Harold Hill 143758 205723676 2008-04-15T05:08:25Z Alchemica 5001700 added interwiki to french article {{dablink|Harold Hill is also the name of a fictional character in the musical [[The Music Man]]}} {{infobox UK place| |country = England |map_type = Greater London |region= London |population= |official_name= Harold Hill |latitude= 51.6100 |longitude= 0.2322 |os_grid_reference= TQ545925 |london_borough= Havering |postcode_area= RM |postcode_district= RM3 |post_town= ROMFORD |dial_code= 01708 |constituency_westminster= [[Upminster (UK Parliament constituency)|Upminster]] }} '''Harold Hill''' is a place in the [[London Borough of Havering]], [[East London, England|East London]], [[England]]. It is a suburban development situated 16.6 miles (26.7 km) east north-east of [[Charing Cross]]. Harold Hill is a large-scale post war development and part of the [[New Towns]] movement at the end of the [[World War II]], an attempt to move large sections of the population from poor conditions in central districts to the more pleasant surroundings of the suburbs. The success of the plan is a matter for debate. ==Education== {{main|List of schools in the London Borough of Havering}} ==Transport and locale== Unlike the comparable [[Becontree]] development, Harold Hill was built without direct connection to the [[London Underground]] or [[National Rail]] services. [[Transport for London]] provides bus routes 174, 256, 294, 496 and 499 with connections to tube and rail and are planning that the [[East London Transit]] will serve the area. ===Nearest places=== * [[Collier Row]] * [[Gallows Corner]] * [[Gidea Park]] * [[Harold Wood]] ===Nearest stations=== * [[Gidea Park railway station]] * [[Harold Wood railway station]] ==In song== [[Ian Dury]], known for references to places in [[Essex]] and [[London]], name-checked Harold Hill in his popular song ''This Is What We Find'' on his 1978 album ''Do It Yourself'': {{cquote|Home improvement expert Harold Hill from Harold Hill<BR> Of do it yourself dexterity and double glazing skill<BR> Came home to find another gentlemen's kippers in the grill<BR> so he sanded off his winkle with his [[Black & Decker]] Drill|10px|10px|[[Ian Dury]]}} The song set all three of its verses in real places the others were [[Turnham Green]] and [[Lambeth Walk]]. In his 2CD ''Retrospective Reasons To be Cheerful'' produced by [[Repertoire Records]] Dury stated that he never wrote another verse as good as Harold Hill's verse. == External links == *[http://www.haroldhill.org Harold Hill: A People's History] {{LB Havering}} * http://www.friendsofdagnampark.org.uk/ [[Category:Districts of London]] [[Category:Neighbourhoods of Havering]] {{London-geo-stub}} [[fr:Harold Hill]] [[nl:Harold Hill]]