London's Wonderland & the Golden Mile (4K)
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- Опубліковано 15 січ 2022
- A walk through the history of Gunnersbury Park and the 'Golden Mile' of the Great West Road. You can order This Other London from Newham Bookshop www.newhambook... as well as other booksellers. Please subscribe for regular videos: bit.ly/1EJjIB8
This walk follows the first section of the walk in Chapter 1 of my book This Other London which starts at the majestic Gunnersbury Park in West London. The Park was originally the grounds of Gunnersbury House, a Georgian mansion built for King George III's aunt Princess Amelia. Today it's home to Gunnersbury Museum and the house is open to the public. We then walk along the 'Golden Mile' - a strip of the A4 Great West Road running through Brentford that from the 1920's become an industrial centre for a number of household names and famous for its Art Deco architecture. Some of the companies based here included Smiths Crisps, Gillette, Currys, Beachams, and Firestone Tyres. Our walk ends at the Gillette Building on Gillette Corner.
Related videos:
Walking the Capital Ring from Richmond to Greenford • The Wonders of the Cap...
More info:
Pathe footage of the Opening Day at London's Gunnersbury Park 1926
www.britishpat...
Article about the Lucozade sign
www.mylondon.n...
The Brook maps.nls.uk/vi...
brentfordhisto...
991 Great West Road, JC Decaux brentfordhisto...
Westlink House brentfordhisto...
Maps:
Open Street Map “© OpenStreetMap contributors” using data available under the Open Database Licence
This Other London - map by Nicolette Caven
1865 Map of The Brook 'Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland'
maps.nls.uk/in...
Music:
Dream Escape - The Tides
Pachabelly - Huma-Huma
Gymnopedie No 1 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Nevada_City - Huma-Huma
La Terre, Ensoleilee 432 - 369 courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
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At 16m 55 seconds, you're looking across the road at the street where I was born, Adelaide Terrace. My parents bought the house around 1960 only to be horrified to discover that the M4 was just about to be built up on those massive concrete supports. Thank you for the video, it brings back many happy memories. It was also interesting to see the Air Quality Monitoring station just at the point where the M4 veers off the Gt West Rd. My primary school, St John's playground (one corner of it) was right under the M4, across the road. The school moved since, I believe. We used to write our address using Middx. We moved as a family slightly further out to Osterley in 1974.
You didn't mention the site of the Firestone factory, which was another huge art deco building, which went all the way from the Gillette building to what was a branch of PC World the last time I was there. It was demolished over the weekend before it could be declared a listed building. Which is why the odd white wall runs along there - It was all that was left by the time it was listed
Also no mention of the railway just beyond Firestone's which went across the Great West Road down to Brentford dock.
New subscriber here, who just wants to let you know how much I enjoy your work. Superb channel content.
Many thanks indeed John
I'm from Brentford and I used to go to Gunnersbury park in the summer with my family when I was young. We used to go on the boats, and take a picnic and all sit on the grass where Gunnersbury house is, and me and my cousins use to explore the ruins for hours, nice memories.
I lived on Acton green common a 5 min walk from there ....good times . 👍🏼
John, I'm certainly no expert on architectural movements (02:35) or even all that knowledgeable about them but...the "shorthand" that has always helped me is that Art Nouveau (which I mention only for contrast with what followed) was marked by sinuous curves and excessive ornamentation. With Art Deco, the curves went away, replaced by geometric shapes and lines, yet color still prevailed and it still featured ornamentation (some quite elaborate). With Modernism, the shapes were essentially rectilinear, black and white dominated and virtually all ornamentation vanished in a total embrace of minimalism. Also, Art Deco as a term didn't exist until the 1960s. At the time, before that label existed, people called all the styles of the '20s and '30s Zig-Zag, Jazz Pattern, Moderne or Modernistic. I continue to love your walks and your narratives and look forward to every Sunday's upload!
that's really helpful David - many thanks indeed
Yess!! Always had total confusion regarding this subject!!!!
Thanks to you!!
