The Constant Traveller
We are always travelling - wherever we are. Does it matter that I am in Pinner, North West London instead of Sydney, NSW at this very moment? - No, why should it? As of today I consider myself just someone passing through Pinner. If I treat this place like my old “home” then it just takes me back in time instead of just enjoying today and whatever it may bring.
However, if I look at it through the eyes of a traveller it suddenly becomes one of Englands small towns that probably sees a large number of foreign visitors who are sure to be enchanted by the village of Pinner, it’s tudor buildings in the High Street and the Queens Head public house which dates back to the reign of Charles I.
So I won’t wait until I am thousands of miles from here to share my journey with you - I will start now, and without further ado invite you to my home town of Pinner…
The name Pinner originally dates from 1231, or at least that is when the earliest known occurence of the name dates from. In Medieval times Pinner was not recorded as a “Manor” but was part of Harrow (it is the London borough of Harrow today). The Lord of the Manor in these times was the Archbishop of Canterbury and the population at the time consisted of a priest, three knights who had numerous tenants, roughly 100 villagers and a couple of slaves (people who owned no land).
Pinner High Street c1850 (the first known photograph of Pinner)
The character of Pinner has changed somewhat over the years as the picture of the High Street below will show but some things have not changed, most notable are landmarks such as St John’s Church which sits atop the hill at the end of the High Street and the Queens Head pub which I visit whenever I return to this part of the world. The church dates back to around the mid 14th century and was really built so Pinner resdidents did not have to travel to Harrow on a Sunday for church.
Pinner High Street around 1900
Pinner High Street as it is today
Around the beginning of the 18th century the population of Pinner was 660 people. This figure rose slightly to 761 in 1801 and again to 1,310 by 1851. By 1951 the population stood at about 45,000 people.
Truth be told I was actually brought up in North Harrow until around the age of 14 when my family moved to Pinner and I became a “Pinner Boy”. North Harrow is the poorer cousin to Pinner and the move made me feel we were coming up in the world. My parents still live in Pinner and it has been the home for many a famous person, most notably Elton John and the not so famous Jane March (The Sinner from Pinner!).
There are many beautiful sights to be seen in and around Pinner and I was lucky to stumble upon a web site that has many great pictures so I include a link should you be interested in seeing the area where my teenage years were spent.
It is a great place to call “home”.
I hope you liked my introduction to Pinner. Next week - Bognor Regis…just kidding :0).
PS - Tomorrow I am off to the largest covered outlet mall in the UK (down the M4 to Swindon) to get some travel gear sorted.
Tags: Pre-Trip
