Hayes - So Close To London

Hayes is a suburban area about 10 miles west of the centre of London, close to Heathrow Airport and also enjoying good transport links directly into the capital and out to the rest of the country via the nearby junctions 3 and 4 of the M4 and on the railways. It is in the Borough of Hillingdon.

Hayes originally developed out of the brick making industry and agriculture and expanded as other light industry entered the area. As now, it was situated in a great location for transportation, with the Grand Union Canal and Great Western Railway running through the centre of the town. This made it a popular area for businesses and factories and its expansion developed from there, with housing built especially for the factory workers moving into the area. More recently many major companies have had their headquarters in the town, for example EMI, Heinz and Nestle.

As a town now, Hayes has shopping in the Grand Arcade where there are over 60 shops and restaurants, as well as high street shopping. There are many pubs and the Beck Theatre offers a range of entertainment including dance, drama and live comedy. The theatre can also be hired out as a conference venue and there is a restaurant on site There are several cinemas within a 6 mile radius, in the nearby towns of Feltham, Southall and Uxbridge.

There are a number of schools in the town and the Uxbridge College has a campus in here.

The London Motor Museum is in the centre of Hayes and holds a showroom full of classic cars dating from the 1950's to the present day. Visitors can book to ride in one or two of the exhibits and get to look at cars from both Europe and the USA.

In the centre of town there is a new sports complex which as well as housing the swimming pool and other gym facilities, also incorporates the local library. Hayes is also very close to several golf courses and Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex. Hillingdon Cycle Circuit is located in Hayes and is a purpose built cycle track. Ruislip Lido and Woods are near and Willowtree Marina on the Grand Union Canal offers a peaceful waterside location for walking, dining and events.

The Barra Hall park is a lovely green park and garden area maintained by the local authority. The park is set in a 20 acre area around a manor house. There is a bandstand, open air theatre and children's play area within the park. There are grass areas for ball games and formal shrubberies and rose gardens. Every year in July Hayes holds the annual carnival, with events and stalls set up in the park as well as the parade itself. During the summer there are activities including sports, cookery, arts and crafts and barbecues in and around the Hillingdon borough including in Hayes, especially for young people.

Being so close to London and with the public transport enabling people to get into London Paddington in 20 minutes, it is possible to enjoy days or nights out in the capital as well.

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