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View including Rattenburys, 1960s and Derek Burton's memories, late 1950s

Quentin Pickard provided this photo showing the area running up to Rattenburys at 288/9 High Street on the northern side of the High Street, 1960s.

Derek Burton spotted this photo and wrote 'just to fill in a few details'. This is great, the names were difficult to make out

The derelict shops include:

• Ferry Sweet Shop at no. 280 with pram outside
• Wards at no. 281
• a fruiterer at no. 282
• S.H.Bass at no. 283: there is an archway following no. 283 which is mentioned in the 1909/10 Valuation
• Numbers 284, 285 & 286 all derelict
• An upholsterers at no. 287
• Rattenburys: the white building with blinds at nos 288 & 289
• A Hovis sign marks the bakers at no. 290: this appears to have been a bakers continuously from 1851; Derek noted the name 'Eddie Symonds'

Derek's memories of this area

My Mum and Dad used to have the Ferry Sweet Shop in the high street i.e. number 280, from 1956 until they moved us into a shop in Albany Parade around about 1961 and a nice new flat in 17 Charlton House, Albany Road.

280 High street, the Ferry Sweet Shop, was nearly opposite Ferry Lane.

281 was "Wards" (two sisters owned this) ladies haberdashery, next to them was I think Daubneys a greengrocers, they didn't live on the premises, I think they lived in Chiswick.

S.H. Bass was Sam Bass a gent's outfitters, Sam was a small portly Jewish gentleman who always wore a flat cheesecutter cap. Up the alley sandwiched between Sam Bass's shop and a man who owned a wood shop making all sorts of wood furniture was where the family of "Worbys" lived. I remember two of the sisters, Sylvia and Rose Worby, worked at the soap works down at Catherine Wheel Yard, Joe was the oldest son, and their mum used to always have a cigarette on.

Next to the wood shop was a double fronted chemist B A Williams who still trades just up the road, next to them was "The Red Lion Upholstery" then it was Rattenburys shop run by two brothers, one doing the pawn brokering and jewellery side, and one doing the clothing and linen side.

Then there was a very small road going up to Brentford Printing Works and the Albany Arms, on the other side of this road was a bakers run by Eddie Symonds, next to him was "Moores" who sold records and electrical goods. I think his name was Ernie Moore, his dad and younger brother had a engineering business above a bike shop across the road on the corner called Brenray Industries, about opposite the old Howard's hardware shop that sold all sorts of screws and hinges, before they relocated to opposite Brent Lea, just past Brentford Bridge which was also pulled down; I think it's a pets store now.

About four or five terraced cottages past Moores bike shop was Charlie Humphrys who I believe used to row the ferry across the Thames at the bottom of Ferry Lane, Charlie used to like sitting in a chair outside his cottage watching what was going on up and down the High Street, to me at the time he was the oldest man I knew.

As a 12 year old I used to deliver evening papers every day to a big old house at the bottom of Ferry Lane which was owned by Clements Knowling and Tough who used to repaint their barges on the dock. Just before you entered their premises on the right was the so called Brentford Monument which now stands outside Brentford's Court.

Links

Rattenburys features in several photos on this site, search on the home page.

More about this area and previous residents.

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Originally published 2009, updated February 2025