Church Mission

I lived in Balmoral Close just at the end of Park Lane, Waltham Cross. I have searched for many years for photographs of "Balmoral Flats" it was a development in the mid-late 50s and was demolished around 1970ish. I have many great memories of living there..... Waving to passengers on the trains as they flew by whilst I stood on the coal bunkers at the rear of the flats, also the day I climbed the drainpipe outside my sisters bedroom whilst they were in bed talking, I gingerly waved my hand inside the window and shook the curtains. They thought it was a burglar.
They screamed the place down. My mother flung open the kitchen window and screamed "HELP.......POLICE. ". I knew I had done wrong. I quickly ran upstairs and I confessed it was me. I took what I deserved and believe me......... I did not do that again. P. Sharp.

Hi Paul.
I used to go out with a girl who lived in those flats, Audrey her name was, no idea on the last name though.
When I lived in Stoneleigh Close in the early 50s there were mostly goods trains as that line was only used for passenger when they diverted due to work on the main line, they did reopen the line to traffic later but I cannot remember the year. The North side of Park Lane was the Tottenham Estate, your side was known as the Edmonton Estate.
Was not strictly true as we had at least one family who lived in the flats at the end of Bruce Way on Leven Drive also called Smith who were from Edmonton, and moved back there after couple of years.

I also was born 1941 in Lodge Crescent W X .went to Kings road school then Cheshunt secondary school , I re beer getting 1 penny bags of broken crisps at a shop at the Old Pond, I also used to go to cooking classes instead of woodwork ,only two of us ,so we could be with the girls ha ha. Used to play in park and visit the stuffed lions and tigers, in the glass cages . Friday and Saturdays we used to mind bikes outside Woolworths. Used to visit the Polish refugees camp down Boolsmore lane.When I was about 9years old , I got run over , under the bridge at Trinity Lane and was taken into one of the small cottages next to the Methodist church. That was a lifetime ago. Norman

Yes I do remember the baptist church between WX and WA . It was run by Mr John Turner. He lived in Lodge Crescent and used to drive a very old car . We used to get cakes mid week. Norman

Hi Norman.
What class were you in at the secondary school then, I was in Upper 1 B/2B/3B/4B.
That funny about the cooking class as there were only 2 from our class that went.
I used to spend a lot of time helping the groundsman instead of doing lessons.
Would have liked to have gone to the reunion a few years ago but I had to be in the States for a few weeks and the reunion was then. bummer.

Hi Mick
Yup it was Fred, had some good times helping him out.
Do you still live in the area or like me moved away? I now live in Yorkshire. Often wonder how many of the old school are still with us. I have a picture taked of me at a street party, might be for the coronation. Age is getting to me now as I cannot remember the name of my best man, also have a photo of him at my wedding. What class were you in at school then?

Hi Mick.
Nice to hear from you again. I lived in Canada for a short while in Port Credit, Mississaga. Where do you live in Canada?
There were 20 odd in my class and I know of only one today who lives in Kent, wonder what happened to the rest of them. With age goes the memory so could not tell you any names.
Would love to get a school photo of my year with all the names on.
Mum never saved any of my school stuff

Hi Mick.
Shame we are not going that far over this year, we are only going as far as Regina. We were in BC and AB two years ago.
Can add Miss D'Eath French teacher J.K.Haywood Maths Mr Smith Headmaster. Your sister was in the year above me, we would have been in the Nissen huts together. My sister Pauline would have been a year below you. Harry Webb was in the same year as me but one class above, I was in upper one B and he was in upper one A. There is another lady from school that got in touch (will find her mail for her name) who now lives in New Zealand. Will be in touch as soon as I find her mail.
Norman.

