Seen this before

Visitors to the SAOEE website often do so because they are looking for a specific topic and a search engine suggests something which may be useful to them.  At other times browsers are clicking until they come across an interesting topic.

Christopher was doing one of those recently and found himself looking at a picture he definitely recognised, although there were some subtle differences.  The picture is this one:

It is on the SAOEE site because it had been donated by the Tuck family.  Horace Tuck ran a small garage and workshop a few doors east of the Rats' Castle PH.  The family were members of Hatfield Road Methodist Church, which, the caption suggested, the group was part of, together with an approximate date of 1908.

My assumption was that the church, which at that date was worshipping at a tin building west of St Paul's, but which may by then have acquired the land on the Glenferrie Road corner, arranged for the photo to be taken there.  The Tuck family presumably had a copy because members of the family were in the shot.  But who else was present.

It was Christopher who took the story forward, as he had come across two similar photos, which he has posted on the My Methodist History website 

http://www.mymethodisthistory.org.uk/page/hatfield_road_methodist_church_st_albans-2?path=0p24p62p

The event, which took place annually, was the Junior Missionary Collectors picnic and the location was St Julian's Farm.  Marlborough School is located on part of the farm today.  The two photos on that site are specifically 1908 and 1910.  It therefore seems reasonable to assume that the Tuck picture was from 1909.  We understand that the minister in the 1908 picture was Rev T C Legg, while Rev J W Almond was in the 1910 shot.

"The two adults in the centre of the back row (above) are Mr Herbert Read, who was instrumental in setting up the church in 1894 at the old shoe factory in Cavendish Road, and his sister Miss E Read, who set up the Sunday School and Band of Hope a year later."  So writes Christopher.  Several others are in at least two of the three photos.  What intrigues him – and it something I now notice more, having seen all three pictures – is the presence of what appears to be a replica stone angel at two of the events!

I am sure we will discover more about the people in these pictures in the coming months.  Meanwhile, if anyone has in their family photo box, a picture of the Methodists' tin church (it was where the Liberal Club later had their premises) please do get in touch.

Courts and fields

A short while back I was posting about tennis courts which were once popular, including in some rear gardens, as well as those which appeared in parks and the grounds of certain businesses.

Large local businesses once acquired, on behalf of their employees, fields which could be transformed into sports grounds.  These organisations treated the facilities as investments in retaining a dedicated workforce; encouraging men and women to participate in healthy sporting events and gatherings.  No doubt employees contributed towards the cost of the clubs which made use of the spaces, and each firm would have arranged matters each in its own way.

Ballito Sports Ground from Alban Way in 2012

One of the largest companies in the East End of St Albans was Ballito at Fleetville.  Originally called Ballington Hosiery Mills, the company was highly successful at manufacturing its silk, and then nylon, stockings, as well as other garments.  It operated on the current Morrison's site from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Its social club had premises within the works, including a dance hall and games room.  Boxing matches were held regularly.  Large crowds homed in on the social club events, especially on Saturday nights.

The company purchased a plot of land between Boggy Mead Spring and the glasshouses at Smallford, where tennis, cricket and football events were held, either within the sports club or between it and those of other firms.  A pavilion was erected along one side, but never having had anything to do with Ballito, I had never ventured inside, so have little idea what its facilities were like.

A Ballito employees band

Ballito closed down around fifty years ago.  The sports facilities may have continued for a while, perhaps under the ownership of the factory's new occupier, Marconi Instruments.  But surprisingly the sports field is still there.  The trees and boundary hedging may have grown and the grass not in playing condition, but at least the site has not become another housing estate or more factories.  Yet.

You would never have spotted this while driving along Hatfield Road, even if you knew where the sports ground was; even a pedestrian needed a keen eye, especially as there is no footpath on the south side of the road.  But one such pedestrian noticed, languishing behind the fence and among the hedge shrubs, the sign which had once stood at the gate to announce the presence of the Ballito sports ground.

Spot the sign

Arrangements were made between Glinwell Ltd, owners of the adjacent glasshouses, and the Museum of St Albans, for the rescue of the sign.  Glinwell, because they had strong and willing employees, and the Museum, because it has a home for it in its stores.  There is therefore a part of Ballito which still exists in a corner of St Albans.

This week, a new question on the website's front page, has a question about the Ballito sports club – in this case cricket.  If you or your parents were employed by the firm in the 1950s you may have some interesting recollections.  Let's hope so.