Hemel Hempstead memories
Here are memories of Hemel Hempstead and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Hemel Hempstead or a Hemel Hempstead photo.
The Equals
My name is WILFRIED and I live in Germany. In 1968 I was on school exchange in Hemel Hempstead for four weeks. I was there with a group of 40 boys and girls all at the age of 16 or 17 supported by two teachers. We were all living in different families in Hemel Hempstead.
At that time I was very interested in popular music, especially the classic rock stuff and psychedelic music.
One day I read a review about a concert of 'The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown' in a local paper. The concert took place in a club in Dunstable a couple of days before. I was very excited and I asked my guest parents if I could phone the club to ask them if Arthur Brown would perform again next weekend. (Which was very naive but what did I know in 1968). Of cause the band did not perform again but I was told that 'Family' would perform next friday. Unluckily I haven't heard of 'FAMILY' before... Read more
Those Gigs in The 70s
Like Steve, I've only just found your site - another year later - and would also like to know how the book is going. I haven't lived in the area since 1980 but have happy memories of my teen years.
I used to go to the Pavilion often during the mid 70s and to St Albans' City Hall (as it was called then) with my school mates.
I recall seeing: Thin Lizzy, Van der Graaf Generator, Richard Hell & the Voidoids (in the 80s), Mick Ronson, Wizzard, Hot Chocolate and maybe BeBop Deluxe - but that may have been in St Albans. I know there were many more - the money I earned at Kinloch & Anderson's chemists in Market Square (no longer there) was spent either buying vinyl or tickets for gigs. Favourite shops for music were Old Town Records and a shop just a few doors up from the chemist - I can't remember its name, which is shocking because it was quite memorable!
Hope... Read more
Earliest Workplaces
This picture was taken from the now demolished Circular and then quite unique Car park overlooking the Lake in front of Lord Alexander House on the right hand side of picture .
This office was built in 1959/60 and the first high profile tenants of the First floor of the building were Esso Petroleum Company Ltd and it was one of their 16 UK Branch offices -- South Midland Branch. They gave up the lease on the building in approximately 1970. I started as an office boy in 1961 and finally retired from Esso in 2005. Many happy memories of working here.
The Pavilion.
Oh the memories of many, many brilliant gigs back in the 70s & 80s. In fact, so many I am in the process of putting together a book entitled The Pavilion Rock Years. I am keen to hear from anyone with memories of gigs/concerts they attended there between 1966 and 2002 (I certainly wasn't at every one!). If you have any anecdotes, good, bad, funny stories to tell, please don't hesitate to contact me at perpar75@btinternet.com
Many thanks,
Neil.
Shell Mex And BP Computer Centre
First started work at Hemel in November 1963. Following a spell at the Manchester Data Centre I returned in 1968 and remained until Brand Separation in 1974. We are now holding a reunion in July for anyone who worked for SMBP in either Data Centre.
Sad to learn that the building was demolished in the eighties.
Great fun was had watching the antics of the drivers coping with the magic roundabout.
Old Hemel
The old High Street, before Marlowes Town Centre was built.
Documentary About Paper Making at Nash Mills, 1980s
Readers may be interested to view the documentary I made about paper making at DRG, Nash Mills in Hemel Hempstead in 1983. It's now free to view on my YouTube channel at www.JonDanzig.com:
http://youtu.be/VLVqsO7ry0Y
My film was also discussed on a recent BBC radio interview about my life and career as a local photo-journalist and film maker:
http://youtu.be/RFHTrYHcSd0
My Birth Place
I was born in Hemel Hempstead in March of 1957. My parents came from Portsmouth and County Durham. They met in London and moved to Hemel Hempstead, which was a new town, in search of good housing, school for my 5 year old sister and work prospects. We lived in Vauxhall Road when I was born. All my memories of Hemel are good ones and I still have family that live there, I still visit often and have seen many changes. It is much more populated now, the town centre Marlowes is the place to be for shopping with the new indoor centre. There is much more to do now, especially for the younger generation, which is a good thing.
Memories of Hertfordshire
First Love
These are the cottages where my first "love" lived her name was Barbara and I had a school boy crush on this lovely young lady in my early teens.
I also fell off my bike just round the corner of this bridge and grazed my knee!
Gossoms End Berkhampstead
I was adopted by a Mr & Mrs Cater who owned a General Store at 27 Gossoms End, Berkhampsted. I have fond memories of my childhood freedom and playing in the area, including many hours on the Grand Union Canal either fishing or jumping on and off the barges. I went to the prep school of Berkhampstead Grammar and spent a short time at the senior school before the family moved to North London. The demise of the family business was brought on by the arrival of the first supermarket in Berkhampsted High Street.
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?
Top End of High Street
The shop at the top left (now the Chinese Takeaway) was, I think, Wards the Greengrocers, the second shop down was Graingers the Newsagents (now Pendley Estate Agents). The newsagents was run by Mr & Mrs. Gadd, who lived above the shop. The garage was used to dispense the daily newspapers to the paperboys. There is also a brick built well in the back garden (who used it I don't know) as this was originally a field. The community well can still be found, capped off, in the cottages opposite. Wards moved further down the High Street into what is now Wilsons Estate Agents. Graingers moved to the top of the road into what became the Travel Agents (now demolished). Mr. & Mrs. Gadd retired to Dudley House and have since passed away. The shop down from Graingers was Jaynes the Hairdressers (now Ameyzoo the Exotic Pet Shop) and owned by Mrs. Williams and later by her daughter Amanda. At some point they sold antiques from the back of the... Read more
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