. The row behind from the left is Eileen Hebbs, Pauleen Newbert, cotinue over Next to Pauleen is Julie Kibble then Jean Circus, Tricia Fishenden next not known then my mum Louise Moone. Behind Tricia is June Wilson to the right of her is Violet Edmond and the rest I do not know. Miss Gearing would take her classes on camping exhibition's she loved Lower Place People
  LOWER PLACE REUNION 1998  
  bBARRETTS GREEN ROAD RESIDENTS  
   
  CORBY ROAD RESIDENTS  
   
  DISRAELI ROAD RESIDENTS  
   
  STEELE ROAD RESIDENTS  
   
  THE LOWER PLACE COMMUNITY  
   
  OTHER LOWER PLACE PHOTOS  
Lower Place as it was in the early days.The photo was taken from the Mcvitie & Price field across the canal from the alotments as we knew it in our day Steele Road would be to the right of the 1st tall telegragh pole on the right hand side Terry Bryant and myself would swim in this part of the canal as kids
The Grand Junction Arms as it would have been in my grandfathers day.In later years they replace the bridge with an iron one painted red,we called it "The Red Bridge" My grandfather owned the land where Heinz's was, he would come from there to the Junction by pony and trap to have his pint of beer
The "Junction" as we called it would play a big part to theLower Place community especially the men, they would go there after a days work before going home On this side of the canal just behind the man in the picture they built a boat house and a little further on towards the bridge up the embankment they built "Jack's Cabin"
The Junction exactly as it was in my day with the men's outside toilet to the right in the photo On the left hand side of the Junction was Barretts Green Rd to the right was Waxlow Road nw10

The original Jack's Cabin , later to be knocked down and rebuilt in brick
Jack also had a partnership for boat hireing from the boat shed on the canal

On approach to the "Red Bridge" on the right hand side is where the baths would be mum would take our washing there on a monday

 Along the tow path on the right hand side, where the little wall is was where the old boat house used to be and just along from that "Jack's Cabin"
Jacks Cabin at the top of Barretts Green Road as it would probably look to-day the Junction just around the corner Next door to the right was the betting shop very handy on a Saturday afternoon when having a pint in the Junction
The Grand Junction Arms as it would be seen to-day. On a Sunday I would come from Alperton on my boat and moor up on the bank next to the Junction and have a drink with the boys. Directly across the road from the Junction was Acton Lane Power Station, a lot of people from Lower Place worked there. Some of them would hop over the fence to get a pint
A pub with many memories, one that comes to mind was when I was about 10yrs old. I was playing out side the pub when a horse and cart owned by Eddy Edmond bolted coming down the bridge hill to the right of this photo gathering speed, with Eddy pulling on the reigns to stop it but he couldn't. The horse and cart charged across the road into the grey wall (left of the pub in the photo) Eddy jumped off before it hit. The horse died
This brass plaque was erected on the wall of the Grand Junction Arms, Acton Lane NW10 between the back bar and the snug on Sunday 2/10/2011 to remember a unique community

This will also keep alive the people of Lower Place who are no longer with us but will stay in our memory

My thanks goes to Phil Mortimer for sending me this photo
This is Harlesden Bridge which linked Harlesden and Stonebridge with Lower Place and Park Royal. Harlesden Station is to the right of the bus stop, bus routes 12 and 187 We called this "The Bridge Hill" The people from Harlesden and Stonebridge would walk over this bridge every morning to get to work at McVities,Heinz and the Power Station seen on the left
Here's another view of Acton Lane Power Station cooling towers,with the bus stop for 12 and 187 The main LMS train line from Euston ran under this bridge we would do our train spotting from here
This is Acton Lane Power Station Where my brother Roy, myself and a great deal of Lower Place people worked The Power Station was both sides of the canal, they would transfer coal from the left by conveyer belt to the main boilers on the right hand side
The Power Station cooling towers as would be seen from North Acton Road In front of the towers was North Acton playing field ( the park ) as we knew it
The building of Heinz 57 factory 1920 Demolition work started in the year 2000
The building of Heinz started in 1920 and was open for buisness in 1925 It employed people from Lower Place and Willesden
This is the "Heinz Factory" on the opposite side of the canal was Lower Place alotments. Quite a few people from Lower Place worked there and McVities which was next door to it The land which Heinz's sits was once owned by my grandfather and his father before him. They had a cottage and a brick kiln on it for making bricks for the building industry
McVitie & Price biscuit factory Waxlow Road nw10 a view from across the railway lines which would eventually have the LMS main line from Euston to Scotland going by

