There was great excitement at Oxford Gardens School as we prepared for the Coronation.
In my class it was decided that we should make a fabric panel to portray the most important people taking part in the ceremony. ” My ” person was the Duke of Norfolk. He would be wearing a velvet robe, in purple, a colour which I thought quite marvellous. My teacher, Miss Tongs, gave me a piece of wide purple velvet ribbon to work with and I can remember holding it and stroking it, almost reverentially. Touching velvet even now still conjures up the same glorious feeling.
We also learned all about the Coronation ceremony, the regalia, its traditions and symbolism, and who would do what and when, and who to look for and so on.
On the day of the Coronation itself I was invited to our next door neighbours to watch their television as we did not have our own. We all sat glued to the – really tiny – screen and then I was invited to stay to lunch. I remember eating cold cooked cauliflower very, very slowly.
At School we had a fancy dress party, our outfits depending on begging, borrowing and raiding dressing-up boxes and our mothers’ sewing abilities. At the end of the party we each received a small commemorative glass mug, which still sits at the back of a cupboard after all this time.
We were also included in the nationwide Coronation celebrations.
The whole school – and presumably other local schools too – was taken to help line the route of the royal tour of London.
We were taken to a spot near St. Helen’s Church, although I suppose the Church wasn’t there then, and we stood near the junction of St. Quintin Avenue and St. Helen’s Gardens. We then waited ages and ages and ages, or so it seemed at the time.
Eventually, at a given signal, we all began to cheer, and a large car flashed by. It presumably held the Royals but I don’t actually remember seeing them, perhaps I blinked!
My memory is of a very long wait, a deflated sense of occasion and the rear view of an extremely large, black car, a far cry from all the pomp, glitter and ceremony experienced at the Royalty Cinema in Lancaster Road, and certainly not that much fun when you are under ten years old.
Jennifer Godin, May 2005
North Kensington Histories 
Hello, I went to Oxford Gardens school and remember the Coronation – we lined the route on the North side of what is now St Helen’s Church; I also remember playing on the concrete footings of the original Church – my Mother once told me that it was hit by a landmine during WWII. My family were living in Maxilla Gardens at that time. I also remember going to the Royalty Cinema, as a sort of “treat”. Does anyone know the names of the girls in the photograph?
Brian Wybrow
Hello,
I’m the girl with the big bow in her hair and little bows sewn all over my dress, I can’t remember any of the other girls, My name is Christine nee Harding now Smith and used to live in Highlever Road. My brother Jim went to the same School and was in a sketch – Whats my Line, he played the part of Babs Kelly. It was probably later the same day the photo was taken.
We both have lovely memories of living in North Kensington and we were both sad when we moved, leaving our friends behind.
I can remember taking a Miss Wimbridge’s dogs, Prince and Lassie out for a walks , she also had quite a few cats. I remember also that the Vicar used to ride a bike although his sight wasn’t all that good……………
Chris Smith
Hi Christine,
I was in the choir at St Helen’s. Mrs Wimbridge was also in the choir and used to take me home to Lancaster Road after choir practice in her big old car. Leather seats, I used to sit in the back. Felt very special. She lived at 111 Highlever Road if I remember rightly. The name of the vicar was Geoffrey Harris. He always used a magnifying glass to read his sermon notes. Miss E Betty Roe MBE was our choir mistress in 1957 and she still lives in Barlby Road (number 10 I think) She is 86 now. So sad to see the dreadful fire in Grenfell Tower. It was not built when I moved in 1959. I have happy memories growing up there.
Good to hear from someone of that era. Forgot to say that Mr Wimbridge was a lovely man. Very tiny and frail as I recall.
Take care Christine
Best wishes
Frank
Hello,
Thinking about it, I’m almost sure the girl in the Harem outfit is Julie Garrity, she used to live in Highlever Road also,
My name was Lillian Young, sisters Betty and Barbara. We used to go to the Saturday morning children’s pictures every week at the Royalty. My mom would give us enough money to have breakfast at the restaurant opposite, then while my sisters stayed in line I would run up to the Portobello Rd sweet stand and buy sweet crumbs for us, that was our treat for a week.
Hello all. I also went to Oxford Gardens School from 1954.My sister Rosalind also went there. I remember seeing the Queen go along Ladbroke Grove. My mum worked in Crumptons butcher shop and we sat on the windowsill on the second floor to watch the Queen go past.
Brian, do you remember a boy called Johnny Hart who lived in 21 or 23 Maxilla Gardens? Also I had a friend called Johnny Housego who lived in the house at the junction of St Marks Road and Maxilla Gardens.
