Home > London > W2 > Great Western Great Western
Date of photo: c1915	Picture source: Stephen David
The Great Western was situated at 57 Hampden Crescent. This pub was closed and demolished around the 1960s/'70s along with the street. Hampden Crescent was about two streets to the south of Alfred Road, just off Harrow Road.
Source: T C
We lived in Hampden Crescent from 1958 until 1963 when we were rehoused due to the houses being demolished. They were due to be demolished before the war under the slum clearance programme but it wasn't until 20 years after the war that Hampden Crescent started to be demolished. I remember the pub it was always called "The Bells" as that was the name of the original licensee and was always known as that. We lived almost opposite the pub and it was a little while before my dad realised it was a pub. I remember it being clad in green tiles and was on t he corner of a sort of road with little terrace cottages on the left (railway workers cottages I think) that lead to the foot bridge over the railway tracks that ran into Paddington station. I lived here from the age of 5 until I was 10. The pub played a part of my life even though I was only a child. My dad and older brother would drink there and my sister and I would wait outside and be given a bag of Smith's crisps (with the little blue salt bags) and a coca cola. Sometimes we would go in to the off licence section, which was between the saloon and public bars and buy an arrow root biscuit called a dog biscuit. We also use to take back our empty bottles and get I think threepence back on each bottle. We recycled then!! The pub use to organise and put on a children's Christmas party in the back room every year. They also organised Char -a -banc (coach) outings to the sea side. One for adults one for kids. The pub was very much part of the community and played a part in most of the residents lives. Many a time after the pub closed my relatives would come back to our place for an impromptu party. I say our place but in fact it was just the top two rooms at the top of the house. Two other families were on first and ground floor. For many years after we moved my dad and brother would recall humorous anecdotes from their happy memories of "The Bells"
Phyllis Pearmund (September 2019)
Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Like this site? Follow us on Make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.