Many people from Lower Place Stonebridge Willesden and the surounding areas were employed there I drove one of their lorry's for them in the 60's
McVitie and Price biscuit factory with the feeder from it leading into The Grand Union Canal Opposite the feeder where this photo was taken was John's an engeneering factory
Lower Place Alotments with Lower Place and the Cooling Towers of Acton Lane Power Station in the background My brother Roy and his friends Arthur and Peter Kibble would grow prize Geraniums here and enter them in the Willesden show
The building of the Guinness Brewery between 1933 - 1936 Demolition work started sometime in the year 2000
Guinness Brewery was at the bottom of Cumberland Avenue Park Royal off of Abbey Road and was a great asset to the Lower Place community job wise I drove a lorry for Jack Taylor based at the canal end of Steele Road Lower Place and would take loads of coal into Guiness's for their boilers
A view of Guinness's Brewery from Coronation Road opposite to this was Crack Ally foot bridge which took you toPark Royal Station No longer there it had to make way for a large road junction linking the Western Avenue (A40) to Park Royal Industrial estate in 2005
This is crack alley the path had a lot of cracks in it, so as kids do we called it crack alley The bridge went across railway lines one of which come from North Acton staion
This was where the old "White Bridge" used to be,they built the new bridge to link Abbey Road Park Royal ( left of the bridge) to the North Circular Road Stonebridge In the old days there were locks gates here and at Alperton. Their purpose was to shut the canal off if the aquaduct across the North Cicular Road was blown up or leaked
A view of the old "White Bridge" in the early 1900s the picture was taken from the Alperton side. The "Radio Times" factory was built later on the right hand side My grandfather would come over the bridge from the left hand side in his pony and trap and go in the Plumes pub for his pint then onto the Grand Juction Arms Lower Place
This is the old White Bridge from the other side photo taken where Heinz was built The land behind where this photo was taken was own by my Grandfather he had a brick kiln on it
The Plumes Hotel exactly as it was in my day a perfect place to go on a Friday night My father my brothers my grandfather and his father all used this pub
The Plumes Hotel On the corner of Twyford Abbey Rd and Abbey Road opposite the old Park Royal Dogtrack A watering hole for many a teenager in my day from Stonebridge and Lower Place usually Friday nights
  My thanks to Phil Mortimer for these photos  
It's sad to see it all boarded up, they built a club on the side of it, but it didn't seem to take off We use to go in The Plumes on Friday night hoping to pull the off duty nurses that went in there
This is the Aquaduct carrying the Grand Union Canal across the North Cicular Road in the 50's, located between Park Royal and Alperton. Near by was the Ace Cafe, Bikers would congregate there The I R A attempted to blow the aquaduct up with the intention of flooding the local area and creating caos with the traffic but they failed the bridge withstood the blast
The "Ace Cafe" at night a thriving place to go with motorbikes of all kinds and makes. I had a Triumph back in the 50s and use to go there all the time, if you had a bike it was the place to be They would put a record on the Duke Box and we would race flat out along the North Cicular Road to Neasden roundabout and back again before the record ended, didn't always achieve it
A veiw from the top of the aquaduct just after it was built. Bitish Waterways used to carry coal and other commercial products to and from various places along the canal I have been across the aquaduct many times in my boat called "Twice As Nice" to get to the Junction on a Sunday morning from Alperton where I moored my boat

click on this link below to see video of bomb damage to aquaduct 1939

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bca0SeXmaPk

 

Thank you for visiting my website I hope you liked it. If you have any old or recent photos of Lower Place and would like to see them on my site, you can e-mail them to me and I will willingly add them to this page. There are not many old photos of Lower Place around, any would be very appreciated. The ones of Lower Place School being demolished are rare. To contact me just click on the e-mail link below,thank you John.

johnmoone388@gmail.com

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