Always a Sunday evening pleasure. Thanks, John!
My pleasure Simon
Wallis, Gilbert & Partner's were the builders of many of London Transport's country area 1930's bus garages ...one Im sure you'll remember was Amersham Garage which used to be at the bottom of Gore Hill in Old Amersham..Sadly knocked down and a Tesco's filling station stands on the spot now. The other one you may remember from your days of living in New Cross was Peckham Garage..
The part of London I know least. This is great!! Thanks for taking the trouble to make this
Wow I've spent many a Saturday evening on Chiswick High Road especially down the John Bull! We used to have a shop there called Good Value Pine!
Those Art Deco style industrial offices look nice but damm cold to work in (except summer, when you get roasted
I was always taught to write Hounslow Middx Tw3 3qp.... in 1976.... oh for those days.....
Nice to see old estate buildings being brought back to life. Croydon council I read continue to sell off their historic buildings. Love art deco buildings. Off to find the Sid James Rainbow movie. Another great walk.
Cheers Sean
He talks to much and cant understand him there's better walks to watch
@@normanweaver1828 what do you mean you can’t understand him! Is English not your first language?
23:35 Thanks John. I regularly walked past the Gilette Building and the bank next door to get to Sky TV at New Horizons Court. I also knew someone who worked there as an engineer for Gillette, he remembered the companies in the buildings on the Golden Mile putting up Christmas decorations and people coming out to view them like the Blackpool illuminations!
Another building I was going to mention for West London Art deco Fans was the Perfume Factory near North Acton underground, but that seems to have been knocked down along with everything else of any size except Carphone Warehouse's HQ - I used to go there a lot too!
Another fascinating and intriguing adventure, thanks so much John, I always love the wide-ranging subjects you touch on here, a testament to the varied and multi-layered histories in the ever changing metropolis
Time for the Sunday ritual - coffee and John Rogers :)
@ChilledLDN… sounds like a plan 👍👌
I grew up in Wembley Park and the address still uses Middx, the whole address being Wembley Park, Middx, HA9 9XX. Loved seeing all the wonderful Art Deco industrial buildings, my favourite architectural style. Thanks for the excellent video.
Thank you John. Another delicious amble. Love that art deco style.
When I first moved to London I worked as a bike delivery rider in Brentford, I would cycle up and down that road many times a day. Amazing video thank you
This is an area that I know so well, having lived here all my life, but yet I still learnt a thing or two.
That was magical. It brought back so many memories of the 1960s and '70s when I used to spend holidays with my aunt and uncle and cousins in Heston. Frankly, I'm surprised how much has stayed the same since then. That was a tremendous walk - thank you so much for making the video.
i really should start watching from your first walk video - i see you have many, so it'll be a long, but educational, journey!
Gunnersbury House reminds me of Heaton Park Hall in Manchester, a place I visited many times. It was used for location shots in the TV show Brideshead Revisited. Sadly, it is now mothalled and a pale shadow of its former self. Superb content, as always, John. 🇯🇪
Love all the art deco buildings on the 'golden mile'.
John's videos are wonderful. He manages to find magic in the mundane.
John,you were round my neck of the woods today birn and bred in Ealing and now living in Hounslow.Know all the places you were especially Gunnersbury park and Chiswick where I worked at the Fullrs Brewery.Great walk as always!!
Great walk today john.grew up in teddington,post 65,we still put middx on letters,older people still do.
My now essential Sunday viewing after finding your videos over Christmas holidays. I still have a way to go to catch up but thoroughly enjoying them all. I think my favourite so far is your stay in the White Hart in Hampton Wick! It looked like the perfect walking weekend! Thanks again John!
Perfect... I really look forward to John on Sundays.
I started to follow your channel a week ago and I wondered when would you come to chiswick area! and look! you were here🤩
Fantastic video John. It’s always a joy to watch these on a Sunday evening.
Incidentally, I remember driving past Wallis House years back and seeing a big advertisement featuring Wayne Rooney down the side of it.
