IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Butchers Mews, HAYES, UB3 2JZ

The plaque commemorates George Orwell.

The War Memorial can just be seen on the right.

Now a hotel, this used to be a private school where the writer George Orwell (real name Eric Arthur Blair) taught for a time in the early 1930s. The school was known as 'The Hawthorns' and was a private school for boys. It was run simply as a business by its owner and Orwell's opinion of it was very low. He referred to it as 'a dirty swindle' in private correspondence. His view of Hayes itself was not much better. In the same letter he described Hayes as 'one of the most godforsaken places I have ever struck. The population seems to be entirely made up of clerks who frequent tin-roofed chapels on Sundays & for the rest bolt themselves within doors.'* *'George Orwell' by Gordon Bowker, Little, Brown 2003.

Please see Brian's Image for a description of how George Orwell is linked to this building and his (Orwell's not Brian's) reputed opinions of the denizens of Hayes! The green plaque appears to have moved across the front of the building since 2004, possibly to a more prominent location on the corner while the owners have added their own sign.

Much of the church belongs to the 13th to the 15th centuries although it was much "altered and improved" by Giles Gilbert Scott. Bruce Stevenson in his book 'Middlesex' describes Hayes as "on the whole, a spoilt village, in spite of a few good old houses." but "there is still some semblance of green in its centre round Church Walk". The church is approached by a 16th century lych gate and the tower, like the north aisle, dates from the 15th century while the south aisle and south porch date from the 16th century.

Much of the church belongs to the 13th to the 15th centuries although it was much "altered and improved" by Giles Gilbert Scott. Bruce Stevenson in his book 'Middlesex' describes Hayes as "on the whole, a spoilt village, in spite of a few good old houses." but "there is still some semblance of green in its centre round Church Walk". The church is approached by a 16th century lych gate and the tower, like the north aisle, dates from the 15th century while the south aisle and south porch date from the 16th century.