History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

On 21 January 1908, a messenger arrived at Cox and Co. the army bank at 16 Charing Cross. He presented a typewritten bill of exchange for £300 from the account of Captain EH Brassey of The Lifeguards, payable to Mr AF Cox. The money was put in an envelope addressed to AF Cox at 87 Shaftesbury Avenue and the messenger boy delivered it to that address.  Cox an Co, army bank Charing Cross, c1918 On 27 January this happened again. But the sum at the top of the bill was for £700 while the body of the bill said £300. In accordance with custom, the bank paid the lower amount and wrote to Captain Brassey about the discrepancy. He was away on leave and did not receive the letter until a few days later. On 1 February, a messenger again came to the bank, this time with a bill for £1,000. Knowing the Captain was away, the bank did not pay. The following day Brassey returned and told the bank the bills were forgeries. The police were informed, and Detective Inspector Benjamin A...

Surprisingly, Kilburn has had nine cinemas in the last 110 years, or ten if we include the Queens Park Electric in Salusbury Road, but today there is only one. The early days of cinema It is generally agreed that the first moving pictures in this county were shown in London in 1896. The early shows were given in ‘Penny Gaffs’ often with just a sheet hung in a converted shop. In December 1897, the large Bon Marche draper’s shop near Kilburn’s main line station, hosted what was probably the first moving picture display in the neighbourhood. They advertised, ‘The Cinematograph, animated photographs’ at the cost of one penny. They were showing early film of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebration parade which was held on the 22 June 1897 and The Two Macs, a comedy act. Bon Marche next to the Kilburn and Maida Vale Station Six-year old Charles Landstone who lived locally at 32 Plympton Road went along. Remembering the event he said, ‘I, of course, had no idea w...