For all the local information go to the main entry for Hanworth

• Re: Brown Bear by John Dormer (Member 10257409) on 21-May-2011
  Think I can help wih this - the Brown Bear was at the South West corner of the junction of the A316 and A314 in Hanworth. It was demolished (I think) late 1960's / early seventies. It was run by a guy called Fred Green and had avery competitive datrs team, several News of the World champions including a guy who could not be beaten but only used six inch nails.
  
  Diagionally oposite was another pu
  b called the Oxford Arms (my local and a great traditional pub) - I have pictures of both of the pubs somewhere on the hard drive and will send them to you as and when I find them
  
  John Dormer john.dormer@pobox.co.uk
  ... more >>

• Re: Brown Bear by keith williams (Member 10241513) on 23-May-2011
  Thank you John. No wonder none of the locals seem to have heard of it now. I would appreciate any photos to manfromarundel@hotmail.com as I live down in Sussex now and very rarely return to old haunts. When you are in a place all the time, the daily changes are imperceptible, but when you return to a place after 20 years, the changes are dramatic. So it was with me, though the parts of Ha
  mpton that were already built on have hardly changed. The parts of Hampton that had not then been built on have been spoiled. As for Hanworth, well I understand it comes under Hounslow Council, and from memory, nothing Hounslow Council ever touched ever improved. Would I be right?
  
  Many thanks, Keith
  ... more >>

• Re: Brown Bear by keith williams (Member 10241513) on 27-May-2011
  John Thanks for e~mailing the photos . . What a lovely place to live in Hanworth once must have been. I am now an occasional visitor "en passant" and I am so astounded to see how the once beautiful ancient county of Middlesex has been destroyed

• Re: Brown Bear by Yvonne Butler (Member 10237916) on 24-Aug-2011
  john dormer any relation to peter dormer of greenford church site...now australia...gt memories he has....interesting site and good read at greenford...best wishes..husband and his family back to 1800s your area.......

• Re: Brown Bear by Jane (Member 10269290) on 7-Jan-2012
  Hi, I have been searching the net for the last six months or so, looking for some old pictures of this part of Hanworth and just found this link :-) We have recently moved to Bear Road and I am too young (just!) to remember the Brown Bear Pub. I would be very grateful if either of you could email me the pictures you spoke about, as I would love to see where the Brown Bear pub stood (I might even
  get to see our home in the background). My email address is mcguire10@hotmail.com, if you can help please. Regards Jane.
  ... more >>

• Re: Brown Bear by keith williams (Member 10241513) on 9-Jan-2012
  Jane,I have sent you two e~mails.
  
  Hope they help you. . Keith

• Re: Brown Bear by Jane (Member 10269290) on 12-Jan-2012
  Keith, I got them, thank you so much, they're fab! Jane :-)

• Re: Brown Bear by keith williams (Member 10241513) on 12-Jan-2012
  Jane, they were from John Dormer, see top of this thread.
  
  If John still reads this, could you post again please? You have so much knowledge to share

• Re: to old mates by John Dormer (Member 10257409) on 23-Feb-2011
  Did seem to be a lot of kids about in those days - baby boomers I guess. Many very fond memories of the estate, a great place to spend a childhood. Only roamed as far as Hampton and don't suppose I'll go much further now.
  
  I will be going through some old photos soon and will try to scan / upload them - I am sure there are some of the old gang.

• Re: where is everybody by Christine Dolphin (Member 10249629) on 12-Jul-2010
  Here ! lol.. Just joined... So hi to everybody. Knew a guy by the name of Raymond Edge who used to live in Fernside Ave, Hanworth, circ. 1960's. Hope this helps !

• Re: where is everybody by Alan Pike (Member 10255519) on 15-Dec-2010
  I reckon I know you, John Price. We are the same age and went to Hanworth Infants and Oriel Primary School.
  Was your house opposite Elmgate Avenue?
  I lived on the bottom corner of Fernside Avenue. The opposite end to the 'phone box. My elder sister, Lesley was friends with Julie Rolls, who lived in Elmgate. From your house I remember Jennifer Wookey, Nigel ?, Roger Bangs and Alan Bird. Then th
  ere was Peter Abury (Abags), Philip Milner and Anthony Kelly.
  For some reason there was a divide between your end and ours, though we did share an amazing camp in the long grass behind our houses. We had this enormous canvas, which smelt like rhubarb, which formed the roof and side walls. This had been donated by the R.A.O.C. (Army Depot.)the other side of the Feltham Brook and very high chainlink fence with barb wire on top. Then one day it disappeared. You can't trust some people!
  As for the long dry summer grass, well somehow it would frequently catch alight and the fire brigade would turn up and put an end to the fun. I think some woman, with a 'phone of course, would call them out, as the smoke would polute her washing. Every house had a washing line and probably a mangle, in those days.
  Can you remember the Scout hut that stood on this ground. All the kids dressed up in fancy dress and sat down to have sandwiches, cakes and drinks. Was it to do with the Coronation or Empire day? Lesley had one of the three prizes. She was dressed in crape paper, as Tudor Rose. She had a link to Tudor Court. I was dressed as Roy Rogers, this link being less well known to the judges.
  Do you remember the two white brick air raid shelters? There was one behind each of our gardens. Oh and the rope swing next to the brook, that hung from a tree on our side of it. I could plant my feet on the other bank, but never long enough to let go of the rope and stay on that side.
  
