Perivale is a semi-residential, semi-industrial suburb in greater West London. Not only is it home to the biggest Polish population in the whole of London, it also harbours some of the London’s most unique and precious architectural landmarks – namely the old Hoover factory, an art-deco monument for the whole nation to be proud of. The Industrial Park and Business Centre provide much of the employment in the area, harking back to a local legacy of industry that has centred around the canals since the Victorian era. With its own tube station and easy access to the A40, Perivale is a prime location for zipping in and out of Central London, but with two golf courses and Ealing Central Sports Ground close by, it’s not hard to escape any urban-induced stress.

Originally known as Pyryvale back in the 1500s, it was one of the smallest parishes in Middlesex all the way up until the 12th century. In fact, it was little more than some farm and woodland and a notable windmill throughout the period – noted mostly for its good reputation for wheat. Hence, the ‘big bang’ moment for sweet Perivale was the arrival of proper roads in the 1930s. Due to the area’s lack of density (in other words, it had only a handful of buildings) and proximity to key transport links, it became THE spot for building new factories. One of the first was Sanderson Wallpapers Ltd, which was built in 1929. By the 1960s, they were the employers of nearly 2000 people. However, the really big name that defined the neighbourhood was Hoover - that’s right, the vacuum cleaner company.

Perivale was home to Chris Thomas, whose name probably doesn’t ring a bell unless you really know your music. But this was the man who produced many of the world’s favourite rock bops. For example, Thomas produced half of the Beatles’ iconic White Album after regular producer George Martin went on his holidays and left him with the job.

Perivale is considered to be a slightly more crime-ridden location relative to the whole of Ealing. Miscellaneous theft topped the list of reported crimes, specifically around the north of St Benedict’s School and near the Tesco superstore, although vandalism of cars is also a key issue.

A key development in Perivale has been the conversion of the Iconic Hoover building, into luxury apartments. These art-deco pads, of which there are 66 in total, were to cost up to £650,000 each when they first made available to the market in 2018.

Also, the tunnelling of HS2 underneath the area is also set to cause some disruption on the roads, although this will have little long-term impact on Perivale itself.