I lived in Lancaster Road at the junction with St Marks Road. You mentioned the fish and chip shop in Ladbroke Grove Brian. My mum worked there.
Seems like yesterday and it was a great place to grow up. So good to hear other peoples recollections.
Take care all
Frank Howard Clark
Hello Frank,
Nice to receive a direct response from someone; at last!
Yes, I knew Johnny Hart, and Johnny Housego. Johnny Hart lived near the bend in Maxilla Gardens, on the left. Johnny Housego lived in a house in St Marks Road, near the corner, at the junction of Maxilla Gardens and St Marks Road. He used to ride pillion on my motorbike, and he eventually got one himself. I visited Maxilla last July, and it is incredible how much it has all changed due to the elevated section of the A40. It is interesting to learn that your mother worked in those places. I remember the Queen passing us whilst we were standing outside St Helens Church (I believe it was outside the remains of the bombed out church, or the one then being built; which now stands there – I used to play on the bombed out ruins of that church, after WW2; it was hit by a landmine during WW2; my mother told me that the whole house shook when the bomb landed – we lived in the basement flat). I lived at 11A Maxilla Gardens, W 10, with my Mother, Father, brother Clive, and sister, Shirley. Did you know Reggie Harwood (sadly, now deceased). Reggie lived on the left hand side of Lancaster Road, about one third of the way up towards Ladbroke Grove. I am in contact with Reggie’s sister, Donna. Donna moved to Toronto, Canada, and we are both on Facebook. Maxilla Gardens certainly was a great place to live; since it was a U shaped road, with limited traffic.
Best wishes,
Brian.
Hello Brian,
Sorry to have taken so long to reply. I was delighted to hear that you knew both Johnny Hart and
Johnny Housego, who were both in my class at Oxford Gardens. In fact I dug out my class photos
to remember them again. The last time I saw Johnny Housego was the 1958 cup final which I
watched in his house. Nat Lofthouse (Bolton) knocked out Harry Greig, goalkeeper for Man Utd.
Bolton won 2-0. It was only a few months after the Munich air disaster which decimated Man Utd.
I was in Dr Laurie’s on Lancaster Road when the news of the crash came through.
Did you know Mr Morris who was a watchmaker and lived in Cambridge Gardens, a few houses
up from the junction with St Marks Road on the right hand side? I was friends with his son Alan
I think it was.
The other memory is of the dentist in Cambridge Gardens up Ladbroke Grove end called Miss
Heath.
You asked if I knew Reggie but sad to say I didn’t. I read your article about your father and gleaned the fact from there that you were born in 1942? I was born in 1946 so that may account
for me not knowing him. So good to hear your memories. I used to use Maxilla Gardens as a
short cut to school so it may well be we passed each other in the street. Small world.
Do take care. Be nice to hear from you again.
My regards
Frank
Hello Frank,
Thanks for all that info.
Since you went to John Housegoâs house (at the top end of Maxilla, but in St marks Road) I went there a few times, and you may have been there at the time!
In about 1960, John was sometimes on my motorbike as a pillion passenger!
Eventually, he got a Norton motorbike himself.
I moved to Southend on Sea in about 1962, so lost contact; except with those whom I met when I travelled from there to London, mainly at weekends.
Where did you live when you attended Oxford Gardens School?
Where do you live now?
Best wishes
Brian
Hello Brian,
I left London in March 1959 and moved to Strood in Kent. In London I lived at 200 Lancaster Road. At the junction of St Marks Road and Lancaster Road. On the corner by the pillar box
was a Jewish tailors and we lived next door. So that is going towards Silchester Road and
opposite the convent, if you remember that. At some point the wall on the corner of the convent
was altered to allow better vision for traffic at the junction. The lollipop man who saw us across
the pedestrian crossing was Mr Parry and he lived in Finstock Road opposite Oxford Gardens
School. Mum was friends with him and he invited us (Mum, my sister and me) to watch the
coronation on his television. He moved to Gillingham in Kent on his retirement.
Do you remember Nunn’s the hardware shop at the bottom of Lancaster Road? I used to go
and get paraffin for our oil fire there. Also Hawkins the grocers shop where you needed the ration book for cheese etc..
Where has time gone Brian? I would not alter my childhood in North Kensington . They were
Halcyon days. On the other corner of St Marks and Lancaster Road was a bakery and you could
smell freshly baked bread whilst trying to get to sleep.Always think of that when I get the whiff of
bread.
Forgot to say there were about 25 other people too in Mr Parry’s front room!!! Needed a shoehorn to get us all in. HaHa.
Take care Brian. Good to hear from you.