  I'll have to break off now and get back to you later. 'Bye for now.
  ... more >>

• Re: where is everybody by Alan Pike (Member 10255519) on 15-Dec-2010
  ( My memories of Hanworth, continued.)
  I now recall the lads name. It was Nigel Gibson. Unfortunately, he has passed away, despite being younger than us.
  Did your dad work for the Post Office? My dad worked for B.O.A.C., which amalgamated with B.E.A. to become British Airways. He passed away in 2000, but my mother still lives in Fernside Avenue.
  When I first came to Fernside in 1952,the park
  was called London Airpark, home of the London Flying Club. The monoplanes would take off and land on the grass. We kids, I'm not sure how young we were, would duck under the two strand barb wire fence, only to be chased off by 'Fatty and Skinny', who would race out towards us in their two seater open back truck.
  
  'Fatty and Skinny went out to play,
  Fatty blew off and blew Skinny away.'
  
  We taunted them with this refrain.
  
  The flying club disappeared and so did the barb wire. The big hotel in the centre became a 'Home for the Elderly'. They fenced the inmates in, which kept us out.
  I recall one of the hangers being used by David Brown aka Aston Martin Lagonda.I never managed to save up for one.
  Another hanger was used to store massive rolls of paper for making news papers.
  The weather seemed to be more predictable during the fifties - early sixties. We had Indian Summers,followed by wet autumns which formed large shallow ponds on the park, which was now open to the public for recreation. Then a very cold winter would come along, freezing these ponds totally. Suddenly, great numbers of ice-skaters and ice hockey players would occupy these impromptu rinks. I suppose it saved on fares, taking the 90b double decker bus to Richmond and the entry fee to the ice rink. I believe Doreen Denny came from Hanworth. She and Courtney Jones were World Ice Dance Champions and trained at Richmond.
  
  Re:Hanworth Infants School, Park Road.
  I went there aged four and a half. Mrs. Godwin / Goodwin was the Headmistress. Miss Bacon was one of my teachers. We learnt to write the alphabet on slates. (No, no one fell off the roof!)
  There were coal fires in the classrooms, but with substantial fire guards,like a black metal fence.
  The boys toilet block was outside, detached from the school building. There was an open window space, high above the urinal. I became a member of 'the pee through the window brigade', at my first attempt. I never heard of anyone getting told off, nor any passers by getting wet, although it might have been mistaken for a small cloud burst!
  In my se
  ... more >>

• Re: where is everybody by Richard (Member 10257334) on 29-Jan-2011
  I was shocked to read that Nigel Gibson fo Fernside Avenue was dead. I was a close friend in the late sixties and I have not seen him since 1970. I ahvew been trying to trace him for many years. Can you tell me any more about what happened to him please.

• Re: where is everybody by Adrian Lalor (Member 10256981) on 30-Jan-2011
  I know you Alan Pike, I also know John Price. You probably know my brother Tony, (Anthony Lalor I am his younger brother Adrian.) We lived at 5,Park Rd the paper shop was owned by Tom Chapman, the pub on the corner was the Jolly Sailor. I had five sisters Hillier, Dinky (Margareite) Ann, Sybil and Christine. In the house beside us lived Mr & Mrs Goringe I believe Their grandson Gerald,still lives
  there, and works at the hanworth post office. On the other-side lived Stan Earsdon they had three girls Maureen, Margaret and I cant remember the youngest girls names. I went to all the schools the primary school in park rd, Oriel, De-Brome. I grew up with Colin Oakford and Bobby Humphries they both lived on park rd and like me they were born in park rd. I loved growing up there so much to do, we used to hang around the old Crumps home big old house empty. I was good friends with Dick Morris The butchers son. I hope you guys are all doing well. Sincerely Adrian Lalor.
  ... more >>

• Re: where is everybody by John Dormer (Member 10257409) on 31-Jan-2011
  Good old names from way way back !!!
  
