Abbots Langley memories
Here are memories of Abbots Langley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Abbots Langley or a Abbots Langley photo.
Service Quarters Sabine House
We had a lovely middle floor flat here, while my husband was at HMS Warrior, RAF Northwood. Our son was born at the then new maternity hospital, Shrodells at Watford. We had a balcony, and one evening when all our husbands were working, it was three floors, 'The Birds' horror film was on, so when they started attacking the windows, I went on the balcony and chucked some dirt out of my flower pot up at my friend's window who was watching it with the girl from downstairs, hehehe, you should have heard the screams. I also remember my own fridge going BANG in the kitchen, the kitchen had its own little gas fridge. I loved that flat, and used to walk up the village before and after the birth of our boy, got home one day with my shopping and suddenly thought hold on a minute, something's not right, argh, I had left the baby up the village in his pram, so shot back up there, you couldn't do... Read more
Marlin Square
I lived next door to your last writer, Denise. Her father was my cousin. I was married in 1964 at St Lawrence Church where my parents were also married. I had my wedding reception at my home in Marlin Square. Denise's parents had all the wedding gifts on show at their house as there was no more room in ours. I had another cousin, Mary, who lived next door to them and we put everyone's coats at her house. It was such fun. We took over all three houses for my wedding day. Paul Edwards is my nephew and he still lives in his childhood home. We have since emigrated and now live in California. I still enjoy going back when I can to remind myself of my happy time living there.
The Ovaltine And Marlin Square
I'm not too sure of what years to mention apart from some happy memorys of the Ovaltine as a young lad with my mum and dad. David my dad was the village postman for many years and mum Annie was a local florist in the village. Ernie and Edna Edwards lived on the Ovaltine for many years in the main farmhouse, many years of fun and good times with me being found in the paddock with one of the prize bulls to mention just one.
Another memory is of my nan and grandad's shop in Marlin Square (Les and Peggy Marsh) a family-run business for many years like Prigeons grocer's and Creasys bakery. Nan (Peggy) moved some years ago to the lovely coast of Essex.
If anyone has some memories to share with me or my nan both of us would love to hear and talk.
Pridgeons Ltd, Our Family Shop in Breakspeare Road
Pridgeons Ltd, in Garden Road, Abbots Langley was our family business from the 1940s until it was sold in 1972. My grandfather Cyril Pridgeon and my grandmother Dorothy Pridgeon started the business. Then my father and mother Peter and Dorothy Pridgeon took over. It was a grocers. I used to help my parents during the school holidays and really enjoyed the experience. Once the bigger supermarkets came in there was no call for the small grocers. But I will always have so many fond memories of Pridgeons Ltd.
Memories of Hertfordshire
Langleybury School
Sadly, Langleybury School is no more. I had the good fortune to work for the school starting in 1989 and I continued until its closure many years later when it was merged with Francis Combe School in nearby Garston.
My role was to provide careers guidance to students from the age of 14 upwards and this included tracking many of the youngsters as they had their first taste of employment on work experience in "Year 10" for an entire week during each Summer Term. Most of my work in the rest of the school year was getting to know my students with individual interviews held in the school's "mansion" - an architectural gem dating from the late eighteenth century. Cold and draughty in winter, but inspiring surroundings! At the end of the school drive was a smallholding run by the school to provide students with the practical work needed for their environmental studies. Langleybury School was unique in both character and setting but sadly it... Read more
Life at Langleybury
We were privileged to have lived in Langleybury house from approx 1970. My two boys were born during our time there. We lived both on the top floor of the mansion and in the stable block after the birth of my second son. It's only recently that I have started to look into the history of the building and would love the opportunity to have a nostalgia trip to look around. It was a wonderful old house and during the school holidays, we would have the grounds practically to ourselves. Amazing for children. Seeing photographs of the inside of the place brought back my time there vividly. That grand old staircase. The only thing I don't remember is the cellar - maybe it wasn't accessible at that time. I also seem to have a vague memory of the mention of a message in a bottle. A lot of life has happened since those days but Langleybury remains a very happy memory. I have subsequently discovered, having started to research my family... Read more
Kings Langley Common
In 1946 we left Kings Langley, my parents having lived there since 1936. I arrived in 1937, so can claim to be partially raised there. I must have passed the village pound many times without realising what it was. My home was further up on the left in Common Lane, a house called Merrow Down. I liked it there and liked playing on the common. In winter it was a super toboggan run and everybody turned out to take part. I do know that in one of the cottages to the right of the picture lived a family called Cox. We knew lots of people and 3 doctors were friends of my parents, these being Doris Brown who lived at Langley Common House, Richard Mawson, and Dr Fisher. We also knew the Dean family, who owned Toovey's Mill, Peter Stanley, a dentist,and the Buchanan-Smith family. Mr B-S was a tester for Scammel Lorries. I believe Mill House is still intact. I can remember it being occupied by a family from... Read more
Miss Ovaltine
My Mother Joan Simmonds was chosen to be Miss Ovaltine. She was dressed in a costume which is very similar to the famous one which adorns the front of the Ovaltine, and was used on the front of the tins for a while. She was put into a horse drawn cart in this costume, but I am not sure what the occasion was. Her two sisters, Freda and Frances also worked at the Ovaltine. Does anyone have any memories of this please?
The Odeon
I was a member of the Odeon choir and it was around this time that we were taken to I think it was the Festival Hall, to compete against choirs across England and I got a bronze medal, I think it was the Star Festival. Unfortunately my medal has been mislaid over the years but I remember that we were later taken to a recording studio in London - Tothill Street - where we recorded for an early television programme. Unfortunately, not having a TV I never got to hear the recording. The Odeon was part of our childhood with 6d seats downstairs and 9d seats upstairs. Opposite the Odeon was the Three Kays coffee bar where two or three years later we would meet and pool our money to get into the Jazz Club at halftime if the bouncer was willing to sell us interval tickets. We met Johnny Duncan and his Blue Grass Boys, Acker Bilk, Ken Colyer. We would then walk home with bare feet as we... Read more
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