The Railway Hotel, Wealdstone

ABOUT

The Railway Hotel was a pub beside Harrow & Wealdstone station whose Tuesday 'Bluesday' R&B club booked the High Numbers, as the Who were then called, in 1964. The pub closed in 1999 and the derelict building was later demolished. Two blocks of flats, Daltrey House and Moon House, now stand on the site.

SIGNIFICANCE

Kit Lambert saw the High Numbers at the Railway Hotel in July 1964 and became their manager with Chris Stamp the next month. In September 1964 Pete Townshend broke his guitar on the low ceiling there and then smashed it, and a week later Keith Moon smashed his drum kit at the same venue.

MUSIC & CHARACTER

SOURCES

Details compiled from public sources. Run this venue? Get in touch to confirm or correct the listing.

1. https://harrowonline.org/2024/02/18/harrows-lost-pubs-a-look-at-some-of-the-boroughs-favourite-watering-holes/ (news article)Supports: The pub closed in 1999 and was partly destroyed by fire in 2002; the site is now flats.
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20100121162650/http://www.housingexcellence.co.uk/news/memorial-smashing-riff-475351 (news article)Supports: A plaque put up with Harrow Council (around late 2009) on the new housing reads: 'This plaque marks the site of the former Railway Hotel, where The Who made rock history by smashing a guitar during the group's shows in 1964.'
3. https://www.thewho.com/years/1964/ (official website)Supports: Kit Lambert saw the High Numbers at the Railway Hotel in July 1964, and he and Chris Stamp took over their management in August.
4. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Melody-Maker/60s/64/Melody-Maker-1964-07-18-S-OCR.pdf (news article)Supports: In July 1964 the High Numbers ('formerly The Who') played the Tuesday 'Bluesday' R&B club at the Railway Hotel, Harrow and Wealdstone.