Welwyn Garden City memories
Here are memories of Welwyn Garden City and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Welwyn Garden City or a Welwyn Garden City photo.
Millie Millington
Wonderful teachers, Mr Croydon French Latin some sports. Mr Chester Woodwork Gym and cricket. Millicent Millington Mathematics. Mr Webb History and Geography. Mr Davy Sciences. The grounds were very woody and the air raid shelters great for running about on. The canteen served delicious cocoa in blue squashy mugs. My dear friends Keith Starkey and Geoffrey Scott were in my form. I remember the school milk bottles outside our form room where the cold had squeezed the tops off and the Blue Tits had pecked away at them to get at the cream. I started learning the Clarinet with teacher Cyril Haskins. Music became my life's work. I too taught at Temple Grove, Stoke Brunswick and for a short time Ashdown House Schools in Sussex. No pupil ever failed his or her Royal Schools of Music Graded woodwind examinations, mostly because of the parting statement from Mr Godsmark the Head at Sherrards. "Nigel", he said, "you will never be any good at maths!". Well, I became a management grade Bank... Read more
Happy Days
I attended this school with my friends Alan Foster and John Diamond. Mr Thomas was the English language master, my worst subject. I loved the playing field at the back of the school and beyond was the Dragon Tree which we all loved to climb, our imaginations ablaze with scary adventures after being told of St George and the slaying of his dragon centuries before. We wore coloured bands to indicate our forms and our sports days were wonderful. I became a banker and later a classical musician and composer, writing 15 symphonies and many other works.
Cherry Blossom Time
In the early spring, arriving early for school at Sherrards Wood, I took a look at the most incredible sight you could imagine, Cherry Blossoms filled my sight all along Pentley Park. It made my heart jump with joy to see the richness and beauty.
Fountain
We moved to Welwyn Garden City when I was four.
I have some lovely memories of my mum sitting me on the wall surrounding the fountain so I could just watch it.
Fifty one years later I still love to watch it when I go into the town centre.
I now like to take my granddaughters there.
Some things you just never grow tired of.
Beautiful memories. I hope the fountain remains for many years to come
Keep Off The Grass
I remember sitting under these trees in the summer of 1976, with my mates and smoking some grass. Funny thing was, the only thing we got told off for was being on the grass, not smoking it. Obviously the New Towns Commission had their ideals in the right places...
Welwyn Garden City, Sweet Briar
This view is from the west side of Sweet Briar looking south down the hill towards Cole Green Lane (out of view). To the left is the entrance to Heronswood School (since closed, now a modern housing area).
I understood that the area was once very wooded, borne out by the many well established trees still lining the road and verge areas. I think my parents occupied our house from new in about 1954 until leaving the area in the early 1970s.
I lived further along Sweet Briar on the west side of the road near a layby (out of view). It was a very pleasant location to grow up in with many friendly folk.
There were lots of grassed spaces to play in too. This scene has not changed greatly to date, other than the inevitable intrusion of the motor car.
Stonehills WGC
This view is looking north from the west side of Stonehills towards the Cherry Tree Public House. Just out of view on the left was the old Police Station (the site of which has still not been developed) whilst across the road on the right is National Provincial Bank (now Nat West Bank) . Further along from the bank is Williams Bros, then Sketchley Cleaners. Continuing towards 'The Cherry' is the Broadwater Press Ltd, founded by the late Mr Harry Cheetham who died in 1938.
Harry Cheetham was my Grandfather. I understand that Harry and his wife Emily Anne Cheetham (my late Grandmother) were both keen members of the WGC Golf Club during the late 1920s - early 1930s altho confirmation and photographs are sought.
Beyond 'The Press' was Munts Cycle Store which sold a variety of bicyles, scooters, mopeds and small motorcyles aswell as prams. Beyond Munts on the corner opposite The Cherry Tree was Dickinson & Adams Motor Garage with 752 Taxis. What remains of The Cherry Tree... Read more
Stonehills 1958.
I lived next door to the police station which is just to the left of this photo from 1952 until 1959 when my father (the local police station sergeant) retired. This photo is very evocative of memories I had as a young child living in the town centre. I well remember the buildings opposite my home including Munts cycle shop (they sold good fireworks!), Broadwater Press (kept my mother awake at night when the presses were working) and Williams Bros discount store. I well remember in the dead of night hearing the expresses racing through the railway station to and from Kings Cross (steam hauled of course) - this began my lifelong interest in railways. The Cherry Tree public house was well known in the area (not frequented by me I might add!). The fire station always sounded its siren on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. - very loud if you were close to it.
My primary school was Templewood which I see still gets good reports from Ofsted. Other... Read more
Templewood School.
