The ‘Dwellings’ on Ladbroke Grove

From Donna Bannerman, introduction by Sue Snyder.

In a much earlier blog posting, The Barlby Road and Ladbroke Grove Junction , J.G recalled the tenement dwellings at the northern end of Ladbroke Grove between the railway bridge and Kensal Road. Last year I was sent some much more detailed memories and photos from a family who lived there over three generations. Donna’s grandfather had worked at the gasworks and her grandmother lived there from 1948. Donna and her mother supplied the following information.

At the end of Ladbroke Grove between the steps to Southern Row in the south and Kensal Road in the north, there were a series of large tenement type flats. On this 1950 map the first, going north is Western Dwellings, followed by Victoria House, then Ladbroke Dwellings and lastly, just to confuse us, a Victoria Mansions. However this naming does not match with Donna’s description below!

Unfortunately the best photos that exist are in the London Picture Archive and I cannot reproduce them here without a fee so to see them you will have to use this link

https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/quick-search?q=ladbroke%20dwellings&WINID=1635776623632

Memories of Ladbroke Dwellings (from Donna and her mother)

The Ladbroke Dwellings from 1948 had a double doored front entrance opening into a Hallway which led to the ground floor flats and a staircase going upstairs. To the left were more stairs leading down to basement numbered 1 and 2 and also to a door to the coalsheds. The front door of the flat led into the living room, where the walls were painted with a gloss brown at the bottom and cream at top. There was a black iron fire place. There were gaslights on the walls which had mantles in them made of a cobweb material. You lit those with a long wax taper.

There were 2 bedrooms and a tiny kitchen. In the kitchen was a copper. The women would do their weekly wash in it and also the kids had a stand up bath. Near that was a black iron range which had hot plates and plenty of mice!!! Then a little sink with a curtain underneath it.

At the Kitchen table, Ladbroke Dwellings.

A backdoor led to a tiny porch/balcony, where the toilet was, also the dustbin, and a cold cupboard for milk and butter (pre fridge days). There was also a bungalow bath (tin bath) that used to hang on a hook.

After the Ladbroke Dwellings was the Victoria Dwellings about 4 or 5 blocks. My mum said that even though they looked the same they were quite different inside.

Sheila Tipper, Mum’s sister and my great grandmother Alice Yearwood outside Ladbroke Dwellings, 1960s.

Alice and Bill Tipper, with girls Linda and Sheila Tipper

Nearby-towards the bridge

There were steps which led down to Southern Row and Octavia House. Then right next to that was a confectionery shop (affectionately known as Maggie Wilson’s) run by two sisters who wore hair nets, lyle stockings & aprons and with an elderly mum who always dressed in black. They had the best jars of sweets in the neighbourhood, tipped out of a jar onto a piece of paper and then made into a cone. Strangely they also sold Dr Whites sanitary towels. The shop was always painted green, which ended up to be a washed out dark green.

Photo from 2010 (Ernest Godin). Former sweet shop next to the steps

Near here was a working man’s cafe. Alice Tipper worked here at one time as a waitress in the early 50’s. They had a dumb waiter (a lift) with a manual rope pully, that dinners came up on and dirty dishes went down on. Most of the customers were from the gasworks on dinner break. Then a barber’s (affectionately known as Ben the barber’s) Then another confectionary shop, after that Hamrax the motor bike shop, then the iron bridge. Important to the locals, a telephone box at the end of the bridge. A dairy, next to the Mosley’s confectionery shop (mum had a paper round with them). Then came the bend around to Wornington Road along past a greengrocer – Rita Webb’s grandfather shop. She lived in a flat above. They sold slices of pineapple for a penny, served on a white enamel plate. Then next to that was a ladies haidresser’s. Later on there was a betting shop called Bill Cane’s.

Johns Grocers, which was beside Ladbroke Dwellings after the alley. In the photo is my uncle Steven Tipper and Jackie Murphy around 1960, both from Ladbroke Dwellings.

Toward Kensal Road

Beteeen the steps and Ladbroke Dwellings was John’s Grocers run brothers Bill and John If you was to continue right on Ladbroke Grove past the grocers, you would come to Victoria Mansions and then a cafe right on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Kensal Road. In the 50’s it was run by a couple, a black fella and white lady with little boy called Michael. Then around the bend on Kensal Road was a pub and then Ainsworth nursery. And the canal with gates, used only by the workman who worked. Horses used to pull the barges along which were usually delivering coal etc and people were not allowed in there.

Kensal Road near junction with Ladbroke Grove, 1969. Western Arms pub on right and the gates to the canal on the left, (Photo RBKC)

With thanks to Donna Bannerman and her mother Linda Patrickson nee Tipper and apologies from myself (Sue) for taking so long to put this post up on to the blog.