Forum Topic

The trolleybus era in Chiswick,Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith.

NUMBER ONE VIDEO     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeItlv6Ry-sThe YOUTUBE website is full of surprises.You are invited to COPY AND PASTE this URL and watch a nostalgic film of those narrow red trolleybuses that criss-crossed Hammersmith in the 1960's and earlier.Oldies who lived in the area during those times will be entranced ..perhaps!AND if you liked that..you'll like this....a shorter video of the 607 that travelled from Shepherds Bush to Acton and parts yonder. Enjoy!NUMBER TWO VIDEO  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fRaUU_3Obo

Jim Lawes ● 6716d44 Comments

There's an Open Day coming up and No 7 will certainly let you in.

Jim Lawes ● 6505d

"Would the Dove be too crowded and noisy for a Forum meet-up?"Not a good pub in my view, sadly.  Food, beer and service have been found wanting whenever I've been there.

Richard Jennings ● 6507d

WIKIPEDIA says  * "The Dove" riverside pub, the oldest surviving riverside pub in London with, reputedly, the smallest bar in the world, frequented in the past by Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene The narrow alley in which it stands is the only remnant of the riverside village of Hammersmith, the bulk of which was demolished in the 1930s. Furnival Gardens, which lies to the east, covers the site of Hammersmith Creek and the High Bridge. The site of the creek can be ascertained by a mound near the Great West Road.Would the Dove be too crowded and noisy for a Forum meet-up?

Jim Lawes ● 6508d

Market Gardens and Nurseries..as you say John. Here is another reference to them on the Olympia site. What a co-incidence that this weeks Hounslow Chronicle features the Olympia ..thanks to the regular historian  Ed Munday.(So i've scanned the press cutting into "my pictures", chopped it about a bit, uploaded it onto the picture hosting website, clicked around,attached the img handles..and copy and pasted..and hopefully it's here ..fingers crossed!)------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lyons ice cream?  I used to like those!! ;0)

Jim Lawes ● 6508d

I found a great map at the National Archives in Kew the other day, of Hammersmith around 1896.  Fascinating.  Will bring it to the next forum drinks as sounds as though we are going to have a great time looking back at how it was then.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6509d

Look Askey Road  was once called Starch Green (!)..and as for Paddenswick....!!Your local historians will have details of why streets were so named!  I like "The Creek" and "Little Wapping" !!

Jim Lawes ● 6509d

It's been renovated now.

John Kennedy ● 6509d

Is it St John's Church in Glenthorne Road, near Cambridge Grove/Iffley Road?????

Carol Burge ● 6509d

Excellent stuff Jim. Keep up the good work. I gather that at Olympia or somewhere near there, was the site of the Kennedy and Lee nursery (no relation!). And there were also quite a concentration of market gardens around Starch Green which I guess from Mark's posting stretched down to Bradmore Park Road.

John Kennedy ● 6509d

This stuff is really great. My great grandmother was originally from Bradmore Park and her family had been market gardeners.

Mark Loveday ● 6510d

Glenthorne Road seems to appear in many transport pictures.Whats the name of that church that keeps appearing? have you been inside?picture from Robert Harley's tramways book ISBN 1 901706 338

Jim Lawes ● 6510d

What a difference 250 years makes!!

Jim Lawes ● 6510d

And perhaps notice all those different road names.Was your road once called something else?

Jim Lawes ● 6510d

A postcard currently for sale on E-bay has a picture of the old Town Hall. Now where was that? !!

Jim Lawes ● 6511d

David Bradley has a wonderful website to do with trolleybuses:and one picture I always enjoy seeing has the 667 from probably Hampton Court..easing its way quietly down Glenthorne Road...prior to arriving at it's terminus at the Hammersmith Grove junction with King Street..where that pedestrian area is now.http://www.trolleybus.net/--------------------------------------------------------

Jim Lawes ● 6511d

In her local book Hammersmith Past, Barbara Dean has masses of pictures and text about bygone times. She must have done masses of research!  Isbn 0 948667 32 X-------------------------------------------------------The creek..a hundred years ago!-------------------------------------------------------Page 30 of barbara denny's book-------------------------------------------------------So as those rain waters tumbled down from Acton and Ealing, through Stamford Brook and Ravenscourt Park..it seems that the Creek was the final outlet. Just to think the creek was referred to as "Little Wapping"!!------------------------------------------------------

Jim Lawes ● 6511d

Thanks for all you responses and observations. It's excellent that you get a kick out of studying your local area.Hammersmith would appear to excel with Victorian and Edwardian architecture which personally I find much more interesting to observe as I tour the region both at work and play. As my dad worked for London Transport for 40 years till 1975..buses and trolleybuses and their routes have always been of interest.With digital cameras, picture hosting sites, these Forums and more..it is very easy to take up this hobby..and you can concentrate on your own favourite topics! I look forward to meeting you at a future Forum Meet-up perhaps..and I can explain how easy it all is to those interested!Creek information on next message!

Jim Lawes ● 6511d

It's a nice stroll down by the river to Bishops Park on a sunny.

