Memory Lane

A Memory of Waltham Cross.

My family moved to Waltham Cross in 1955 when I was 4 years old and I have many fond memories of the place . As a child I used to go to a little sweet shop that was between Aspland's on the corner of Park Lane and The Castle Public House. It was painted victorian green on the outside, seemed very dark inside and was owned by a little old lady by the name of Mrs Wagner,
who always wore her hair in a bun and lived behind the shop. When the door at the back of the shop was open you could see a lovely comfortable armchair in her sitting room where she sat with her knitting waiting for customers. Down Park Lane itself between the middle of a row of cottages was R White's factory and further down was a public house that for many years was owned by an old lady by the name of Mrs Neil. A little further along the High Street, on the other corner of Park Lane, was a butcher's and a little further along was a grocer's called Maypole's. Even further along this side of the High Street was the Gas showrooms and a litte way past that was United Dairy where you could buy milk, butter, cheese etc. Next door to this was a shop that sold china and kitchen equipment and parafin by the gallon. I attended Kings Road School until I was 9 then I transferred to Hurst Drive. I too, spent many an hour playing in Cedars Park, clambering over the stone huts. We used to walk down the tu'penny tube (why was it called that?) to catch tiddlers in the New River. Does anyone remember the 'backfields' between Cameron Drive and Bullsmoor Lane? I think virtually everyone built a secret camp there at some point! Saturday mornings spent queuing outside the Embassy for the matinee! I used to love the way the organ music signalled the start of the films. I have trawled the archives searching for old photo's of Waltham Cross but most of them feature Eleanor Cross Statue so if any of you have any old photo's I would really appreciate it if you could email me copies. Keep the memories coming

Kind Regards