  I am John Dormer and lived at 32 Camrose Avenue uintil I was about 12 twelve which would have been 1959. Did anyone else have soem "sample" spangles from Chapmans. Direcet e-mail is john.dormer@pobox.co.uk
  
  Be in touch

• Re: Bisto by Jackie Wells (Member 10239019) on 19-Jul-2009
  I grew up in Hanworth too, and of course I remember Bisto, was going out with Tracey and they had a little baby (girl - I believe, hope I am right, as it was over 25yrs ago) !!!
  Did Bisto not pass away in the mid 1980's ??? As I left Hanworth in 1986, and I thought it was around that time ??? But I am getting old now, so maybe I have it wrong, 25yrs is a long old time, one minute I was 14, then I
  turned around and I am now 41 - OUTRAGEOUS !!!
  Funny enough, a few weeks ago, Anthony Sardena rang me from Australia, and we were talking about the good old days, growing up in the Blissful Old Butts Farm Leisure & Holiday Complex of Hanworth (better than Butlins - any day !!!) Drinking Cider from a hole in the top of the lid, going over Crane Park and swimming in the well clean (muddy as you like) river .... FANTASTIC FUN HAD BY ALL - well we were all drunk most of the time !!! But we never missed a day of School, never - Yeah right, believe that, you will believe anything , ha ha ha ......
  I have got a few really , really old pictures from back then, and have a picture of Bisto & Tracey over the flats (where we used to hang out), the quality is pretty crap, but its all about memories really .... So even though things have changed, as they always do over the years , you will never forget those special memories of how things used to be , special moments and special people you shared them with ... (",)
  Take care , Westside Shimon !!!
  Jackie xxx
  (now living in Sunny Staines)
  ... more >>

• Re: Bisto by Anthony Selkirk (Member 10255657) on 18-Dec-2010
  I do not believe you will know me. In the latter 80's I used to go drinking with Paul at The George in Twickenham on a Thursday. Others that use to be part of the group were Paul 'Smuger' Smith, Louis Parke, Jason Christmas just to name a few. Sorry to hear that Paul past away.

• Re: Bisto by Eddie Grist (Member 10269330) on 8-Jan-2012
  Thanks, Anthony, your name certainly rings some bells with me, i'm sure Paul would have appreciated that people wish him well.

• Re: south road by Laurence Waring (Member 10229891) on 31-Jul-2008
  Darren how are you?

• Re: south road by darren hepton (Member 10214340) on 13-Aug-2008
  hi how are you lawrence , im not bad im living on the isle of wight now i have a 8 year old daughter and i am married to a girl called ann she came from hanwoth , what are you up to these days?
  darren

• Re: south road by Clayton Gidney (Member 10239674) on 13-Aug-2009
  Darren, call me ASAP.

• Re: Reynolds of Hanworth by Pamela Reynolds (Member 10255449) on 12-Dec-2010
  Hello Sue
  I do hope you get this as your message was posted in 2006! I have just started finding out about my family history. My great, great grandfather, James Reynolds, owned the Oxford Arms in Hanworth. We have a photograph of him standing in the pub yard. We think it was taken around 1910. My grandad is 88 years-old, well and lives in Shepperton.
  
  Pam

• Re: Looking for old friends by Laura James (Member 10208215) on 17-May-2007
  Hi,
  
  I saw your message looking for Maureen Hilton. Did she used to live in Wales, before she moved to London? If she did I might have some information for you.
  
  All best wishes
  
  Laura

• Re: Looking for old friends by Peter Poulton (Member 10085872) on 21-Sep-2007
  Sorry to have been so long acknowledging yourpost but havs bee in Belfast for some time. I am not sure aboutMaureen Hilton having moved from wales to London, but as time passes the memory is not so good

• Re: crane junior school by anthony sardena (Member 10111063) on 14-Jun-2005
  how r ya chris?....i was at crane school from 1975...1980 then feltham school....got a few photos of the climbing frame at crane infants with me on it!!!!.....lol

• Re: crane junior school by Kenny Farmer (Member 10127391) on 19-Jun-2005
  I run the Crane Park Primary School (as its known now) Web Site
  
  Please visit it at
  
  www.cranepark.co.uk
  Kenny Farmer

• Re: crane junior school by lynne hipgrave (Member 10189184) on 11-Aug-2006
  sorry i didnt go to crane junior school but tony sardena has been trying to contact me..do you have his email adres pls gaerbisu@msn.com