Here are some photos from Irene and Peter's early days
Acton
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Acton Station where Irene and Debbie used to catch the tube to work in Woolworth's.
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Gunnersbury Lane. Irene and Debbie sometimes stopped off at a shop here to buy samosas!
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Ealing
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Gunnersbury Park. The cafe here sold marshmallow wafers that Irene loved!
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Here are 142 and 144 Pope's Lane where Irene and Peter first met. They were originally owned by the Electricity Board whose employees sublet them.
Irene's landlady was whinging about the noise level coming from next door, so Irene volunteered to pop round and pass on her complaints!
Irene and Peter clicked straight away and never looked back. :)
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This electricity sub-station is adjacent to the two properties and the transformer used to switch over with a loud bang every evening. Irene quipped "That poor man is trying to shoot himself and he missed again!"
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This is the rear of the two properties. They have been extensively modified, presumably to fit in as many paying tennants as possible!
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This is the entrance to Gunnersbury Park (about 100 yards from the two properties)...
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...a lovely wide open space in a built-up area!
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Peter used to complete two circuits of the perimeter each day, after work!
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This is where the chinese takeaway used to be on Pope's Lane!
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This used to be The Gunnersbury pub at the other end of Pope's Lane.
Irene and Peter used to come here of an evening to take advantage of the roaring fire!
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Just along from The Gunnersbury was a really good Indian restaurant, which is sadly no longer there.
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Here is North Ealing station...
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...location of another Indian restaurant where Peter took Irene for a great meal.
Surprisingly it is still there!
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This is the hotel where Peter stayed when he first came to work in Greenford.
Irene also stayed here when things went sour at Popes Lane.
After spending their last 2p phoning a Hostel, they managed to get a room-good catch by fate! :)
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Ealing also has an extensive Common-a great oasis away from the traffic and urban sprawl!
Chertsey Area
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After a few weeks in the Hostel, Peter got a better paid job
and they put a deposit down on a mobile home in Mead Lane, Chertsey. The mobile home park is still there but is greatly reduced in size, likely due to selling off the land to developers for new builds!
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Staines is a market town near Chertsey where Irene and Peter used to shop. One weekend, Peter saw a new Ferrari 308 GTS parked in a side street!
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This derelict building was once a cafe on the walk from Mead Lane to Chertsey.
Irene caled it "The Argument Cafe" since the owners were constantly bickering!
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This is Chertsey Lock...
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...and Weir. Irene and Peter walked extensively around this area.
Harrow Area
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Here are Irene and Peter celebrating Christmas in the early days...
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...with Debbie and Mark. Note the copper clock in the shape of Africa that Irene brought back from Rhodesia (as was)
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This is Harrow Weald. Irene and Peter moved here after leaving Chertsey. This was a bad time for them as they lost their deposit on the mobile home. :(
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They rented the upstairs flat, which was charging an exhorbitant rent. Eventually, they sold most of their possessions to get by!
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Everything changed in 1980, as Peter switched to contract work and they moved into a single room in Wealdstone (for a fraction of the flat rent!)
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This is the entrance to South Harrow market adjacent to Instrument and Delta Screws where Irene and Mark worked.
There was also a Co-op there where Irene used to buy the most scrumptious ham-off-the-bone!
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Here is the indoor shopping mall in Harrow...
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...and the outside.
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This is the main street which looks much the same as it did in the early eighties!
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Here was a charming little cafe called Gingham's Kitchen that Irene used to love.
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Harrow was their main shopping area.
During Peter and Irene's time in Wealdstone, they managed to get Debbie and Mark into a double room and gradually upgraded their own room. Peter's second contract was with Marconi Space and Defence and part of the job was undertaking trials in Scotland.
Peter took Irene along and she stayed in a hotel, where she was inspired to write most of her poetry!