Postcard pictures

I have not mentioned the topic before on this blog, but I would like to make amends now.  The collection of old postcard views held by Andy Lawrence is impressively large.  He has published them on Flickr.com for all to see.  A sizeable proportion of his St Albans' finds are of the usual subjects: the Cathedral, Verulamium, St Peter's Street and other parts of the Cathedral Quarter.  There are also some wonderful scenes from Harpenden and the villages around St Albans.

Many postcard photos of the east side of St Albans, which were taken between WW1 and WW2, have appeared in local history books, including, of course, St Albans' Own East End.  There are, for example, four different views of Beaumont Avenue when it was still a private, gated and tree-lined lane.  Others were taken at various points along Hatfield Road, no doubt with the prospect of many sales!

However, I have often pondered why no postcard photo has surfaced of what is now Marshals Drive.  If views were taken of picturesque Beaumont Avenue, were they also taken of equally-private Marshals Drive?  The drive, before development, would have remained, presumably much like the Avenue, although its route was slightly different from the wide road we now have.  No postcard photos either, of the old house, vacated by the Martens and eventually sold off for demolition in the 1920s.  But there is a good selection of English Heritage photos in the St Albans' Museums' book on Marshalswick.

Even after the first few houses were constructed in the early 1930s and the new road line created, it was not as wide as today's road.  The council later claimed 6 feet of the existing frontages for the purpose of making a wider traffic route, which it intended as part of the ring road.  Have any photographs of the early development of Marshals Drive survived, or photos of the North Lodge, now 'islanded' between Marshalswick Lane and the stub of Marshals Drive at the railway end?  Or South Lodge at the junction of Marshalswick Lane and Jersey Lane?

If the postcard companies did not think to photograph the drive of Marshals Wick House, perhaps there might be pictures in private collections.  For example, a picture was taken of Alice and George Cooper Brooks outside their house, the right property of Newgates Cottages in Sandpit Lane.  This photo, taken in 1912, will appear on the main website in due course, and has been donated by the family of William Muskett, a former tenant of Newgates Farm.  To my knowledge, this great photo has not previously been seen.

You never know what might be in your photo shoebox or album!

Newgates Farm

Newgates (or Newgate) Farm, which once spread itself along the north side of Sandpit Lane between near Rose Walk and Ardens Marsh, was, as estate agents might describe it, compact.  Although owned by the Marten family, it was the only one of its farms in the parish of St Peter, for the boundary between it and St Leonard followed Sandpit Lane until it reached Newgates, where it skirted northwards to follow Jersey Lane.

There are two lovely sketches, drawn by Jane Marten, in St Albans' Own East End, Volume 1, Outsiders.  Other than that very little photographic evidence survived.  Until last week.

In the Hatfield Road cemetery is a headstone to William Muskett (died 1908) and Eliza (died 1916).  Now we have, courtesy of William's family a photograph of his extended family taken at Newgates, which dates, naturally, to before 1908.  It will shortly be added to the group photos page on the website.  What an impressive picture; William and Eliza are in the middle of the second row.

In the same week a photo of an unknown farm house came to light from the same source.  So it was possible that we were looking at Newgates Farm, but of course taken much later.  By comparing the details with the map, they match the photograph very closely.  So, I am happy to state that the photograph IS Newgates Farm.







New this week in the School Groups section are two photos of a fund-raising fete at Oakwood JMI


School in the 1960s, and three pictures taken at Marshalswick School, also from the 1960s.  Among them is Mr R Bilk, the school's Rural Studies teacher, formerly a PE teacher, then Rural Science, at Beaumont School.

Although, alas there was no article about the book this week in the Herts Advertiser, there were two items about the Fleetville district, both with photographs.  The first was about a group of Dutch cyclists passing through St Albans on their way from Holland to Oxford.  They were raising money for Marshall-Smith Syndrome (MSS) and paused outside the Strain family home in Blandford Road. Matthew Strain, aged 18, died of MSS last year.

The second item told me about a form of basketball new to me.  Beaumont School has a successful IZB team (Inclusive Zone Basketball).  Players with and without disabilities play in the same game, the court being divided into zones in which players with matched abilities are allowed.  The Beaumont team met others from across the UK in the finals; and for full details you should read the item in the Herts Advertiser.

Royal visit

We remember the past in our local area by the special events which took place there.  Processions and street parties,  Olympic torch relays,  Hertfordshire Show, the opening of particular buildings.

