Club House to Pizza Place

 This week we have looked over the fence from Grimaldi's former garage premises to discover a solid brick building now the trading premises of the business known as Papa Johns.  We should, however, remind ourselves of the early days of Fleetville and the local authority responsible for this part of St Albans.  Until 1913 the boundary of St Peter's Rural District Council met that of St Albans City at Albion Road.  In that year the city was authorised to extend its acreage as far as Winches Farm at Oaklands.

Work began shortly before the First World War on a club and organisational building for
St Peter's Conservative Club.

In the early years of Fleetville the Conservative Party representing the rural district met in a room above the shop of Ben Pelly on the north side of Hatfield Road to the west of St Paul's Church – although that church was just undeveloped land then.  By 1910 the city council was discussing the possibility of added areas; and the Conservatives were no doubt considering finding a nearby plot on which to build a club and administration building.  Was it coincidence that the organisation moved quickly to purchase land on the relatively undeveloped south side of the road just to the east of the cemetery where the land was cheaper, and at least for a few years the rates were also less expensive.

As with the Liberal Club on the north side of the road the arrangement of the proposed premises was for a central entrance with administration occupying the rear rooms and club premises for members on the first floor.  In order to fund running costs a retail unit was let on each side of the entrance.

The Conservative Club remained on the south side of the road until after the Second World War,
when it moved to the former homestead of St Peter's Farm on the north side, where it
remains today.

St Peter's Conservative Club was opened in 1911 and remained there until World War Two.  It is uncertain whether it was occupied during hostilities, but the Conservatives had moved along to the former farm homestead and cottage of St Peter's Farm by 1949, which is still its meeting place.

During the course of the war a military headwear manufacturer was bombed out of Southwark and were found premises in St Albans at the Conservative Club building, and once Peace had been restored the company settled into its new home for the next three decades or more, under the management of Mr Michael Stone. For the first time the building was known as Capstan House.

It seems that throughout the entire history of the building the retail units were only moderately successful.  The right unit remained a boot repairer under three successive tenants, William Atkins, H Woolford and E A Stuckey – the latter known as Fleetville Foot Clinic for a time from 1938 under Mr Stuckey.  The surviving records show only one tenant, William Hitchcock, for the left unit, so it is unclear whether or how this shop/office was used.

From the 1990s pizza retailer Papa John's has traded from here, but it has to be admitted your editor has no clear memory of when the Capstan House business closed and Papa John's opened.  A reader may be able to recall.

From left to right: Grimaldi's Garage, Calverstone military hat factory in the former 
Conservative Club, and W White garage. v The photograph was taken in 1964.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The final building before Hatfield Road Cemetery, and added to the streetscape in 1914, was a workshop structure either acquired by or let to Arthur White who was a motor engineer.  Such was the fast-moving industry of personal travel, just five years earlier Mr White occupied a small workshop at the northern end of a former farm drive behind what later became the County Laundry opposite the Rats' Castle public house.  There Mr White described himself as a coach builder, which referred to horse-drawn vehicles as much as early motor cars.  We can assume he was skilled at the former since working with him was another trader, William Moore, a general farrier and smith.

This private drive along which William White had his farrier workshop was to the left of the 
former County Library.

The same drive today and named Montague Close, being part of a residential development.

Clearly, William saw how transport was developing and moved to his new garage directly fronting the main road.  From the street he was also able to dispense motor fuel.

The premises remained quiet post-war until is was used as additional repair and maintenance premises by Grimaldi Bros, one of the topics of last week's post.  In the 1970s the company name changed to W S Tyre Centre, those initials, we may recall, referred to West & Sellick further back along Hatfield Road next to the pedestrian entrance to Fleetville Junior School.

White's garage is now replaced by a residential development.

Today, a residential development known as Luna Place has replaced the former workshop; the barrel-roofed design reminiscent of a traditional rural workshop building.

We have now reached the western boundary of the Poor Six Acre Field (as it had been named and referred to at the 1840 Tithe record. Next time we'll find ourselves in a field sold to St Albans Council for the purpose of a cemetery.

Road to Nowhere

In the 1930s, travelling between Camp Road and Hatfield Road, perhaps to benefit from the latter's shopping facilities was far from a short hop; the only two options being Ashley Road and Camp Road (Crown end).  The council, despairing of successfully negotiating with the railway company to get an improved Sutton Road, turned its attention to something new.  At the time, there remained purchasable space in Hatfield Road opposite Sandfield Road and in Camp Road where Roland Street was laid. But the proposed road would still need to cross the railway – under, over or via a crossing.  Finance and practicability eventually aborted the scheme.  Today, connectivity between Camp Road and Fleetville remains an issue.

