Just got a bit bored doing uni stuff and was reading up on where I grew up.
Teddington, Greater London is where I spent my first 23 or so years of my life.
There is a massive church by the lock that many years ago became the Landmarks Art Centre. I have always admired it because it looks amazing and I always though it resembles some kind of crazy mini cathedral which is a really weird thing to have in such a small town as Teddington.
However as I have just read, the reason it looks like a cathedral is because:
The Victorians attempted to build a massive church, St. Alban's, based on the Notre Dame de Paris;
however, funds ran out and only the nave of what was to be the
"Cathedral of the Thames Valley" was completed. It opened in 1889 with a
"temporary" wall at one end where the tower was going to be. In 1967
the church congregation reverted across the road to the historic but
much smaller church of St Mary's. In 1993 the temporary wall was
replaced with a permanent one as part of a refurbishment that converted
St Alban's Church into The Landmark Centre, a venue for concerts and exhibitions.
I love a good bit of history.
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I discovered that the town and the pub we used to drink in when I was doing my A Levels was the inspiration for Saturday Nights All Right For Fighting. Bernie Taupin went to my old school and lived above the pub - plenty of mods and rocker incidents when he was growing up in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.
The other famous person was Rod Temperton, who wrote a lot of Jacksons Thriller and a bunch of diso classics like Boogie Nights.
Nobody really famous went to my old school, well unless you count Mari Wilson and Mike Gatting.
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My findings are going to be mainly musical
I grew up in Tooting,South London and if you're old enough to remember, it was made popular by a young Robert Lindsay playing Citizen Smith in the TV series of the same name and heading the revolutionary Tooting Popular Front.
Marc Bolan went to my old school in Tooting, Hillcroft (now Ernest Bevin) and the teachers talked about him all the time. Our other school hero was Alan Knight, the Portsmouth goalkeeper and captain for many years.
When I moved to Sutton, Surrey, I was told the room at the back of the Red Lion pub on the High St was where The Rolling Stones used to rehearse. The guitarist Robbie McIntosh ({McCartney, Pretenders, John Mayer) was also a Suttoner, as was the rather posh Penelope Keith. Harry Secombe also used to live there, hence, we now have his legacy, the Secombe Theater, which plays host to many tribute bands.
Now living in Wallington where I've been told by many that early in their career, The Stones staged a concert at the small and provincial Wallington Hall. However, "my biggie" is that I live just a few doors down from what was once Jeff Beck's family home and where jams with Jimmy Page are reputed to have happened. Some of my older neighbours still remember him living at home when he made it and littering the street with cars in various states of repair, particularly Capris! One neighbour also recalls his niece being a fan and trying to jump over the fence and nab his undercrackers off the washing line! I have asked the current owners of the JB house if I can have a look up in their attic and they're aware of its history. If they still put blue plaques up, as with Hendrix's one on Bond Street, London, this, too, is a worthy contender.
Re:Landmark Arts, lovely gothic building and great interior. I'd love to play a gig there and 11 years ago, I couldn't convince Mrs.Kebab to put it on the list of potential wedding venues.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Hi All
Being in the RAF and traveling around alot , I often think about where i grew up which is Bromborough , Wirral. As a kid you don't really appreciate whats around you at all ,and its only through googling where i lived I know no it was quite an interesting place.
As you get older i think you generaly start to notice history and /or gain an interest so I was amazed to find out a great battle was fought in my town (or possibly was) The Battle of Brunanburh .
The primary school i went to (Brombrough pool) was the 2nd smallest school in britian (has since closed down) , It had 63ish pupils when i left. It was also a fairly important place to industry and candle making.
Hopefuly one day i'll make it back to have another look around the old place.
Don't know if anything musicly intersting happened near,Will do more googling :-)
When i lived in Huthwaite ,Notts one of my next door neighbourghs used to be in a band with Brian May before queen. He was the singer (my neighborough
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You can see Kenilworth Castle from my drive, and we get free entry (take that pushy guy from English Heritage).
I've got two young sons so most weekends we go to 'play at the castle'.
Plenty of history there, and connections with Queenie who came to stay a few times (it was Robert Dudleys gaff). Also the site of the longest running Siege in English history (1266).
Here's an old photo of the place (my house is on the left):
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Whist the village itself was mainly uninspiring the recent local history featuring people like Douglas Barder, Bob Stanford-Tuck, Ian Smith (later President of Rhodisia) Robert Watson-Watt etc. made growing up a little bit interesting. That and the ability to wind the wick up on the marshall without worrying the neighbours!!!