Memories of Hunsdon

Memories of Peggy Pinner.

My parents, Peggy and Stan Pinner, moved to Hunsdon from Leyton in 1957. Stan's family was from Wyddial and Aspenden, so Hunsdon was a good fit for them. A small estate was being erected on Wicklands Road and they bought number 3. Our next door neighbours were  the Duddys, other neighbours were the Porters, the Joyces, the Fergusons, the Richardsons and the Normans. The local vicar was Mr Pumphrey. The local 'bobby' was P C Reece, he and his family lived in a house across the street from The Crazy Pub. The Bagnells had a hardware store on Main Street not far from the Post Office. The Littleboys owned The Crown, and Peg and Stan had hopes of becoming publicans at one time. Mrs Warner's daughter Judy was a great friend of my sister Ann. Edith Cavell lived on Acorn Street, and was related to Nurse Caville,famous from the First World War. Ivor Pugsley was a mover and shaker in the founding of a theatre group, The Hunsdon Players, a number of variety shows were performed in Hunsdon and other villages, to raise funds for badly needed village projects. There was a family called Humphreys, they lived on Drury Lane, and as they had a wind-up phonograph, dance numbers for shows were often practiced there. Dad, Stan, was instrumental in getting the Youth Club going, also was a member of the village council and worked hard with others in getting Hunsdon chosen as Best Kept Village. Pat and Jerry Fisher were also hard workers in that effort. Rosalind and Barbara Gibb lived in the 'Big House'. Mr Barker (or Parker) was a marvellous butcher in Stanstead Abbotts. There was a pub called The Crazy Pub that was packed every weekend with, mostly, visitors. It was advertised at the local cinemas, and was probably Hunsdon's biggest claim to fame at that time. The Women's Institute played a large role in Peg's life, a special friend there was Pat Hudson. She also worked at the St Margaretsbury Children's Home in Stanstead Abbotts.