Ps. I possibly should have added, this was a 60ft advert with Rooney painted as the cross of St George.
Grew up 5mins walk from Gillette cnr. In the 70's they had the most sparkling christmas lights along the golden mile.
Always used Middx, and still do.
Some stunning examples of Art Deco buildings...hopefully they all have preservation orders on them...thanks for showing us these John...
You know the more I follow your tours the more I look up and around the buildings in my neighbourhood. Those buildings you show are fantastic. Cheers buddy
Only stumbled over you two weeks ago, instantly felt I was walking down Fleet Street with you.
Spent a decade dispatch riding in London in the 1980s, although always loved history and walking where thousands have walked before in their own time. Just bought your first book and reading it then watching the matching film. Really nice way you unravel the past so it forms a bond with the present
Thank you my dodge knee brother I know your discomfort in that area to well…Terry McFadden
Thanks for doing that walk, John. I grew up in Slough, my nan when I was very young, lived in Eltham/Catford, so we would regularly drive to visit her. I distinctly remember the Lucozade sign, flashing, and filling the glass with its effervescent bubbles. Throughout my life, I have traveled that road, either for jobs in London, day trips, or car journeys, etc. I have so many fond memories, even, on the way to a temp job, of manning the pitch at the Oval, in bad rain, almost veering off the Chiswick Flyover onto the road below. So good, and terrifying memories. Anyway, thanks for sharing and stirring a lot of memories. Looking forward to seeing more of your walks in this area.
I love those Art Deco buildings. The sort of buildings you'd expect to see Captain Hastings pull up in his Lagonda sports car.
Middlesex still lives on to define the area north of the Thames , west of the Lea, south of Hertfordshire and east of Buckinghamshire. We have the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Branch of Butterfly Conservation, the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Moth Group, west Middlesex Family History Societ, Middlesex County Cricket Club etc etc. Some of it (Spelthorne around Staines, is now in shock horror Surrey.
Hello John, great film! I've just finished your book "This other London" which I recommend to all your loyal followers! To answer your question about Middlesex, yes it's still very much alive. We live in Ruislip and always put Middlesex in our address. When buying stuff online "county" is often a required part of an address and Middlesex as our choice. About 20 years ago Hillingdon Borough Council put Middlesex road signs along the Middx/Bucks border, some have gone but there are a few survivors. I've still got my Middlesex Society badge!
I love the art deco/moderne around Chiswick. Also, the gothic arch in Gunnersbury park.
Excellent architecture. Wasn't a scene or two from Notting Hill filmed at Gunnersbury?
Heart breaking to see the white gate lodges with the flyover above and no direct exit below the arch? Also, Carville Hall. That's crying out for restoration.
Wallis House. Literally wow! Beautiful amongst the dreadful steel and concrete. Then the state of the building used in the EaIing comedy. Developers have a lot to answer for.
Then, finally the 1930s buildings and the building which didn't become a hotel.
Fab walk, thank you John.
Carville Hall is actually used as flats currently so not sure restoration will happen soon. I believe there are six flats now.
Also - the building that isn't a hotel - the Gillette building is now a massive film studios! Gillette building studios it is called.
Syon Park is in Private hands - The Duke of Northumberland who is currently one of the biggest landowners in England and spends a great deal of his time there.Regards the Sperry Gyroscope Co. it may be possible that they had something to do with Bletchley Park ops (Enigma cracking) but certainly did not manufacture Enigma machines. The secret wartime work involved radar development for Bombers during WW2. Glaxo is a holding company name. Beechams were most likely on that site as they were absorbed by Glaxo. Allen & Hanbury's old factory which was adjacent to Bethnal Green railway was also one of the original Glaxo companies and very old maybe the first company. Keep up the good work.
Very nice walk. It made me revisit your book.
The glaxo building was once across the road where the Barrett building is.
Thank you John for another great walk.
thanks for that info Mini James
The famous H91 is the bus route which runs on this road and it goes all the way into the backend of Brentford and yes it falls into Hounslow under the TW8 area.