John Kennedy ● 6511d

I must go along to Fulham Palace.  I have to admit I have never been.  Shall put it on my MUST DO list (rather than the THINK ABOUT IT list)

Caroline MacMillan ● 6511d

I got a book on the history of Hammersmith and also one on Ravenscourt Park recently at the Fulham Palace gift / book shop.  Both were published by the Hammersmith and Fulham History society. Would recommend both are and they were very reasonably priced at £3

John Kennedy ● 6511d

This was really interesting - I have put them on my blog - I hope more people get to watch them - www.thebristowblog.typepad.com

Cllr Paul Bristow ● 6511d

Jim, thanks for those maps and all the information.  You must come to the next Hammersmith Forum drinks as I would love to talk to you about the history of the area as you are obviously a font of information.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6511d

Carol, yes it is the creek, or what remains of it.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6511d

Hammersmith Creek..............the wall in Furnivall Gardens near the walkway that goes to the boat moorings, if you look over the side down to the shoreline you can see what appears to be an inlet, is that anything to do with Hammersmith Creek????????Also fascinating to see there is no Perrers Road or Atwood Road on this map.

Carol Burge ● 6512d

There's a Wikipedia article about the Creek at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammersmith_Creek which says it was filled in in 1936.  However, it also says that it was "an outflow river of the Stamford Brook", which I would have thought would have led to it being culverted rather than just filled in.  Hammersmith Town Hall was built on the site in 1938.

Richard Jennings ● 6515d

You say 1899 in the title, but I think it's more likely to date from 1865, which appears in the URL.  It shows the Hammersmith & City Railway (opened 1864), but the Kensington Olympia to Richmond line via Hammersmith Grove Road and Turnham Green, which opened in 1869, is shown as a dotted line.

Richard Jennings ● 6515d

According to a little book I have here it was in the 1860'sWhat is more..there was a cricket ground on New Road called "Queens"!!And what is more again..a very very first Australian Cricket team toured the Uk in the 1860's and played there!!Any information lingering in W6 or elsewhere??I have the match details for later!

Jim Lawes ● 6515d

Stanford's late 1800's map

Jim Lawes ● 6515d

This is Groom's 1883 historical map gleened from the Victorian London website.

Jim Lawes ● 6515d

From the Victorian Dictionary of London.http://archivemaps.com/mapco/whit1865/images/whit34.jpg

Jim Lawes ● 6515d

Thanks, Jim.  Fascinating to see this.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6548d

3rd time lucky?

Jim Lawes ● 6549d

Try again!

Jim Lawes ● 6549d

Jim Lawes ● 6549d

Jim,  Thanks so much for the map and video.  Really enjoyed both.Are you coming to the Hammersmith Forum drink tonight?

Caroline MacMillan ● 6644d

CarolineAnd here is the missing Trolleybus video from YOU TUBE for the Shepherds Bush to Uxbridge route!Please copy and Paste:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fRaUU_3Obo

Jim Lawes ● 6648d

Caroline and all.I forgot to publish the Hammersmith trolleybus map on W6.comso here it is!

Jim Lawes ● 6648d

JimI managed to look at the trolley bus yesterday.  WONDERFUL and had me chuckling away and it was amazing watching the trolleybus turn by Stamford Brook Station.  Music was perfect.Unfortunately couldn't get into the number 2 video at all.But went for a ride on the tube!You are clever.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6700d

Jim,What memories!    I loved the C.H.R. and Turnham Green sections on the trolleybuses, but the train journey had me back on the district line (Chiswick Park Station to South Kensington);  the sounds and the sensation of travelling along the railroad, and the 'jerky' stopping along the route.....I was a teenager all over again on my way to school.Thanks yet again.  You are indeed a gem!  I would search forever and never turn up these priceless videos.

Ann S. Allridge ● 6702d

Jim Lawes ● 6704d

Jim Lawes ● 6704d

Thanks for your messages. As some of you know I'm Isleworth based..and whilst I know Brentford and Chiswick reasonably well..I'm not a big expert on W6.If you visit the YOUTUBE website and enter HAMMERSMITH in the search box..there may be some videos available.The Flickr picture album website is great..you just need to explore about. This picture is stunning for example!

Jim Lawes ● 6704d

Thank you - made my day watching this. Any other sites you can recommend for old images of Shepherds Bush and Goldhawk Road area?

Jackie Ashurst ● 6705d

This really is brilliant. The music makes a huge diffrence. I particularly like the trolleybus turning in front of Stamford Brook station and the one going along Glenthorne Road.By the way, if you do have any old cine films I think the Borough Archives may be interested.

Mark Loveday ● 6715d

Oh my goodness, how absolutely fascinating.  Apparently the trolley buses used to turn outside my flats in Dalling Road opposite the Thatched House pub, I can't quite remember them but my dad told me and when he died I found an old cine tape which I had converted to video, haven't looked at it for many years but think you can see the overhead mountings.  Before they extended the pavement out there used to be a roundabout with a large chimney (?) in the middle of the road where they turned.  Chimney is still there.

Carol Burge ● 6716d