History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

This strange story moves over both time and place. It begins on an evening in April 1950 when two rival gangs met outside the West Kilburn Baptist Chapel in Canterbury Road. An argument broke out, and suddenly there was a fusillade of five shots. The crowd scattered, leaving Patrick Twomey of Malvern Road lying on the ground. He was hit by several bullets, and one had severed an artery in his leg. He was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital where he needed a blood transfusion. A newspaper pointed out this was the area where scenes from the film ‘The Blue Lamp’ starring Jack Warner and Dirk Bogarde, had recently been filmed. 1950s OS map showing where the shooting took place West Kilburn Baptist Church 2013 (Geograph, David Martin) A few hours later the police arrested Teddy Boy Kenneth Fromant, an 18-year old labourer, at his home 179 Saltram Crescent in South Kilburn.  Luckily, Patrick survived and gave evidence in court. His clothes were produced to show the bullet holes and his ration ...