Section of Hatfield Road in 1937.  The premises of Leon Turner (see previous post) is outlined in
red.  The access drive (green) leads to Rainbow House today.  Clifton House Garage (orange)
stood here and is now replaced by Magnet.  The blue site became Grimaldi's Garage and is now
part of the Magnet and Topps Tiles businesses.  The proposed new road would have emerged
in the green space shown above.
COURTESY NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND

To the west of the former DIY Centre of Tucketts and Leon Reed there was a block of land joining Hatfield Road and the playing field of the school behind.  When Hertfordshire Council acquired the land only the eastern portion was used initially and it took the precaution of acquiring three access points: the original pedestrian entrance to the school, the 1930s vehicular entrance nearly opposite Harlesden Road, and a wide entrance at the western end for future educational use.  A small modern unit was indeed constructed in recent times as a Family Centre. Most recently it became Rainbow House, an adoption centre.

At the end of the drive is the building for Hertfordshire County Council's Family Centre, and
is now Rainbow House.

A plain and quiet building (orange on the map) was erected during the 1930s and became an adjunct of the thriving business of J B Rollings whose premises, Clifton House, were nearby on the north side of the road.  As a wholesale confectioner and tobacconist a garage was required for the storage of its vehicles.  Its doors were rarely open and the only clue as to its function was a sign across the front: Clifton House Garages – although there was only one such building. 

On the left is the intended driveway to the school field, then fenced off.  The garage belonging
to J B Rollings, wholesale confectioner, comes next, followed by the frontage of Ernest
Grimaldi's garage.  The two floor building beyond is Papa Johns and formerly Calverstone,
a military hat manufacturer.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The next plot (blue on the map) was an awkward, almost triangular, shape resulting from a bend in the road.  Although first purchased before the First World War the land lay empty until c1937.  During that period it was the property of Camden Brewery – no connection with the present Camden Town Brewery. 

When Ernest Grimaldi came to St Albans from Devon he was already an experienced motor engineer and obtained a position at W M Couper's car sales in Catherine Street.  Grimaldi and his two sons formed a family motor business and dealership making use of the awkward shaped plot mentioned above.  The buildings, though not extensive, were built in the modernist style of the day, and in addition to the workshops a flat was built into the first floor.

Part of the forecourt of Grimaldi's Garage showing one of the modernist style glazed pillars.  The building beyond is the former Calverstones building and then a garage belonging to Mr White.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The forecourt dispensed petrol, and a pair of glazed decorative pillars of internally lit ribbed glass marked the entrance and exit. They were topped with Shell petrol's logo, also internally lit. The business was closed during World War Two; Ernest joined the Royal Observer Corps while the boys entered regular service.  The family partnership  after the Peace, minus Ernest's elder son who was killed in 1942.  With no space on the garage site the car showroom began in a small way on the corner of Sandfield Road but later removed to the Victoria Hall building in Victoria Street.

When the business closed the site, and that of Clifton Garages, was redeveloped into the Magnet and Topps Tiles premises.

Clifton House Garage and Grimaldi's Garage are both replaced by Magnet and Topps Tiles.

Ernest was descended from the illustrious European family of Grimaldi (Grimaldo), whose disputed seat was Monaco, and whose line extends back to the eleven hundreds.  We will shortly reach the location where Ernest was laid to rest in Hatfield Road Cemetery, but we have a political centre to call in at first.

Squeezing One More In

 Continuing our detailed virtual walk along Hatfield Road, and in some cases imagine we are early residents exploring the "mile of shops", last time we had reached Sandfield Road.  The next block now takes us as far as Harlesden Road, although there is sufficient material this time to proceed roughly halfway – twelve properties  would be too many for a single post!  However, the perfect photo to begin with is Andy Lawrence's newly acquired picture of what the photographer had termed "The Promenade".