I lived in WX from 1960 to 1971. From 1963 I was a keen member of Waltham Newtown Mission Hall between WX and WA. The youth club was run by the Turner brothers and their wives.John and Audrey with Phil and Joan. Table tennis on a Thursday night, a Bible class on Sunday pm and an evening social at one of the Turner homes after church. Great fun. The Turners had a big impact on my life. Sadly they have all passed away. In the seventies it became the Holdbrook Fellowship. Roger Howard

I was at the mission around 1955 to 1958. Thursday was a games night, I learned to play chess with Mick Booth. It used to be a normal church meeting Sunday PM and as you say we all used to go back to John and Audrey's house for tea and cake.
Wonderful times.
We had dances in Cheshunt at the fire station every month or so.
Norman.

I well remember Mick Booth. He was older than me and taught me to drive. He married Geraldine Burchet? and they moved to Australia. From your time there was Peter Theobald and Richard Ward who I still exchange Christmas cards with. Also Heather Staff and Ralph Angel (who joined the Army) but I don't know what happened to them. The youth club kept us out of trouble. Happy memories. Roger

Correction. Mick Booth married Gillian from the Mission Hall. Roger

That's the one, Tried to find him in Australia but no luck so far.
Mick and I used to always go about together. We went out with sisters Mary and Ruth who lived in Ruthven Ave. They went on holiday to Walton and Mick and I went down for the weekend and camped on the sand (tried washing in the sea). Peter I remember, Richard am not sure about, Heather I seem to think moved up to Norfolk somewhere.
There was also Barbara whose family owned the Fish n Chip shop opposite the Arlington Garage.
Also there was two sisters, Smith I think there name was who lived in the bottom flat at the end of Bruce way
Margaret Smith lived on Leven drive on the left, number 11 rings a bell.
Sheila Inch who was born in India, mother Indian and father was out there with the army, lived on Manderville Road.
Mary Berryman lived at 7 Stoneleigh Close across from me.
Wonder if any records remain on who used to go to the Mission Hut, they always kept a record of who was there so there might be.

Just found it.
Michael J Booth married Gillian D Burnett June 1965 Enfield Middlesex.
Am off to Canada tomorrow so might be out of touch for a while.
When I can I will try to find out where he went to in Australia.
N.

With regard to Mission Hall records there might be somewhere. I was elected a deacon on behalf of the youngsters. It will take a while to track the records down if they exist still. Problem is there appears to be no way of getting a prompt from Francis Frith if there are new entries to this string. The only way I can see is to constantly go on this site looking for new entries. Have fun in Canada. We have a son and his family there near Kitchener.

.

Would be nice if the records could be found, tried to get school lists but no luck.
Michael Booth and Gillian left for Australia 18th May 1968 with their son Adrian. Think I have found their address in Australia, am sending a short note to the address before I leave.
Was in Kitchener last year, used to live in Port Credit, Mississaga.
Norman.

Like most small churches it was a bit like an extended family. I remember Janet Anderson and her brother Peter. They were older than me and were friends with Mick Booth. Janet married John ? from the Youth Club at the Mission Hall itself. Because they met at the Thursday night club she wanted the wedding there. It was its first ever wedding and there was a rigmarole in getting the building licensed.

Found an address for Mick and sent off a short note to find out if I had the right one and bingo on return yesterday from Canada it was the right one.
Thanks for the help one way and another.
Have told him about this thread so he should be on here soon.
Norman.

Can anyone help.
Our crowd was Ruth and Mary?, Gwen and Marion Smith, Carol?, Ken Parsons, Mike Booth, Barbara? (had the chip shop opposite Arlingtons) and others, names slip the memory.
Can anyone put surnames or whereabouts now of any of these.

Lynroger my email is balloonmans2003@yahoo.co.uk if you want to mail me off list. I get a prompt when anyone puts a reply to this thread.
Norman.

Hi Roger.
Small update. Heather Staff married and moved to Salford, Manchester. She sadly passed away last year. Marion Smith now Wells, lives in Waltham Cross.
Could you pass my email across to Peter Theobald and Richard Ward please.
Norman.