Last week it was reported in the Herts Advertiser that the Countess of Wessex was welcomed to these parts by members of Highfield Park Trust; and there was a photograph showing the kind of activity Royals do best.  No, not shaking hands and participating in small-talk.  I am referring to the planting of a tree – or rather, spading a small pile of top quality top soil into the neat circular hole in which the tree has already been placed.  Waiting in the background, no doubt, was a 'proper' gardener in a green top, ready to finish the job properly, and, as we are always advised to do on Gardeners' World, "water it in."
Well, it was a small start to the 6,799 further trees which will need to be planted in the area known as Hither Wood.  So that will be next weekend, no doubt.

In case you are wondering, this is not the first time Royal presence has graced the turf of Hill End.  In May 1958  the Duke of Gloucester made his way here to carry out multiple tasks.  Not for him a simple tree planting.  First, he formally opened two new wards at Cell Barnes Hospital, followed by the opening of an annexe to the nurses home, a male nurses home and the Ackland Social Centre.  He then polished off the afternoon, to the delight of many children, formally opening the playground, funded by the Playing Fields Association, by unveiling a plaque.  The excitement of the children was probably more like impatience.  While the field and its equipment had been in use for some weeks, the space had been closed on this day until the Duke had made his visit, after which there was a youthful free-for-all.

Does anyone know what happened to the plaque.

A new page has now been added to the website.  As readers of Volume 2 have realised there is an appendix listing all of the streets, roads, avenues and closes in this east end of ours – all three hundred or more.  Except that I am bound to have missed out one or two – Guildford Road, for example!  Then there are around 25 or so roads for which no satisfactory explanation has yet been established about the origin of the name.

So, if visitors to the blog or website, or readers of the book have any suggestions to make, please email the author at saoee@me.com  Details will be added to the website page.

Finally, more pictures are being added to our group photos pages.  Do have a good look through them; there may be someone in the line-ups you recognise.  You never know.

Pageviews reach 2500

It may not sound a very large a number for a blog, but the number 2500 appeared this afternoon, to record the number of times a link to this blog had been clicked, indicating an increasing interest in the east side of St Albans.  Possibly, even probably, the majority arrived here directly from the Welcome page of the St Albans' Own East End website.  Welcome all.

I usually aim to update the blog each weekend, but the arrival of the Volume 2 books last Thursday – just too late for a Fleetville Diaries meeting at which a number of Subscribers would have collected their copies – has meant much delivering around the district during the past few days.  If you still have not received your copy, it should be with you by Friday; and that also applies to books which were sent out by post, in the form of Hermes courier deliveries.

Between the frenetic activity during the last few days I did manage to pause awhile at the Garden of Rest, the triangular cemetery at the former Hill End Hospital, and now managed by Highfield Park Trust.

I had heard that interpretation panels had been fixed next to the arch and was anxious to see them for myself.  Their arrival will do much to inform visitors of the role the triangle played during the lifetime of the hospital, and its near neighbour Cell Barnes Hospital.   One panel demonstrates the density of pauper burials at this ground, with the names and former occupations of up to eight patients in a single grave; number twenty-four in this case.  A second panel explains the management plan for the ground, which will be retained as a meadow.

I am certain that the information provided on the beautifully-illustrated panels will enrich the experience of all visitors to what was a remote corner of Hill End.

The unconsecrated spot in Hill End Lane relates very poignantly with The East End in 100 Objects feature in chapter 1959 of Volume 2.  It is not the kind of link which succeeds in being reported; for its full impact the feature must be read.  Maybe even read while sitting on the bench within the ground,  opposite the arch, through which beds of roses colour the scene in season.

Wednesday's the day

After some anxious waiting, news has been received that copies of Volume 2 will delivered here on Wednesday 24th April.

As there is no launch event this year, the arrangements for distribution will be as follows:

The Subscribers' Edition purchasers will have the opportunity of collecting their books at the Fleetville Diaries meeting at Fleetville Community Centre from 7pm this Wednesday, 24th April.  If you do not normally attend an FD meeting, you will be very welcome to join us on that occasion.

The remainder of St Albans deliveries will be made personally on Thursday.  If you are not in when I call, a further attempt will be made on Friday.

Books to addresses beyond St Albans, including abroad, will be dispatched by courier – rather than Royal Mail, as its prices have just increased – on Friday.

If you have asked to be contacted when the book is published I will do so on Monday 29th, with the expectation that books will be sent out that day or Tuesday.

I will handle new phoned or email inquiries as the opportunity arises between the above, with books sent out as soon as possible.  But please avoid phoning on Sunday 28th April.