I grew up in Harrow, born 1964 so just about qualify as being
born in Middlesex. I have always used the county name when
sending letters home to anyone in the "county"
I really enjoyed this particular video , I worked for a time at
Glaxo in Greenford, they had a huge presence there, it has been
interesting to see how that company has morphed into the huge
multi national conglomerate that it is now, involving beechams, Smith
and Nephew and welcome among others.
The Greenford and Sudbury areas are quite interesting and may well be
worthy of a visit from yourself one day , that is if you haven't done one
already.
Great Art Deco walk John, cheers mate...
Cheers Ralph
Thank you John , another great walk. I used to live in Middlesex many years ago ,so to me it will always be called that
My husband and I are working our way through your catalog of wonderful videos. Decided to get around to buy your book while watching this one. Found a seller that will ship it to New Zealand- then saw the piece about your recommended bookstore. 😀 Thanks for your most wonderful rambling around.
Thank you John, another great walk!
cheers Ben
John - another lovely walk. The squat white building you showed when you spoke of the temporary postbox used to be a small studio space (film and sound). In fact, about 30 years ago I was the client for a short film made there for a pitch presentation. It's weird, but as soon as you showed the entrance to the road I recognised the building even though I only ever went there once. Thanks for bringing that memory back...
Bannister Fletcher, when I was an architectural assistant, was famous for his book "a history of architecture on the comparative method". A really entertaining walk! Btw.
Thanks for the wander John. That Golden Mile certainly does have stories.
Good morning John
Thank you for yet another treat from yourself. A great video accompanied with interesting and informative commentary.
Stay safe Roy
I used to go with mate's as a kid to Gunnersbury Park, there was a great great sort of early mountain bike track worn out by the kids in there, of course no mountain bikes this was in the 50's. Also went and stood at the park gates on the GW road and waved to Kennedy on his visit to London as he came from Heathrow. Love the vids
More please ...... makes Sunday bearable. Ta, John.
Thanks for a surprise walk John.Nice to see some Art Deco industrial surviving the present glass box style going up in every direction. Mike.
Truly interesting! I think these buildings, if caught in just the right light, still have the atmosphere of the architects' original intentions.. Great channel! Really enjoying these videos. 👍
thanks for sharing john. i have only been to london a handfull of times as a tourist, but your vids put a totally look on things.i may need to purchase this london book from your good self,
More early evening winter walks please John. This video was pure joy with evening lights.
we still put Enfield Middx ...... Middx still exists as a sporting entity within the old borders of the county ...
Great video John, and a great win for Liverpool today
This guy needs more subscribers for the interesting content, let's spread the word
Thanks Harry
Thanks John , Sunday evenings best viewing
Hi John . Firstly, hope u are well. Wow .. this walk was a stroll down childhood memories lane. I caught a bus (91) from chiswick High Rd to Osterly Station from 1979 to 1983.. and that whole area has changed so much.. the school I went to had supplied boys to all those factories up until their decline .. late 70s .. I read this area in your book too.. fascinating and personal connection
A marvellous salute to the spirit of Modernism. Thank you.
Another entertaining stroll John. I used to sign on at the DHSS in Power Road and later lived in North Drive, Hounslow East and could see the blue light of Gilette Corner from my bedroom window. How sad (well, criminal really) that they knocked down the Firestone building. Look forward to more..
Appreciate your enthusiasm in sharing your walks and knowledge thanks John
Fantastic walk John. Many thanks for this joyous sojourn in West London.
When I was a kid we lived at knew Bridge. My dad would take me bike riding. There is Green Dragon lane near Kew bridge which takes you along the railway to Carville Hall park then we would ride on the cycle track along the Great West Rd to Gillettes and back. One of the things I loved was seeing the American cars up on a ramp at the Lincoln car showroom opposite Firestones. Also at Christmas there was a great xmas tree show at the front of Firestones. Lots of memories of that area.