Best wishes
Frank
Hello Frank,
Very pleased to read your memories here. Mrs Wimbridge, lived in Highlever Road, I lived in St Quintin Avenue, the back of our house looked over onto Highlever Road. I could see Mrs Wimbridge’s house. She was a small lady, often seen riding her cycle with basket to the front. But the real joy was to see her pull up outside her house in a massive Austin 12 motor car. The drivers door would open and little Mrs Wimbridge stepped out to everyones amazement. I remember her singing in the choir at St Helens Church, once it was re-built after being bombed during the war. I remember the Rev. Harris, reading with the aid of a magnifying glass. He carried out the double wedding of my sisters. An occasion that surprised me was to find Mrs Wimbridge placing a bet during a dog race meeting at the White City, I think she enjoyed a little flutter. The White City Stadium was a place of great entertainment if you enjoyed athletic meetings and the annual tattoo. The dog racing was quite fun in moderation. On Saturdays it was my job to do the shopping. With a large shopping bag I made off to North Pole Road. First stop Sylvertons (later became Bolts) the green grocers, next Quy the butchers, onto Hawkins for the general groceries. Kents the sweet shop for some chip nut fudge! Cross the road, pass Barretts the off licence to Bowen & Williams the chemists (where as a boy I had a weekend job). Past Storeys (greengrocer) to Jones the diary for milk, Millers for bread, cross the road to Elertons for the papers. Opposite Elertons was a small electrical shop where I had to take the radio accumulator for the weekly charge. Next to that was a barbers shop, there Harry charged tuppence for a short back and sides. At the top of Latymer Road the little shops included a wet fish shop, a shoe repairers, dry cleaners, and of course the oil shop/ironmongers, where I too obtained paraffin. Further down Latymer Road was a wonderful fish a chip shop (newspaper and all!!). Outside the North Pole pub on Sundays a shell fish stall could be found serving cockles, prawns, muscles, jellied ells and whelks! At Bowen & Williams, Wyn Reece was the chemist/optician, assisted by Mr Hills, Mrs Fox and Mrs Saunders. The North Pole pub was a lively place at the weekend, now Tescos I believe. Happy days.
Hello Graham. I was delighted to receive your email and it certainly brought back so many happy memories of my time as a chorister at St Helens. Dear Mrs Wimbridge really looked after me. She would drive me home in that wonderful car to Lancaster Road. My dear Mum made really good friends with her. I was christened at St Helens when I was 13 prior to being confirmed, and of course Rev Geoffrey Harris took the service. I always felt so sorry for him having to use that magnifying glass. The Choir mistress (E Betty Roe) is still alive and lives in Barlby Road. When the 1st anniversary service was held at St Helens for Grenfell tower, I saw her in the congregation.
You are I believe slightly older than me. I was 74 in January. I still have my for photos. Where have the years gone? I was happy to have been brought up there. I now live in Kent.
Thanks again for writing.
Take care of yourself and stay safe
Regards
Frank
HI, MY NAME JAMES HARDING BROTHER OF CHRISTINE SMITH WH0 WAS MISS RED WHITE AND BLUE IN THE PICTURE AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE. MR LUSBY WAS MY TEACHER AND I HAVE A PICTURE OF US AT SAYERS CROFT CAMP, DO NOT REMEMBER ANYONE IN THE PICTURE ALTHOUGH THEY WERE CLASSMATES/YEARMATES, MR LUSBY WOULD TAKE THOSE INTERESTED IN CRICKET, AFTER SCHOOL TO THE FREE SEATS AT LORDS, I SANG IN THE CHOIR AT ST HELENS CHURCH, (not the new church) ALSO WAS ONE OF THE BOYS WHO GOT MRS WIMBRIDGE’S SHOPPING, HAD A PAPER ROUND, MAINLY ST QUINTINS AVENUE, WAS ONLY IN NW10 FOR A FEW YEARS AS WE HAD TO MOVE WHEN DAD WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER METROPOLITAN WATER BOARD DISTRICT. I MUST HAVE LIKED MOVING AS I NOW LIVE IN SOUTH WALES VALLEYS, 19th MOVE
HAPPY DAYS
Hello James.
I was interested to hear that you now live in Ebbw Vale, since I live near Abergavenny, South Wales, and used to go to Oxford Gardens School from the late 1940’s into the 1950’s. I remember Mr Lusby, who took us for Cricket. One of my Class Teachers was Mr Taylor. You will see many of my accounts earlier on this website, and there is a postcard showing Maxilla Gardens at the top of my account. I used to live in Maxilla Gardens (now Maxilla Walk). Best wishes to you and your sister.
Brian
[Brian R A Wybrow Ph.D. (Lond.)]