I arrived at Watson House to start my apprenticeship straight from school in 1957, If my memory serves me correctly I initially worked a 44 hour week at 1s 1 ¼ d per hour, the hours were 8 hours a day and 4 hours on Saturday morning. We started work at 7.30am and finished at 4.30pm with an hour for lunch.

Locals will remember the hooters sounding the start and finish times at intervals during the day. My term at Watson House lasted for 3 months, during that time I learnt the art of filing, metal making small tools from lumps of iron. At the time I couldn’t understand the reasoning behind it but over time I have had to put that experience to good use. Every day started with physical exercise on the roof of the main building for about half hour come rain or shine (Japanese style torture), overseen by a man by the name of Sandy Yexley.

After leaving Watson House I joined the electrical department at Fulham Works where I stayed for the remainder of my apprenticeship and subsequent employment as a maintenance electrician until 1965.

As you may be aware before the innovation of natural gas from the North Sea gas was made from coal, It was a filthy environment in which to work with sulphur fumes and coal dust a plenty. We were issued with soap, towels, shower facilities and protective clothing on a regular basis for obvious reasons.

The works covered a vast area from the New King’s Road to the banks of the Thames where coal was delivered to a wharf area from ships and barges which were dependant on tidal flow to dock or sail. They were off loaded by giant sized cranes that in turn transferred the coal on to conveyor belts for transporting to the relevant storage areas. 

Lunch was spent either in the works canteen or having a pint or two, a pork pie and a game of darts in the Rose Public House, situated on the corner of Sands End Lane and Harewood Terrace and adjacent to the main gate of the works. 

The North Thames Gas Board (formerly The Gas Light and Coke Company) had their own social club and sports ground in Acton. The facilities there were second to none. On the whole I enjoyed my time there. There were many good and sometimes hilarious moments, which I will always remember with fondness.

Chelsea Harbour now occupies part of the former gas works. The area between Bagleys Lane and Imperial Road was also gas board property and was in part used by gas fitters for their offices and vehicle workshops. The gas fitters carried out domestic and main pipeline maintenance throughout the area.

Watson House was moved to Carnwarth Road / Peterborough Road some years ago,

When I first started work I lived at the Worlds End in Chelsea but later moved to Wimbledon and then back to Fulham (Dawes Road and Fulham Palace Rd areas).