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Picture source: Les Bailey

The White Hart was situated at 49 High Street. This pub was demolished in 2009.

I became aware of the White Hart Southall when I was an apprentice at EMI, Hayes. A fellow lodger took me along to the Chris Barber Jazz club which met there every Wednesday. During the time I went there I met Lonnie Donegan who played banjo in the band but who started to introduce "Skiffle " music. We had never heard a driving rhythm quite like this before and one of his numbers "Rock Island Line" was a great favourite. I remember sitting near the back of the room with Lonnie and a few others at the end of one evening when he told us that Decca had recorded it !. The rest, as they say is history. That was the record which inspired (amongst others) John Lennon. I spent many happy hours in the front row listening enchanted to Monty Sunshine's clarinet  a few feet in front of me. Monty died a few weeks ago and now I have discovered that the White Hart has been pulled down. Guess I'm getting old !

David Marks (February 2011)

I was a trainee reporter on the Middlesex County Times in Southall from 1960 to 1964 and used to go to Don Short's Albermarle Jazz Club at the White Hart every Wednesday night with my girlfriend, Merrilyn Sealy, from Norwood Green. I actually started going to the club when I was just 14; some friends in the 1st Hanwell Boy Scout band, in which I played the Bflat flute, had heard about someone called Acker Bilk, whose jazz band played military marches. He performed at the White Hart one night and we all went down to hear him. My parents secretly came and had a drink in the front bar because they were worried I was getting into bad ways. But they saw how much I enjoyed it ... and let me carry on going there. Whatever happened to Don Short? He really made a significant contribution to musical history in the 1960s, a truly unsung hero.

John Shirley (March 2011)

What a sad, derelict picture of the White Hart public house. Like the Northcote Arms and most of the other pubs in Southall, the White Hart looks so very sad.  Southall had a thriving working class population in the 1950's and 1960's , good people but now, well it is a toilet!  Like so many towns in the UK, Southall has been destroyed and colonised.  It is best now to live on the memories of the way it once was but forget now that it exists at all.  RIP Southall, you were full of wonderful people years ago but you are dead and sadly, not buried!!

Dick Galley (July 2011)

I am living in Australia now (since 1968) but I was an apprentice at EMI Research Labs 1955-1960. We often used to go to the White Hart to listen to Chris Barber and his band - fantastic! It has left me with a lifelong love of trad jazz! Very sorry to hear that the White Hart has gone! Fortunately, Chris Barber's music and Ottilie Patterson's voice lives on through their records and CDs.

Gerry Brooks (July 2011)

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Name	Dates	Comments
Tony Cremer	1960-63	I have many happy memories of evenings listening and dancing to Chris Barber, Acker Bilk, Alan Elsdon, The Temperance Seven and so on.
Chris Mitchell	1959-60	I was playing with a jazzband"The Charlie Gall Jazzmen" , and we had a 3 day residency every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The band members were  Charlie Gall (Leader and Trumpet), Joe Smith ( Clarinett), John Howlett (Trombone), Chris Mitchell ( Banjo), Matt Paton ( Bass) and Pete Mawford ( Drums) .Lots of good times, girls and great memories. The band turned  professional in 1960 , and kept going during the "Trad Boom", eventually, after Charlie joined Clinton Fords backing band , being re-named The Cy Preston Jazzmen". A great pity that the "Hart" has gone , but then , so have many things lately ,
June Lomax	late 1950s	The best of British Jazzmen played and sang there Weds nights. Queue to get in, the tiny hall, Chris Barber,Kenny Ball, Lonnie Donnigan, Humph, Cleo, Otilie, Acker Bilk (playing piano!) Monty Sunshine.. Vi,barmaid, hated going down the cellar as the ceiling used to go up and down with us all jiving a few feet above her head! Wonderful times.. Richie Ronaine, are you still out there somewhere?
Chris Kemp	late 1950s	Was taken there by a great friend Pete Tullet, worked for Sperry, to listen to the Chris Barber Band; always a wonderful experience. Sadly lost contact with Pete who played trombone and drums at one time!
Tony Nichols	1958-1962	My wife and I were regular attenders at the club. The music was always good. The dancing was limited. As the evening progressed the fog became thicker, we didn't understand passive smoking effect. So many good bands. Great memories.