I was at Mandeville from 1954 to 1960, and have very much enjoyed reading the reminiscences of Kelvin Callow, James Watkins, Catherine Mackenzie Davies and others. My brother Brian was there from 1955 to 1961, and my sister Jacky from… More about ‘Memories of Mandeville School by Peter Rodford’»
Category: People
Sportsman’s Hall and Priory Park School- Frances Gordon

Frances Gordon (nee Parsons) shares her memories of living in one of the two cottages, known as Sportsman’s Hall. Sportsman’s Hall was situated on the corner of Cottonmill Lane and Prospect Road. Frances born 1934 was evacuated from the East End… More about ‘Sportsman’s Hall and Priory Park School- Frances Gordon’»
Memories of the 19th cub scouts – Kelvin Callow
I remember that when I joined the cubs my mum had to take me to the scout hut in Waverly Road to buy my uniform. Akela was Derek Cooper who had a motorbike and lived in Redbourn. I can remember… More about ‘Memories of the 19th cub scouts – Kelvin Callow’»
Growing up on the Cottonmill Estate – Kelvin Callow

Kelvin Callow, born in 1946, has written up his memories of living on the Cottonmill Estate and kindly agreed to share them on the website. “When I was very young I lived with my parents at my Gran’s house in Cottonmill… More about ‘Growing up on the Cottonmill Estate – Kelvin Callow’»
Shops and deliveries – Margaret Brown

Once there were four shops in Cottonmill Lane built when the Mentmore estate was constructed in 1938-9, two either side. Margaret shares her memories of them. She also recalls the delivery vans that called round selling all sorts of goods… More about ‘Shops and deliveries – Margaret Brown’»
Sportsmans Hall and the stables in Cottonmill Lane – Margaret Brown

Margaret Brown continues her memories of Cottonmill Lane. She remembers the stables opposite the Nunnery ruins where horses and hounds were kept which would be where Nunnery Stables is now, She also remembers the man who looked after the horses… More about ‘Sportsmans Hall and the stables in Cottonmill Lane – Margaret Brown’»
Sopwell Mill

In Cottonmill Lane almost opposite Priory Walk, there is a little track which leads down to Sopwell Mill Farm. The original mill on this site was probably one of the three St Albans mills referred to in the Domesday Book.… More about ‘Sopwell Mill’»
Prefabs – Tavistock Avenue
When Michelle Mackenzie’s Uncle Bill passed away in 2017, she discovered several photos of her uncle and his family: the Becketts, who lived in a prefab in Tavistock Avenue in the 1950s. Their prefab, number 106, must have been where… More about ‘Prefabs – Tavistock Avenue’»
Murder at London Road station

This post is based on an article from the Herts Advertiser and kindly transcribed by Derek Roft. When the now disused St Albans to Hatfield branch line opened on October 1865 the Herts Mercury reported. “The first train started at half… More about ‘Murder at London Road station’»
Vesta Avenue shops

The shops in Vesta Avenue originally consisted of three shops: St Julian’s Stores at one end, Holdham’s Butchers in the middle and St Stephen’s Stores at the other end. In between was waste ground. These three shops were built when the… More about ‘Vesta Avenue shops’»
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