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Sewell

Sewell maps

Historic maps of Sewell and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Sewell maps

Sewell photos

We have no photos of Sewell, although we do have photos of these nearby places:

Totternhoe| Dunstable| Houghton Regis| Eaton Bray| Edlesborough| Whipsnade| Toddington| Caddington| Leighton Buzzard| Luton| Linslade| Westoning

Sewell area books

Displaying 1 of 6 books about Sewell and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Sewell

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Bedfordshire memories

Changing Schools And Houses

My earliest memory of Totternhoe was when we moved to the village from Dunstable after my grandfather died. We came to live at 35 Church Road next door to my father's cousin Winifred Heley who was the postmistress at the time, the Post Office was in the front room of the house. We did not have flush toilets, only a bucket at the end of the garden which Dad emptied once a week. The school was in the Memorial Hall in the middle of the village, there were 3 teachers, Mrs Jones was the head teacher, followed by Mr Carr, and Mrs French taught the infants. A new school was built in Church Road opposite Tom Turvey's farm and I went there until I passed the 11 plus and went to Dunstable Grammar School in 1952. There were two roadsweepers in the village although I cannot recall their names, all work was done with a shovel and broom, unlike today. The vicar was Mr Llewellyn Jones and I can remember... Read more

Family Connections.

Broad Walk c1965
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The gentleman in the foreground of the Quadrant in the dark suit is my father Albert (Bert) Brandon a local business man. He opened a fruit and flower shop at 12 Albion Street which was previously his mother's shop and sold haberdashery and household linens. Then, before his retirement, he started The Princes School of Motoring. He is waiting for my mother to come out of the bakers and she is possibly the lady carrying her purchase coming out of the shop. Strangely he is standing where he had a garden, a very large area where we played as children, before the Quadrant was built.

Remembering my Aunt And Uncle - Nellie And Nobby Clarke

High Street c1955
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I have fond memories of Dunstable from when I was 9 years old, going to the market on a Friday with my mum and Aunt Nellie. The market was held to the right of the picture.

My Lovely Family, Bill Joan And Paul Harris

Broad Walk c1965
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This was the year my son Kevin was born, we all used to go here usually on a Saturday.  Paul has just died , he was so special to all his family.  While he was in hospital he opened his eyes and said 'I have just been to Dunstable'. He used to work at Waterlows printing factory now long gone so did dad Bill Harris. Remembering them all with much love also Nobby and Nellie clarke, Cyril and Alice Collier.

Living Around The Corner

Downside Estate c1965
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I used to live in Sundown Ave, just around the corner from these shops. My friend Michelle lived to the right of the bus. My Mum used to work in the sweet shop at the end of the parade to the right. There was a supermarket on the far left with a chemist next door. I remember buying my Mum some rather stinky Yardley perfume there for her birthday one year for about 1/6d I went to school at Downside CP which you could get to by walking down the road to the right of the photo. People I remember living near theses shops are, Michelle Loggie, Steven Johnson, Michael Lithgo, Tim Francis, ELizabeth Graham, Angela Farrow, Janice Read, Bev Simpkins, Cecilia Atkins...and many more I am sure.,..

Orange Rolling

Orange rolling, Good Friday afternoon up the 'orange pit'. There used to be crowds of people all chasing little oranges down the hill. Never quite sure what you did if you caught one, I'm sure it wouldn't have been fit to eat!

Is this peculiar to Dunstable? I know of cheese rolling, where they chase a double gloucester cheese down a hill in Leckhampton (near Cheltenham) but haven't come across anything else similar elsewhere.

Memories of The Civic

Queensway Hall c1965
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My first memory of the Civic was that awesome ceiling, seen for the very first time at a do hosted by the then new Evening Post newspaper, for all the delivery boys & girls. Probably not long after the hall opened. The entertainment was none other than the Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band.

Next, the heady days of the 70's when the Civic was one of the best venues for what has come to be called Classic Rock. We just called it rock then. Any band worth their salt played here along with one or two that weren't. Some names that come to mind are Pink Floyd, The Who, Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, Quo ... the list goes on. I should write a book :)

I understand the site is now an Adsa. Ho hum, Dunstable is what Dunstable does.

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