I lived at 8 Harwood Terrace from 1954 until 1972. Our houses were bought under compulsory purchase and were pulled down in 1973. The Rose & Crown pub was on the corner of the road to the gasworks entrance. Opposite was the gasworks cafe (now a posh restaurant) but back then it was a real dive with some pretty dubious connections with the London underworld. Just along from the cafe was a small scrap yard run by a man called Tony Richardson who ended up in prison. He was mentioned in the book 'Buster' - about the Great Train Robber Buster Edwards, whose life story was made into a film starring the rock star Phil Collins. A lot of the London underworld used to be around that scrapyard.
 
I can remember riding along the street on my bike with a boy from around the corner who lived above the florists shop run by a lady called Connie. There were a few shops along this parade - Finches the sweet shop, a general grocers where my mum worked which was owned by a man called George Trott. I used to work for him on Saturday mornings from the age of nine, delivering bread to customers in surrounding streets. Right on the end of the parade was a Harley Davidson motorbike shop - I don't think they did a lot of trade!
 
I used to play on the Eelbrook Common every day during the summer holidays and when I was older was allowed to ride my bike to Hurlingham park. I also used to bike ride in the Gas Works garages which werearound the corner in Imperial Road and also in Imperial Square. For a few years I went to church at St James Church which was near to Chelsea Football Ground.