Even More Fond Memories

A Memory of Buntingford.

Around this time I was attending the senior school (and I do believe this newsagents was owned and run by the Burrell family) and often used to pass under the clock tower as I walked to and from the school via the lane behind the clock tower, which merged with Bowling Green Lane until later, when I was bought my first two wheeled bicycle after which I cycled part way to and from my home, leaving my cycle in safe keeping at a friend's yard at the bottom of Norfolk Road.

Every bit of pocket money I managed to accrue I would spend at this paper shop each week, buying accessories for my already huge Meccano construction set as this shop was a Meccano set and spares stockist.

Around this time also, I believe Jim Trudgett, (one of the town's shopkeepers) dealt with the task of manually winding the clock spring, which returned the weights to their full height, every couple of days or so each week throughout the year, (and was very reliable at this task). On the rare occasion when Jim was indisposed this would become apparent to all, as the weights would descend so low into the archway that not only could it be a tempting sight for lads to play around with, (due to their location) but should one not be watching where they were walking, one could collide with these weights and cables (although I don't believe such an incident ever occurred as they were in plain view).

I think at some later date these weights may have become redundant due to an electric motor being substituted to replace the spring and weight mechanism.