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Caddington memories

Here are memories of Caddington and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Caddington or a Caddington photo.

Co-Op Butchers on The Green

I remember the Co-op butchers at Caddington shown in the picture. Ted Reed was the manager and his son Michael used to work part time there cleaning up. I also recall Courtline Coaches having the contract for school bus transport and then when London Transport closed down Courtline took over the local bus service. I also remember walking from Runley Road area of Luton across the hills and farm area to Caddington with my parents and having a glass of lemonade and a packet of crisps at the Chequers pub while mum and dad had an alcoholic drink.

Caddington

I remember as a lad, when Elm Avennue was split in two,where the bungalows start there was a solid bar across the road,and the same in the Crescent. You could only get the bus at the Green, the 360, it was sixpence to Luton, and the bus went across the Green And on the corner of Chaul End Road was a school.

Memories of Bedfordshire

Gaumont Cinema

I got my first kiss from a boy called Peter Marshall at Saturday morning pictures here, we were playing kiss chase there. When I was about 6 or 7 there was a pig bin in the street where the neighbours used to put their food waste, to be collected. This was outside St. Paul's church hall, New Town Street, where I lived. My mum used to make toffee apples for all the kids. The rag man used to come round to collect any old clothes and jam jars, he'd give us a painting book in return. Early recycling. Those were the days.

Grandad's Shop

Wellington Street 1897
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My Grandad Thomas Poole owned a wallpaper & paint shop in Wellington Street, my Mum who is now 82 can remember the day the war was announced, my Grandad threw open the windows and turned up the radio so everyone in the street could hear it. Does anybody remember the shop or have any photos of it?

Conservative Club on Market Hill

Market Hill c1950
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My father was a member of the Conservative Club pictured here, and I fondly remember going down to the club to have a bag of crisps and an orange juice while waiting for him to finish meetings inside. I used to sit in the hallway (you can see the entrance to it as the arch) and remember there was a beautiful grandfather clock on the first floor landing which I used to go and admire. I have now inherited a grandfather clock, and it always reminds me of when I fell in love with the one in the club. In the late 1960s, I was photographed by the Luton News pulling a cracker with my best friend at a Christmas party held here. The parties used to be a regular event with us all sitting at long tables with conservative club ladies serving us food.
On the left of the picture is the Red Lion, where myself and two other schoolfriends celebrated our 21st birthdays... Read more

Sunday at The Corn Exchange

The Corn Exchange c1950
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Every Sunday the Salvation Army Citadel Band would play hymns etc, before marching back to the citadel in Park St.

No Police Box

George Street c1950
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There was a Police Box (Tardis type) at the bottom of the Corn Exchange, later replaced by a Police telephone post. On the left was the entrance to the Old Indoor Market and The Plough public house.

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