To simplify matters initially, I will assume that all books leaving here will be author-signed on the title page.  

It all sounds very exciting, doesn't it!

Please feel free to call if you have not received your book by Saturday 4th May; that will provide some extra time, just in case delivery from the printer is not on the day stated.

Thank you, St Paul's

St Paul's Church hit on a first class idea when it threw open its doors to welcome the world on the completion of its magnificent set of new and renovated areas.  So great was the enthusiasm, the church decided to repeat the event, and now has a Community Day, as it is styled, each year.

Share Your Photos, before visitors
arrived.

Home From Home, before visitors
arrived.

At this year's event Fleetville Diaries and St Albans' Own East End were represented and we had the opportunity of chatting with a considerable number of people.  Our 2013 exhibitions, Home From Home, and Share Your Photos were warmly received and lots of people obtained their first glimpse of Volume 2 of the book, as the ring-binder proof copy was available for inspection.

We shared the church building with a number of fantastic musicians and entertainment acts.  May we take this opportunity of thanking the many people whose hard work resulted in such a successful day.

A question:

Do you have a photo of this
building when it was a shop?

Among the several corner shops in the district which are no longer open for business is one on the corner of Cambridge and Royston roads.  Number 64 has undergone alterations recently, but in 1960 it was a wholesale tobacconist run by Mr A T Smith, according to the Kelly's Directory of that year.  There is a possibility of a temporary building on the site, or nearby, from as early as 1910, and the earliest reference to the current semi-detached structure is c1932.  In our continuing search for photos of the district's corner shops (even if they weren't all actually on corners), does anyone know the whereabouts of any pictures of the corner shop which was 64 Cambridge Road?

Another question:
At the northern end of Charmouth Road the homes which became known locally as the Marconi houses, were constructed further back from the road than their neighbours further south.  They stand behind a rectangular depression in the impressing grass frontage; a large sunken lawn.  Given the cost constraints after WW2, it is unlikely that it was a deliberate design feature, which also left the homes with shortened rear gardens.

The firm of W G Bennett, brick makers, occupied at least some of the land between the railway and what would later be Charmouth Road, from c1907 and through to the 1920s.  Could it be a remnant of its working of the land?  Might it have been something left from an earlier period, part of the grounds of Marshalls wick House?  Or is there another explanation?  If you know the answer to this conundrum, please email saoee@me.com and let us know.

Coloured glass in Fleetville

A newspaper article from September 1960 arrived last week.   It is shown on the Welcome page of the website.  It details an important contract received by E Hooker, the company which specialised in glass, especially coloured glass windows.  The building is now occupied by Britannia Music Shop, on the corner of Hatfield Road and Albion Road.

Here is a transcript of the article:
"In September a family firm at St Albans will start on the momentous task of fitting stained-glass windows in the nearly-completed frames at Coventry Cathedral.  Nearly every day for about 18 months, four of the firm's skilled craftsmen will make a 150-mile round trip by car to Coventry and back.  They are four of Britain's top stained-glass craftsmen.

"The Hooker brothers, Len and Charles, have been in the stained glass business since they were young men.  Their father started the firm in Albion Road, St Albans, towards the end of the [19th] century, and they have fifty years of his experience behind them.  Fitting the windows is highly skilled, and they are proud to have been given the job.  The windows have not been made by the Hookers.  They have been so busy making stained-glass windows for South Africa and Australia that they will only be able to fit them.

William Willoughby, foreman glazier (left) with Charles Hooker.

"Len Hooker is 53, his brother, Charles, 50.  Len's son, Brian, aged 24, has just come into the business.  Said Brian: 'I am the third generation of the Hooker family to go into the business.  I love it.  Up to a year ago I was a laboratory worker, testing rubber and studying for a qualification in the rubber research industry.  Dad asked me to join him, and I did.  Now I'm the firm's youngest apprentice.  I shall be learning the craft all my life, but at the end of five years I shall be fairly skilled.  It is very satisfying work.'

"His father and uncle have seen their work go to many places.  They made windows for Arkansas Cathedral, which were being fitted by American craftsmen, in Little Rock, at the time of the race riots.  The window they made for the Cathedral had 11,000 pieces of glass and measured 16 feet by 10 feet.  A church on the Mool River, East Africa, also has windows made in St Albans.  Explained Mr Hooker: 'It is a very skilled craft.  A designer first plans what the picture on the window shall be, and then draws it.  In the old days this was done in full size, but now small-scale drawings can be enlarged photographically.'