Russ Bowman’s father worked in the retail trade as a pork butcher working mainly for Sainsbury’s and Saxby’s. Russ was also offered an apprenticeship as a pork butcher but declined in favour of working in the GPO as an engineer.… More about ‘Working life in St Albans – Russ Bowman’»
Category: Work
Steam train memories – Bill Mackenzie
Bill Mackenzie recalls the trains from Watford and Hatfield coming into the Abbey station. He describes the procedure for making sure the trains did not collide. He talks about a cattle food storage yard at the City station and the… More about ‘Steam train memories – Bill Mackenzie’»
Collecting coke from the gasworks – Bill Mackenzie
Bill Mackenzie remembers his job as a child was collecting 28lb coke from the gasworks on a Saturday morning. He also remembers warming his hands on the wall where the retorts were. Interview date: 23 April 2010. Interviewer: Sandy Norman… More about ‘Collecting coke from the gasworks – Bill Mackenzie’»
Gasworks sports – Kathy Sinfield
Kathy Sinfield, born 1929, lived at the bottom of Doggetts Way. She remembers that the gasworks had its own sports ground where they played football and cricket. Mr Ripping from the St Johns Ambulance used to come round with lemons… More about ‘Gasworks sports – Kathy Sinfield’»
Old London Road shops – Bill Mackenzie
Bill Mackenzie, born 1939, lived in Cottonmill Crescent. He recalls some the shops situated in the Old London area: Caleys grocers and off-licence, Mr Sedgely greengrocer and Mrs Hooper’s second-hand clothes. Interview date: 23 April 2010. Interviewer: Sandy Norman … More about ‘Old London Road shops – Bill Mackenzie’»
London Road station – Valerie Robertson
In 1865, a six mile single-track branch line from St Albans to Hatfield originally run by the Hatfield and St Albans Railway Company was opened. The line terminated at London Road and was first called St Albans GNR and then… More about ‘London Road station – Valerie Robertson’»
Sopwell Cottages
Sopwell cottages belonged to the farm at New Barnes which is now part of Sopwell House. Beryl Whitney (nee Parrott) writes: “In 1927, my parents were able to take up the tenancy of one of the Sopwell Cottages as my… More about ‘Sopwell Cottages’»
Flint Cottages, Hedges Farm
Jack and Sarah Stratton were the grandparents of Beryl Whitney. Flint Cottages were owned by Hedges Farm where, Beryl says, Jack was head cattleman for over twenty years. He and his family lived at 1 Flint Cottages from the 1920s… More about ‘Flint Cottages, Hedges Farm’»
History of the Gasworks
The St Albans gas works were set up in 1826, more than 30 years before the coming of the railway. Until the coming of the railway, coal had to be transported into the city on barges along the canal from… More about ‘History of the Gasworks’»
Memories of Sopwell Mill – Bill Mackenzie
Local resident, Bill Mackenzie, talking about his childhood memory of the time when there was a kennels at Sopwell Mill run by the Blowers sisters and a dog was trapped under the mill wheel. Interview date: 23 April 2010. Interviewer:… More about ‘Memories of Sopwell Mill – Bill Mackenzie’»
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