Potters Bar memories
Here are memories of Potters Bar and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Potters Bar or a Potters Bar photo.
Memories
My mother Gwen Clayden worked at the Ritz cinema during the war years, and spent many evenings on the roof doing fire watch. As a teenager in the mid sixties I remember many shops along Darkes Lane including Woolworths opening (in the late 50's I think) Delmars Record Shop and the Embassy Club. Boddies Sweet Shop, Baldwins Bike Shop and a very old fashion chemist on the corner of Manor Road. Thurleys Toy Shop, Singer Sewing Machines, Mc Fisheries, De Sallas Barbers, Wilsons Menswear, the Post Office in a motor cycle shop and Cobbs Bakers.
Oakmere House
As a young boy, together with some of my friends we went fishing in the lower lake and one winter, 1938 or 1939, we went ice skating on the lower lake. In those days I lived in Park Avenue. Also, during the Second World War, Oakmere House held dances. I went to one or two when on leave. I think that the owners of the estate, pre-Second World War, were named Forbes. After the war the park was open to the public.
The Ritz Cinama
At the end of Darkes Lane, on the corner of Byng Drive, the Ritz Cinema was built and opened in 1934. My father was the cinema foreman from then until 1939. It had an elevated organ and songs were played on it with the words displayed on the cinema screen. In spite of numerous air raid warnings, as far as I know, it never closed. The National Anthem was always played at the end of the evenings show.
The cinema was eventually closed and converted into a supermarket.
The Potters Bar
Before 'The Potters Bar' was built, the site was occupied by 'The Railway Hotel', a red brick building. This was demolished in the 1930s and replaced by the present building and called 'The Potters Bar Hotel'. This pub was very popular during the days of the Second World War, with sing-songs and amateur entertainers mostly on a Saturday night. It was also very popular with the American forces stationed nearby.
Oakmere House
I am trying to find out any info on Oakmere house.
Was it a Convelecent/hospice in the 1950's?
I may have had a relative that stayed there in the past and would be grateful for any info.
Oakmere
I have found a painting of Oakmere House, Potters Bar dated 1935. I believe the house is now a Beefburger Resaurant. There is a clearer view of the house from across the lake, there is the large pine tree & smaller trees on the right of photp, the trees & bushes on the left have not yet grown. It is an interesting painting relating to a modern photo. I can be contacted on 07752033574 if you are interested.
Air Raid
I was born in Laurel Avenue in 1936 and lived there until 1959. During the war we were bombed out of our house following an air raid during the night, when German bombers were trying to cut the main line between London and Edinburgh. A large bomb fell on No. 46 Laurel Avenue and totally destroyed that, and severely damaged others nearby. That night, my mother, sister and I were sleeping under a bed in the front room of our house at No. 40, a raid had been forecast hence we were taking safety precautions, and I was woken up when the chimney stack collapsed down through the house, and we were all trapped until rescued by Air Raid Wardens who had a base further down Laurel Avenue. My father was at work so had no immediate knowledge or our predicament. The following day we were housed temporarily down in the Cranbourne area, until a ground floor flat was provided... Read more
Mount Grace Hospital.
I apparently spent sometime during WW2 in a Mount Grace Hospital in Potters Bar. Has anyone any details or photographs of this building please? Thank you.
Blue Star Furnishings
Does any one remember the Blue Star Furnishings shop at 29 Barnet Road.
I was a friend of Mr & Mrs Filer and their daughter Marion who owned the shop and they lived in a flat over it. I used to visit them quite regularly during 1962 but lost contact in 1963 and have been unable to trace when they moved or where they went.
Can anyone help please?
Memories of Hertfordshire
PALMER WOOLLEY MARRIAGE 1850
My great great grandparents on my mum's side married in the Parish Church at South Mimms on March 17th 1850. Curate appears to have been William Read ??.
Thomas and Sarah were both of full age and resided at Potters Bar. Thomas was a bricklayer and son of Thomas Palmer a carpenter. Sarah was daughter of George Woolley who was a brickmaker.
Witnesses were William Sears and Duisilla Herbert.
Marriage registered in Barnet.
Julie
Old Times While Working at Tesco Borehamwood
I worked at Tesco, Borehamwood approx 1982 to to approx 1987, which was situated where the old bowling alley once was. I have fond memories of working there, although it was hard work, the staff all got along whatever the age. Tesco only had 18 checkouts I can remember, there was no Sunday or bank holidays opening, there was a delicatesen at the back of the store and staff had to weigh your fruit on the fruit and veg isle then put a price on it and you then you paid this at the checkout. There was only approx 6 isles which only stocked a limited amount of stock. I used to work on the checkouts and we used to have races who could put customers shopping through the quickest. Customers back then at Christmas used to buy between 2 and 3 trolley loads of food as the shops used to be closed for approx 4 days - which is unheard of today. The... Read more
"Old Bull Morris Men" Dance at The Old Guinea Pub
The Old Bull Morris Men were based at the Old Bull Arts Centre in nearby Barnet and would regularly turn out to perform at pubs in south west Hertfordshire around 1979 - 1981. Originally founded as a mixed side of dancers who performed in the clog wearing "north-west tradition" they eventiually settled down as a mens side. I can remember joining them around 1980 for my first taste of morris dancing in 1980 although I had already spent a couple of years playing my piano accordian for the dancers of Whitethorn Morris.
Thursday evenings found us at pubs in what is now the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, situated between Potters Bar and Shenley. One of my favourite places to dance was Ridge which has a small church, St Margaret's, and a public house called the Old Guinea.
Warm summer evenings dancing in the road outside the pub were followed by a beer - or two - to quench our thirst!
Remembering Shenley
I was born in Newcombe Road, no 52, in 1962. I remember the village shop opposite the White Horse pub, the garden centre and the village pond near the King Will pub. I used to stay a lot at my uncle and auntie's flat in Borehamwood in Leaming Road, their names were Ray and Maureen Atkins. My mum and dad were Betty and John Atkins. I also used to visit Hansens little cafe in the town. I now live in St Neots, Cambs. I always enjoy meeting people from Shenley, met a couple who live in St Neots, always chat about the place.
St Mary's School And Church Hall
I was born and grew up in East Barnet and went to St, Mary's C of E Junior and Mixed Infants School in Churchill Road. It was a small school with only four classes and the boys left at seven and mostly went to Littlegrove. The headmistress was Miss Banham, who we all feared, though she must have been a very good teacher as she had the top two years in one classroom, and managed to get 18 out of 21 pupils through the scholarship (later 11-plus). There was no dining-room so those who had school dinners had to walk along Churchill Road to the Church Hall. The dinners were pretty ghastly, with gristly meat, lumpy mashed potatoes and lumpy custard. The back of the school backed on to the playground which made a good big wall for ball games. We did a lot of skipping and hop-scotch.In the late 40s, the BBC Schools programme began something called Music and Movement, and we went along to the Methodist Church Hall... Read more
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