A c1912 photo of the properties between Sandfield and Harlesden roads.  Sun blinds are
prominent, with Mr Gibbs showing a corner version to further highlight the location of his
shop.  Note the three first floor bays nearest Sandfield Road, one of which is missing in a
later picture below.
COURTESY ANDY LAWRENCE

Since we left Glenferrie Road we would have been, in an earlier time, at the hedge line looking into a field formerly known as Long Moody, and already, by 1902, the corner plots now have buildings on them. At Sandfield Road this was a fine shop owned by Samuel J Gibbs who aspired to furnish the tenants and owners of the homes then being built around him.  As a corner shop he was able to display two full windows, and as intended the Gibbs family lived above the shop.  But as he became more successful the shop began to expand upstairs.  Around 1910, Mr Gibbs therefore purchased number 4 Sandfield Road behind the shop – not far to travel to work! It was, in fact the only house, close to the Hatfield Road boundaries; otherwise land remained open until number 20, so what happened to number 2?  Well, on the 1922 map a house seems to have been constructed on the rear garden of number 4.  Perhaps an initiative of Mr Gibbs who felt he did not need a rear garden.  So, even in those early days of the district extra houses were already being squeezed in!

Mr Gibbs handed the business on to Henry Lewis, and by the mid thirties Mr Graham Henderson opened a "curios and oddments shop" here, before moving it along to the Laurel Road corner after the war.  The biggest change came with the re-forming of the Grimaldi business in the early days of peace, and its petrol and car maintenance business was augmented by a Rootes car sales showroom at number 149.  Yes, two band new cars could be displayed inside the shop.  Fleetville went into car sales!  For a while you could purchase refrigerators and freezers from here, before Barclays upgraded the premises and moved its bank from the Crown, which it clearly felt was advantageous for business.

Here is number 149 on the corner after the occupation of St Albans Refrigeration in the 1960s.
A pillar-style police call box stands on the pavement corner, and we are just a short time before
new-style road signs.  Every change of occupant, it seems, has brought a different side facade
on the Sandfield Road frontage.
COURTESY ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

The arrival of Barclays Banks has also created modernised and smart external frontage.  For
the first time the building is without its first floor bay window.
COURTESY BARCLAYS ARCHIVE

The next pair of shops came four years later, but were undoubtedly built by the same company as the corner shop.  Today, however the cohesive design is lost as the first floor bay window was removed in the later conversion to bank premises. Although number 151 spent some decades in George Weatherhead's care as a china shop, and then Charles Chuter for outfitting, undoubtedly the most well-known owner began here during the Second War: Frederick W Hickie.  When petrol is in short supply people turn to their bikes; then radio continued its popularity and we became curious about the new television service, Mr Hickie and his son were happy to serve.  Since the mid-sixties insurance and legal services have ventured into the suburbs to demystify one of life's needs which had formerly been found in the side roads of the city centre, sometimes above shops.

Hickie's bicycle and radio/tv shop in the 1950s, with father and son at the doorway.
COURTESY THE HICKIE COLLECTION

The complete development as it looked in 2012.  Again, the first floor bay window and projecting
eaves are now absent.

Number 153 was one of the first shops to break away from from the notion of each trader having his or her own single shop.  Charles Chuter ran his outfitter's from two adjacent properties from the 1920s, thereby signalling that retailing often needs a variety of footprints to work in.  Soon after the war Westminster (later NatWest) moved to join other chains in serving Fleetville, and in recognition of its success, later moved to larger premises which we met last time on the west corner of Sandfield Road.

Number 157's first occupant was James Andrews who sold the comprehensive range of
accessories, fitments and finishings to homes the company had built.  This would later
become Percy Stone's newsagent's shop.
COURTESY (name temporarily mislaid – to follow shortly)

The next pair of shops was clearly intended for a specific purpose.  James Andrews owned a building business.  He had acquired land on the opposite side of Hatfield Road for his builders' yard.  The righthand shop was in the care of his wife for the sale of builders and finishers accessories – and no doubt became the firm's office.  To the left of the central vehicle arch a shop was available to let, which provided a regular rental income; a trade which, until the 1970s, served as one of Hatfield Road's regular and frequent grocery shops.  Peep through the arch next time you are passing and the service buildings to the rear are still in regular use by the present occupiers of both shops: SK Carpets.

James Andrew's shop was on the right, but he owned both shops with access to workshops
through the arch; the left shop was let to a succession of grocer's.

Number 157's longest owner was was also one who had three successive trading addresses and saw Fleetville's very birth. Percy Stone's first store was where the Rats' Castle is today.  He later moved to Bycullah Terrace, before moving again to 157. Although generally known as a newsagent's we would recognise its product range in any newsagent's we walk into today (except perhaps the lottery tickets). There are many former teenagers who will recall their daily roles as paper boys, propping their bikes against the wall under the arch before climbing the steps into the shop.

It is along this section of Hatfield Road where the feature of the ground floor front elevations follow the street line, while the first floors are turned to face due south.  Although the two shops at 155 and 157 are modest in floor area, space being reserved for the arch, the first floor accommodation over the arch provides some compensation.