Ealing

I would like to ask Victor Hunt about Carlyle Road. I moved there recently and am doing research on the block where I live. I would like to know a bit about the foundry and wonder if my block was built on it. I believe there was an industrial unit of some sort on the site. If not, I wonder if Victor remembers the road well and can give me some information.

Hi
I assume you are referring to the block of flats that are on the crossroads half way down Carlyle Road?
Yes, there was a cast iron foundry on that whole site, my father worked there. They made vehicle crank shafts. My father smoothed off the newly made ones with a hand held grinder....heave & dirty work. The raw , recycled iron was delivered to the part just on the crossroads where the furnaces were
At the top of Carlyle Road, where the pub is....across the road we called it the 'bombsite'....it was completely empty until they built the tall block on it, probably in the 50's. If you turn left at the pub ....on the next corner was a small swing park called 'The Wreck' and next to it was the public baths.....used by those of us that never had a bathroom in the house!

We used to have bike races around the block.....turning right at each road and up to windmill road and back down Carlyle.....not many cars in those days. At the bottom of Carlyle, across Windmill Road was a large open field....on one side was the Air Cadet hut. I was in the Army Cadets who had a place on the other side within the area of a large TA unit that was also there.

Hi Victor, you were my brother Kevin Smith best friend. We lived at 168, and our Grandparents lived at 74. My brother is very well and lives in Englefield Green , Egham surrey. I have really enjoyed reading your memories of Carlyle Road, very happy days and can still smell the foundry fumes, also the intense heat, would not be allowed these days Health and safety ect. Regards Sharon steele (Smith)

Hi Sharon.....well, well......they say it's a small world......plenty of water has passed under the proverbial bridge!!.....tell Kevin I was asking after him.....if he wants to e-mail me it's hammers_vh@yahoo.co.uk
I married May in 1969 and retired from the army in '94 after 32 years.....we live in Belfast. We arrived back from Australia just today after a visit to the son & his Fam.

I too lived in Carlyle Road, number 78 and my grandmother at 55 and indeed my father worked at the foundry and l remember the smells and the shower at the entrance in the next street. Ealing Mead was indeed my school and l was a member of the group who Mr Ghose seem to take under his wing. Interesting there is an annual reunion on the first Saturday in December at the Rose and Crown near St Marys church.

Brian Sangster

I lived in Darwin Road and my dad worked in the foundry.Victor was your dads name Wally?I remember a Wally Hunt who was one of a group of foundry workers who kept racing pigeons

No, My father was Vic (some called him Mick) Hunt. .....and he definitely didn't keep pigeons!

Hi I lived in Darwin road from 1959 to 1970 great memories great friends great pubs good place to live in the foudery I think was co called qualcast I stood at the open gates and watched the red hot liquid metal being made opposite was dans acers sweet shop and mick long and his dads fish and chip shop ps I also went to little Ealing school and Ealing mead and I was mates with victor hunt in late 50s

Hi I lived in Darwin rd late50s there where many small business in that road butcher baker sweet shop flower shop french vinegar factory called la favourite the list goes on and close to me was a Brentford fc football player who was courting my next door neighbor

Hello, I`m Paul Thomas, I lived in Ealing Park Gardens from birth 1957, till i moved out late 70s. The foundry was between Carlyle Road and Darwin Road, where a ropey block of flats now sits. My mates family were in the last house on Darwin Road, next to the foundry, a Martin Verspeake and his granddad was a midget, who scared me. At the end of his road South Ealing Road end, was `La Favourite` mustard factory.
After the foundry closed, as a pre teen scrote, we`d go and kick in the windows, and sliced a hole in my ankle, still got the scar after 55 years. We used to go and ride motorbikes on the old army camp, now the school on Windmill Road. In the Winter we`d make toboggans/sledges and fly down EP Gardens in the snow and ice. At the end of EPG was Mr Jones the milkman, kept his horse in the rear yard. opposite the hairdressers, still there.
Used to drink in the Ealing Park Tavern, known as the fly`s home, because on the Clayponds flats, opposite stood a sewage works. Little Ealing School, infants and juniors, used to play in the football team under a horrible git teacher called Mr Blake. The Head caned me twice in one day. No harm done other than a dislocated vertebrae. ; )

Hi, My names Trefor and my Grandparents lived at 85A Carlyle Road from I think the 1920s/30s to the time of my Grandmothers (Dorris) death in the late 1980s .. Their name was Waterman and my Grandfather Harry, was a carpenter/cabinet maker.. their daughter ( my mother.. also sadly not here anymore) was Veronica.. or ‘Ronny’ I’ve got lots of fond memories of spending summer holidays there.. running around Shepherds Bush market and fishing and boating in Gunnersbury Park lakes!