Plaque

Jim Marshall - wrong location

Erection date: 6/4/2013

Inscription

Jim Marshall OBE, 1923 - 2012, founder of Marshall Amplification, sold his first guitar amp here in 1962.
Hanwell High Street
76 Uxbridge Road

The plaque was unveiled by Brian Poole (of Brian Poole and the Tremeloes). Poole wrote "This is where Jim’s first shop was and on the day I went and stood outside what used to be No. 76 Uxbridge Road for the first time since the Tremeloes and me were among his very first customers in the early 60’s."

Site: Jim Marshall - wrong location (1 memorial)

W7, Uxbridge Road, 147

The location of the plaque is puzzling. The plaque says that Marshall sold his first guitar amp. 'here' at number 76, but the plaque is (2019) on number 147 Uxbridge Road, and we can find no justification for this location.

With assistance from Stephen Brasher and Andrew Behan we discovered the pavement plaque at number 76, which is the real location of the first Marshall shop, opened in 1960. A second shop was opened in 1963, almost opposite the first, at number 93. (And a dedicated factory was set up at Silverdale Road, Hayes). 

The buildings at 76 (Tony’s Barbers) and 93 (TaxAssist Accountants) are both easily pre-1950s but Fuzzfaced has a photo of a c.1950/60s “Marshall” shop captioned “The first Jim Marshall’s store, at Uxbridge Road 76 (Photo courtesy of Marshall)”. This certainly does not show 76 Uxbridge Road and really confused us initially, but we now wonder if it is a different Marshall shop, at a totally different location, not connected with Jim Marshall at all.

2023: Mr Little contacted us to say that the Fuzzfaced photo shows the shop that Marshalls had in Bletchley (where they moved in 1967 and are still based).

Stephen Brasher found a report in a 1966 Middlesex County Times saying that Marshalls now have a factory and two shops, one of which "is to be demolished along with a row of others in Uxbridge Road". The row of shops 79-103 are substantial properties so we think it was 64 – 82 that was slated for demolition.  These shops are small and are indeed the type of properties that, in the 60s, were considered of little worth. But the plan did not go ahead and the shops have provided many small businesses with premises for almost 60 years.

One day someone will explain why this plaque is on number 147, while, at number 76, there is a perfectly good section of wall, ready and waiting.

2023: Mr Little suggested that possibly the owners of number 76 refused to host a plaque so it was simply placed at the centre of Hanwell, at the clock tower. This would also explain the rather unusual pavement plaque at no 76.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Jim Marshall - wrong location

Subjects commemorated i

Marshall Amplification

A company that specialises in the design and manufacture of  music amplifiers...

Read More

Jim Marshall

Businessman and pioneer of guitar amplification. Born in London. An electrica...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Jim Marshall - wrong location

Created by i

Brian Poole

Singer. Born in Dagenham. He became lead singer with the Tremeloes (originall...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Giuseppe Mazzini - NW1

Giuseppe Mazzini - NW1

NW1, North Gower Street, 185

Mazzini arrived in this house in 1840 when the address was 9 George Street.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
London Welsh Rugby club - WW1

London Welsh Rugby club - WW1

TW9, Old Deer Park, 187, Kew Road, sports ground pavilion

Unusually the plaque gives the birth and death years for each name. From a Wrexham paper we learn that altogether 13 Welsh-capped player...

War dead | WW1
24 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Reschid Pasha

Reschid Pasha

W1, Bryanston Square, 1

Greater London Council Mustapha Reschid Pasha, 1800 - 1858, Turkish statesman and reformer, lived here as Ambassador in 1839.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Sir Hugh Lane

Sir Hugh Lane

SW5, South Bolton Gardens, 8

Lane and Orpen were distant cousins and rented this house together in 1907. The Lane plaque is above, Orpen below, with a little window b...

2 subjects commemorated
Coventry Patmore

Coventry Patmore

W1, Percy Street, 14

London County Council Coventry Patmore, 1823 - 1896, poet and essayist, lived here, 1863 - 1864.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator