John and his mates tells of digging holes in the ground and making shelters where they would light fires and cook potatoes. This was in their play area where the Sopwell Youth Club is now. They would cover them with… More about ‘Making shelters – John Buckingham’»
Category: Life and leisure
Bonfire night – John Buckingham
John Buckingham remembers building bonfires in the area of ground near where the Sopwell Youth Club is today. There were many other bonfire sites in the area and there was a rivalry between each group so the heaps used to… More about ‘Bonfire night – John Buckingham’»
Living next to the gasworks and railway lines – John Buckingham
John Buckingham was born in 1943 in Leyland Avenue – right next door to the gasworks. He remembers his father having an allotment next to the railway line and it being bulldozed over; the digging of the cutting up to… More about ‘Living next to the gasworks and railway lines – John Buckingham’»
Prefabs in Sopwell
The years following Word War 2 saw the building of thousands of prefabricated dwellings all over Britain. Familiarly called prefabs, they provided homes for returning servicemen and their families. Many of them were built in Sopwell and some of them… More about ‘Prefabs in Sopwell’»
Memories of the 1930s – Dorothy Grummitt
Dorothy Grummitt lives in Albeny Gate but was born in Gateshead. In the 1930s, she often used to visit her aunt and uncle in Park Street, St Albans. Her uncle worked as a carpenter at Handley Page in Radlett. He… More about ‘Memories of the 1930s – Dorothy Grummitt’»
From the USA to Ramsbury Road – Anne Wares
Anne Wares, born in New York, outlines the adjustments she had to make when she settled in the UK and moved to Ramsbury Road in the early 1960s. Very few houses in the UK had central heating, refrigerators or telephones… More about ‘From the USA to Ramsbury Road – Anne Wares’»
Living in Ramsbury Road – Anne Wares
Anne Wares was born in New York, USA in 1943. She and her husband moved into Ramsbury Road in 1969. She has researched the area where she lives and has produced a booklet called A History of Priory Park (Approach… More about ‘Living in Ramsbury Road – Anne Wares’»
Living in Riverside Road – Barry Bateman
Barry moved to St Albans from Crouch End in May 1988. He chose to live in Riverside Road in Sopwell. Riverside Road started off as Longmire Road and had a bad reputation as a poor area. Nowadays it is seen… More about ‘Living in Riverside Road – Barry Bateman’»
Memories of St Julian’s farm – Mrs Terry
Mrs Giddings, Betty Terry’s mother, worked at St Julian’s farm for the Muir family. Betty remembers hunting for mushrooms there. She also remembers an airfield behind the farm where you could get a flight for 10 shillings. More information has… More about ‘Memories of St Julian’s farm – Mrs Terry’»
Memories of living in Vesta Avenue – Mrs Terry
After living in Sopwell Gate Lodge and a brief spell in London, the Giddings family moved into a house in Vesta Avenue. Betty Terry, nee Giddings, remembers, St Stephen’s church, the playing fields and Priory Park school. Despite wanting to… More about ‘Memories of living in Vesta Avenue – Mrs Terry’»
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