The 'cleopatra Restaurant' Next To The Northwood Hills Hotel, Elton John, Bluesology And 'toys And Sports'.

A Memory of Northwood Hills.

Seeing the photo of the 'Northwood Hills Hotel' and the tall 'office' building beyond, took me back to recall 'The Cleopatra Restaurant' that was in the building, next to the hotel, in the mid-60s. Apart from working in the toy shop ('Toys and Sports') in the parade there (as a 'Saturday Job') whilst I was at St. Nicholas Grammar School, and needing some extra money to keep me in petrol and repairs for my scooter, I worked for a very short time in the 'Cleopatra Restaurant' and well remember the local band 'Bluesology' playing at the restaurant one night....the demure, quiet (and brilliant!) pianist was a chap named Reg Dwight, who, of course, was later better known as Elton John (....he went to my sister's school, Pinner County).... I know that they/he also played at the 'Northwood Hills Hotel', but to my shame, I never actually went there to see them! I believe that the lead singer of 'Bluesology' was a pupil at 'Pinner Road School', where I also attended.

I had a good friend at the time, who worked in 'Prangleys' the bike shop (where I bought my first 'Claud Butler' drop handlebar, bike.....I was very proud of that bike!). Other school friends worked 'Saturdays' in the dry cleaner's (next to the toy shop) and an estate agents....it was relatively easy to get a 'Saturday Job' in those days. The going rate was 2/6p per hour (12.5p/hour in new money), so for a days work you earned £1.....with a little extra pocket money from parents, that was just about enough to keep me going as a teenager. I visited Northwood Hills not long ago and the 'Dry Cleaner's' was still in business!
I also worked part time at 'The Case is Altered' pub for a while before I joined the MN and have been back several times.....it's changed a bit....and I'm pleased they haven't changed the name of the pub!
My mother worked for a time at the Northwood Hill's Motor Company as a secretary and in the school holidays, she managed to get me some work there in the vehicle workshop.....that was a good introduction into my first 'real job' as an Engineer Cadet in the Merchant Navy, although I didn't last long in that career.......and transferred to working on smaller boats!
I see that now the sport's playing fields of St. Nicholas and St. Mary's School (now Haydon School) have been well and truly built-on....they were vast back in the 60s. I have painful memories of running around them and also doing cross-country runs from the school, across Northwood Golf Course and the Ruislip woods, near the Lido, in the dead of winter, running through ice cold muddy streams up to ones waist.....it probably wouldn't be allowed any more!

Happy days! Tim Deacon