What's the connection?

In searching through a seemingly endless collection of photographs recently, I paused on one particular shot, and rather absent-mindedly made a copy of it, for no apparent reason.  It is not an event which occurred in the East End of St Albans (although there is a connection); it doesn't show blue skies or attractive green countryside.  But, I suppose it may have caused a moment or two's reflection.  Here is someone's livelihood being destroyed before his eyes; and a number of gallant professional firefighters who are paid to assist in circumstances like these.  Not that the firefighters you see had far to bring their equipment.  The fire station at the time, 1954, was at the top of Victoria Street, just above Bricket Road, and Bricket Road is the side street in this picture.  In the end, it made little difference to the fate of the building, which was largely destroyed.

The connection with the East End of St Albans, however, is that Horace Slade, owner of the fated factory, and his family, had built a very successful business, first of all in straw hats, and then cardboard boxes.  Because of this Horace purchased a couple of fields, and through that purchase enable a number of small house-building firms to remain in business, and made it possible for a large number of people to move to this thriving part of St Albans.  The field boundaries in question lined Hatfield Road and Brampton Road, and near the current Blandford and Harlesden roads.  It was known at the time as the Slade Building Estate.

Horace Slade's story will be one of a dozen or so told at the Laid to Rest on Fleetville guided walk on the afternoon of Saturday 29th June at 2pm (see the Welcome page of www.stalbansowneastend.co.uk for booking details).

If you missed the article about St Albans' Own East End: the books, find the Welcome page link to Herts Advertiser Feature for a screen grab.

Beaumont Boys' School production of the G&S operetta
The Pirates of Penzance.

One of this week's images on the Welcome page is a programme front page of The Ghost Train by Arnold Ridley, performed at Beaumont Boys' School in 1956.  Inside is a full list of characters and the pupils and staff playing them, and those who helped behind the scenes.  Design features were portrayed, unless of course the details were hammered out on a typewriter digging into a Gestetner or Roneo duplicating stencil.  How many other play, concert, show or musical evenings are retained in private collections somewhere?  If you have one, even if it is of recent times, would you be willing to share it; and any photos which may have been taken at the time?