Leighton Buzzard

Read and share memories of Leighton Buzzard and Bedfordshire inspired by Frith photos

Australians On The Cut -1975

Having left Australia on an open-ended working holiday to England in January, 1974 with my girlfriend, it was hard to imagine that within six weeks of arriving in London we'd be living on a leaky old narrow boat in Braunston near Rugby, and that six months later - still living on the boat - we'd be calling Leighton Buzzard home for nearly two years.

The boat was called SADLERS WELLS, and in the opinion of most people, she looked more like a railway carriage than a traditional narrow boat, obviously the result of some DIY conversion of years gone by. She became ours for two hundred pounds after answering an ad in Exchange and Mart. Work opportunities in ...read more here
Contributed by Ross Barnard

Australians On The Cut -1975

Having left Australia on an open-ended working holiday to England in January, 1974 with my girlfriend, it was hard to imagine that within six weeks of arriving in London we'd be living on a leaky old narrow boat in Braunston near Rugby, and that six months later - still living on the boat - we'd be calling Leighton Buzzard home for nearly two years.

The boat was called SADLERS WELLS, and in the opinion of most people, she looked more like a railway carriage than a traditional narrow boat, obviously the result of some DIY conversion of years gone by. She became ours for two hundred pounds after answering an ad in Exchange and Mart. Work opportunities in ...read more here
A memory of Leighton Buzzard contributed by Ross Barnard

Shop names and trades.

The buildings from left to right are the Post Office with Drakelow Press printing and bookbinding firm in buildings above and behind it. Established prior to 1827 by a Stephen Dodd, in 1951 it became known as Drakelow Press. The there is the Black Horse pub, a wool/haberdashery shop, a grocery shop, Gibbs and Dandy Ironmongers which was a treasure trove of nails, screws, string, buckets, mops etc. Then on the corner a cafe.
A memory of Woburn contributed by Mrs Sylvia Hudson

Shop names and trades.

The buildings from left to right are an antique shop, then a sweet shop that was full of the most delightful assortment of sweets all in glass jars and weighed out on brass scales into white paper bags. Then Dudeney and Johnston the grocers - they had man who went around the villages on his bicycle one day a week taking grocery orders which were then delivered by van to your door. The door with a canopy and small windows either side is a Bank, then Mr Jones's shoe shop. I think the two buildings leading to the corner were private houses. The double fronted building on the far right was a cafe.
A memory of Woburn contributed by Mrs Sylvia Hudson