Oxford Gardens, Yo!
Wasn’t aware Vince Power was involved at the KPH, prior to that it was largely known as a place to go for a pint and a fight, hence it’s moniker locally, the GBH. Had a company situated in Harlesden high street back in the 80’s, we were roughly opposite the Mean Fiddler. At the time some of the locals were trying on what you might refer to as a protection racket. It never got off the ground and the said entrepreneur at the Fiddler was part instrumental in that, swinging the biggest chain I’d ever seen round and round his head as he saw off a few of the protagonists. The old bill stepped in after that.
Loved the Ladbroke Grove area. Remember as a kid from the more central part of it, that you got as far as the cowshed in Barlby Road and studiously avoided turning left into bandit country. A mate moved from our part to their part and found once their locals knew you, the pubs were a good place to go. Shame so many pubs gone that end, still venture up there occasionally, largely the more gentrified end, Elgin to Mitre, these days.
Regards the demise of the racecourse, when he said the gentry didn’t like mixing with the locals, think he might have meant, they didn’t like getting robbed by the locals!
If I had a Time Machine, I’d love to go back 200 years and see what it was like around there. |  |
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