The past is now another land Far beyond my reach

Last week I popped along to the Northwood Hills Hotel (now the Namaste Lounge) with some fellow eltonites to catch-up on all things Elton while sampling the wonderful Indian cuisine the establishment now offers. Many of you will have visited it over the years, some of you in 2010 when we held a LATW there before Elton’s concert at Vicarage Road.

UK LATW 2010

Arriving early, what better way to pass the time than to do a mini tour of some of Elton’s childhood homes? With the Captain Fantastic album providing accompaniment, I headed back in time to 111 Potter Street to see the house that, according to Philip Norman, “[Elton] would always omit from the chronology….so uncomfortable were the associations”. Best to get it out of the way first then, eh?

111 Potter Street

Next up, 55 Pinner Hill Road, the house where Elton was born and where he first started tinkling the ivories.

55 Pinner Hill Road

And lastly: Frome Court. Also home to Bernie for a number of years and where some of their most-loved songs were penned.

Frome Court

And this place don’t change / Some places move slow

From the outside none of these houses has changed much so it’s easy to imagine Elton traipsing in and out with his briefcase full of music and his records under his arm. I guess most fans have a sense of disappointment at not having known of Elton earlier – if only I’d paid attention before The Lion King; if only I’d been at the Troubadour in 1970; if only I’d shopped at Musicland on a regular basis in 1968; if only I’d been born in Pinner in 1947.

OK, I maybe going a bit far but standing outside these places that are so important in the history of Elton John, it’s easy to wish yourself back in time to where it all began. Given Elton’s well-known unhappiness in his childhood I did feel vaguely (and rather ridiculously) guilty for imagining him back there. And, even with the slightly less hardline attitude to looking back that he’s recently acquired, I think he’d tell me to get a grip! Still, nostalgia’s a funny thing and I have to admit to being rather moved.

PRS Plaque

After my whistle-stop tour I found myself rather hungry, and a little late. Once again, the gods of progress and planning have been kind, and the Northwood Hills Hotel, stands looking almost exactly like it did the day it was built. The PRS plaque is the only notable addition to the exterior.

Inside it’s a different story – there’s only a passing resemblance to the bar it used to be making it rather difficult to conjure up images of young Reggie pounding out ‘Roll Out the Barrel’ or ducking out the window to avoid another Saturday night fight. All of which is probably a good thing as I was starting to feel rather maudlin.

Over a delicious Saag Aloo talk soon turned to upcoming concerts, films and albums, keeping us merrily occupied for the rest of the meal. So, while there’s plenty to look back on, I for one, would like to thank Elton for giving us so much to look forward to – if only to save me from wallowing in nostalgia.

For those of you who like your food, the Namaste Lounge is well worth a visit. In fact it has just been voted Restaurant of the Year 2011 by the readers of The Harrow Times which is a commendation if ever I heard one.

If you have any photos of the inside of the Northwood Hills Hotel from around the time Elton played there, I’d love to see them. And let me know your stories about visiting Elton’s past haunts.