EPW012748 ENGLAND (1925). Factories on the Edgware Road, Colindale, 1925

Loving this Class31, where did you find it?



Katy

Found on the wall at a pub on the Edgware Road.

Remarkable. As the Edgware Road is the borough boundary, local archives are split between Brent, Harrow and Barnet. Worth an explore!



Katy

Wow, these two old pics are GREAT! Almost a hundred years stripped away in a moment. So glad you had the wit to snap them on the wall; I wonder who has the originals?

I rather think that Kwik Fit is on the site of the two buildings nearer to the camera adjacent to Annesley Avenue.



I am not convinced that the Kwik Fit buildings are the originals as they have an entirely different footprint as can be observed from Google Earth. The original buildings (marked 'Bristow') were deeper and one substantially longer than the other. If they are the original buildings, then they have been very heavily altered and shortened. Another photograph taken in the '50s shows the buildings were at that time being used as an Express Dairies depot.



The two buildings that you have indicated were on the site of the new SICC Kitchens retail and apartment block butting on to Colindale Avenue.



I remember that there used to be a very old and faded "Studebaker Depot" sign at the rear yard of the old buildings. I don't know if it was once the premises of a sales and servicing agent for Studebaker, but I doubt if they got much business, as Studebaker were never a big automobile marque on this side of the pond.



In the photograph the front of the building shows Bandmaster Gramophones in residence at the time. A slightly later shot taken in 1926 (epw015610) and 1928 from the south east (epw013752), shows that SDH Mfng Co. Pianoforte Manufacturers (they also made phonographs)were in residence, so I think that these factory buildings have seen some change of use over the years.



As you can see from

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34171/page/3961/data.pdf

SDH Pianos were in liquidation by 1935.

Update - The site has now been redeveloped as a large Morrison's store and the adjoining Bang Bang food hall, which is a rather jolly replacement for some of the oriental restaurant facilities formerly housed in the demolished Yaohan Centre.

Was originally built as admin offices for Airco - The Aeroplane Manufacturing Company

Also the site of the original Kingsbury Grammar School before its move to purpose built premises in Princes Avenue.



Edit: Aug 2017 - I am happy to report that a very recent trip past the premises has revealed that the building, which had become very forlorn, has been rejuvenated and the dismal frontage has been replaced by a new boundary wall. It's future, then, would seem assured.