Yes, our family around Hatch End and Rayners Lane still do the Middx. I was amused we'd been doing so in error since that long ago. Brilliant walk, if you do end up doing more Middx walks please consider including Rayners Lane.
When I was a child on the 60's my dad used to take us for a drive down the golden mile around Christmas time to see the lights and illuminated buildings.
Grew up in Edgware area and still think of places like Brentford and Edgware etc as in Middx.
Love the walks - very refreshing and interesting to watch. Thanks.
Maybe you will do some around Edgware/Burnt Oak area.
Not sure if you have done already.
Thank you John. That was wonderful. I was born in Greenford in 1965 and remember being driven up the golden mile many times as a kid. I remembered Gunnersbury park too from the video which stirred many good memories that I didn’t know I had, then revisiting some of those amazing Art Deco industrial buildings was a trip to a very special childhood place I haven’t visited for many years. Been in Australia for 20 years now so it’s a long time since I lived anywhere nearby. Yes we used to write both Greenford and Southall addresses as being in Middx I remember from 70s childhood. Great video as are so many of yours which I am working my way back through. Thank you so much for creating and sharing them with us. Ian Kilby.
Cheers Ian
Hi John I live in chiswick and I am a big fan! Taken a couple of walks after you suggested
It's the trees that give Gunnersbury Park a magical feel. Walked there myself this morning 🌲🌳🍀(my address is still Stanmore, Middx)
I worked on a contract refurbishing Great West House opposite GSK.
Really grew to like and enjoy that area for all it had to give 😊
Sadly, I had to wait until Monday for my Sunday fix. Too much on. But well worth the wait, again, John. A wonderful walk. Brings back memories of many trips into Ealing. I found it interesting that, as you said, "The building of a road" displaced the wealthy, and yet brought with it the wonderful architecture of buildings that perhaps served a different kind of wealth. Thanks for battling the A4 to bring us another masterpiece, John.
Thank you, John. This is a part of London I don’t know well at all, which is shocking given that I lived in nearby Shepherd’s Bush for three years - apart from the odd walk on the Scrubs I only ever went east into the city and Westminster during my leisure time, which meant that I missed so much that was on my doorstep.
Your videos have become such an important part of my week. I look forward to them every Sunday night and they really lower the old blood pressure.
Such a great channel. Thank you, John.
Great walk John. Straight into my top 5 of your walks.
Yet another fascinating video John, I don't know the area too well but remember going by all those buildings over the years when travelling along A4/M4. It's good to see them being preserved along with buildings like Gunnersbury House. We have a similar building here in Swindon, the Mechanic's Institute, paid for by Great Western Railway workers and contained the UK's first lending library and provided health service to workers. The council says it's committed to bringing it back to its former glory but progress is slow. I recently watched your video on The Ridgeway to Ivinghoe Beacon then realised later it was 5 years old so possibly you didn't see my comments. It was re your mention about S P B Mais which immediately caught my attention as my dad had his book Southern Rambles for Londoners ( which I still have) when we lived in Dorking where I spent my teenage years in the 60s. Most of the walks were south of London, Guildford,Dorking,Reigate etc and he certainly had a relaxed style which probably went with the era,1930s probably ( no publishing date). On the back is an advert for Dolcis ladies walking shoes for 16s 9d, about 84p in today's money! We tended to follow the London Evening News ramble writer " Fieldfare" as his were mainly south of London and a bit more up to date. Do you have any plans to explore Surrey I wonder? Keep up the good work.
I've just recently discovered you and I'm gradually getting through your videos. I love this one as I grew up in this area and recently only ever drive past on the flyover to visit London in general. Those beautiful Art Deco buildings were part of my life and I didn't appreciate them until I was older. I remember how they were, there was always something magical about them. Watching this video brought me much closer to them and I'm so pleased that they are still in such great condition!
i gotta tell you how much im loving your london walks series. just fantastic for a house bound recluse hiding from the world...ahhh always wanted to live awhile in london Town.. not happening..never mind.. the golden mile is good for me..thanks mate
PS.. you must own some wonderful books sigh.. with love from aussie paranormal highway xxx
Thank you John that was so interesting. All that history and great filming. Well done, I really enjoyed it. 💕🇦🇺
If only I'd discovered your channel when I still lived in London. Loving the content. Makes me homesick.
