History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

In the early morning of Thursday 23 May 1935, a fire broke out in Salusbury Road in West Kilburn near the junction with Lonsdale Road. Leopold Rabbitts, who the press wrongly call Mr Rabbit, was woken up by the frantic barking of Jock, his little wire-haired terrier. He found the room full of smoke and realising there was a fire, he quickly got his wife Gertrude and his teenage children Kathleen and John out to safety. He shouted to neighbours to raise the alarm. Then he went back to get Jock, but the flames forced him back and he fell down the stairs. The fire had started in Samuel Sidders and Son, a printing company where Leopold Rabbits was the caretaker, living above the works at No.115 Salusbury Road. The strong wind spread the fire quickly and soon several buildings were ablaze. In addition to the printing works, these were; Deacour Bros, briar pipe makers at No.107-109, Avery-Hardoll, who made garage petrol pumps at No.111, Harvey Nichols, the major Knightsbridge shop, w...