History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

British Homophone was a recording studio behind the present day Sainsbury’s and Superdrug in Kilburn High Road. It later became the famous Irish dance hall The Banba. St Margaret's Before British Homophone opened their recording studio in 1929 this was the site of a large house called St Margaret’s. The last owner and occupier of St Margaret’s was the builder Robert Allen Yerbury who rented the house about 1877. He soon bought the freehold as well as a large piece of land adjoining his grounds. He used the garden in front of the renamed St Margaret’s Lodge as the site for a terrace of shops. Although completely hemmed in by the shops on the High Road, Yerbury was able to rent the house to a series of tenants. By 1903 a hall and conservatory had been added to the back of St Margaret’s Lodge. ‘Professor’ Sidney Bishop ran ‘The Athenaeum’ for dancing there from 1902 to 1914 before moving to nearby Quex Road. During WWI it was used as a Forces recreation room and in the 20s the Hall be...