A great winter’s walk, John. Architecturally, v/interesting! Cheers.
Hi John good to see you . Should be interesting . Xxx
Bravo John. Thoroughly enjoyable as per usual. I will have to return to your book to read the first chapter again. Will there be T Shirts with your face and hat and "Wherever that may be" underneath in 2022?
Thanks for video John!
Please do your walk through Heston and houslow I Found this walk fascinating as I spent my childhood in this area.
You have shown me places that I remember but did not know the history of. You have a wounderful way of telling a story
dont stop. Regards from Sweden.
Ha ha. So funny. I remember from listening to your book and you describing the house. Watching this, I was thinking weren’t you describing a rather decrepit building. Nice to see it has been renovated since then.
Thanks for another great video. Loved the Art Deco buildings.
Newish subscriber. Love your videos, so informative and lovely narrative. Inspiring me to travel down and explore the quieter areas. Thank you John
Enjoyed this John! Superb walk, I lived down the road in Isleworth and yes they do call it Brentford - Middlesex still.
Interesting you mention those automotive companies on Power Road, it’s where they film The Grand Tour for Amazon.
So mad to think that if you walk up on the Grand Union Canal towpath where you passed you can walk to Birmingham (albeit would take weeks!)
About a 30mins walk from that spot you can see Brunel’s Three Bridges too.
Will make sure I get a copy of your book. Thank you!
Interestingly I once help a friend tow a narrow boat from Birmingham to a marina at Uxbridge (Middlesex) along the Grand Union Canal, took us 7 days (with lots of complaints about speeding)
Thanks for getting me to appreciate architecture of the 1920's and 30's!! Wonderful!
great videos always so informative and great to hear and see your experiences and a side of London you don't always see as a tourist
B-Fletcher - didn't design much but of course wrote THE book - the vade mecum of my life. Also did a tiny bldg nr St Paul's.
I live opposite the Gillette building. The clock with it's lights hasn't been working for the last 5 years or so. I miss the neon.
The developers for the hotel went bankrupt, so nothing got done. The factory is used mainly as a filming location. Loved seeing my part of London, if I'd known you were coming I'd have put the kettle on!
Many thanks for the info Clare and the offer of tea
I live in Brentford didn't know half of the history untill your video gunnersbury Park has definitely improved over the years thanks to the heritage lottery fund we still use middlesex, the building wrapped in green printed sheeting has stood empty for years and partly demolished it was going to be another car showroom but the company pulled out so now it just sit thiers falling apart the gillette building is just used as a film location for movies and storage of film props another development that fell through most of brentford is now being turned in to unaffordable apartments that the locals do not like. Thanks for the video I have shared it to the local brentford friends Facebook page
Wonderful. I live in South Acton and so I often walk through Gunnesbury Park. Those Art Deco buildings are really something else. Great work, John.
thanks Jason
love the walk John, the world famous pigeon john who lived there for years, the council tried to removed but there was a publish out cry to leave him alone he was in a music video and people from japan use to come over to see him. if you would sound your horn he would put this two finger up at you... lovely guy also, Tie rack head office was there for many years i worked there and its was just by chiswick round about. love your videos keep on filing
I so enjoyed this video, John. The mix of grand houses and Art Deco industrial buildings was so interesting. My dear friend lived in Heston and now Hounslow - had a chance to spend some time with him there some years ago. Would love to see you continue the walk through that area. All the best, John. Will definitely “see you on the next walk”
Thanks John, another great post - the golden mile has memories for me, not all great have to say, used to work in the ad business and Gillette and Smithkline were both clients, spent way too many hours in tedious meetings on that road...but love the architecture for sure! Keep it up, bravo, Best Philip