I attended this school from 1954/55 - 1960. This view is taken looking towards the Infants playground and entrance to their classrooms, with the main dining hall in the background.
More Memories of Stonehills
Just out of the picture to the left, was the location of the old police station, before it moved to its new home off of the campus, behind the council buildings. Now it's just an open space providing the walkway between Debenhams and John Lewis (formally the Co-Op and Welwyn Department Stores).
To the left of The Cherry Tree (Waitrose ), used to be the old Fire Station.
I used to live in Longcroft Lane and remember walking into the town and along this route (aged 5 at the time).
WGC Station Memories
Having left London to live in WGC in 1957, our family often went back to visit relatives so that was one of our most regular excursions. In the fifties and sixties we did not have a car and nor did many of our neighbours. We relied on the green double-decker 324 bus service to get us to the station. As it was a circular service, we could cross the road and go one way or wait at the bus stop on our side of Howlands and go via Hollybush. The building in the picture was demolished to make way for the Howard centre. As you entered the station, the ticket office was on the left-hand side and the newsagents was on the right hand side. At that time, steam trains were gradually being phased out and, especially in Kings Cross, there was sometimes a choice of train home. I preferred the modern trains having no nostalgia for the age of steam with its hot and dirty engines. Thanks to locomotive... Read more
Memories of Stone Hills.
This picture was taken from the corner of the Co-operative shop and features the Cherry Tree public house before it was turned into Waitrose. In about 1965, my friend’s mother remarried and my family was invited to the reception in the restaurant there. The single storey building nearest the Cherry Tree was a shop called Munts, which was a kind of Aladdin’s cave with bicycles and prams being amongst the many items on sale. The road in front of the Cherry Tree was a T-junction but this disappeared along with the single storey buildings when the sunken roundabout was built. The other buildings do not seem to have changed much
My Favourite Place as A Kid
I spent most of the summers of the mid 60's in this pool and learnt to dive off the platform board in 1967. I swam all of my major medal and cetificate swims in this pool. The fountain was a place to play when not swimming.
Memories.
I remember before they built the QE2 Hospital. As a child I would go with my brother George and friends to the fields where the hospital is now and we would play for many hours, and there were horses in the fields and a stream, there were also pigs sties with old air-raid shelters in and we spent many a hours in them as our dens. We had such great fun in those days. There were so many fields to play in. We even played with the cows until the farmer found out.
Hollybush Lane
When I was a child in the early 1950s Hollybush Lane, from Woodhall Lane to Great Ley, was quite literally a lane. On one side the council had built houses, but on the other were the farm cottages that were built around the turn of the century or earlier and were a part of the Hatfield estate. I recall that the cottages still had a water pump outside every three or four of them and at the end of the rows were larger two-storey semis, I presume to be occupied by the farm overseers.
Further along was St Mary Magadelen's church (which still stands) and this was a benefice of the Salisbury family. The 2nd WGC Scout and Cub group of which I was a member held its church parades in St Mary's and I remember my pride as a Cub being allowed one Sunday to carry the group's flag up to the altar.
The Scout hut was just off Hollybush Lane in Homestead Lane opposite the A1 dairies. The... Read more
Memories of Hertfordshire
The Sun
The building on the left is the Sun pub, which we used to visit when in the sixth form at Stanborough school in the 1970s . Our teachers used it too as it wasn't far from our school so we used to go there more on weekend evenings... We drank Courage Best and Directors at 34p a pint and got accepted provided we acted responsibly.
In those days 'responsible' behaviour included sitting on the bridge, paddling in the river and having fights in it. On at least one occasion we pushed each other off the bridge into the water. Afterwards we all went home peacefully. Fortunately there weren't ASBOs in my day.... but then we didn't wear hoods, just flares and long hair
The Place I Was Born
I was born in Ayot St Peter - March 22nd 1932. My father was farm bailiff at the Frith estate. My mother told me she would take me for walks in my pram and would ofter meet George Bernard Shaw out for his walk, and they would chat for a minute or two. I am proud to have the name of Ayot St Peter on my birth certificate and my passport, it has created many interesting conversations.
I now live in Florida and have done so for the last 28 years.
Richard G Gaunt.
Panshangar
I would like to contact anyone who has worked or lived in Panshangar from 1940 onwards. I am compiling a book and would love to hear from anyone who knows what the outbuildings behind what is now the Flying School cafe were used for. Do you know? Did you work or live there? Please also let me know if you have any photos from the times. Were you there in the war? Please leave me a message and I will ensure you go in my book! Thanks Catherine
Meadow Dell
We moved to Hatfield "new town' from the east end. Went to Howe Dell School and lived on Meadow Dell, off Cavendish Way. It was still a small country town then. Happy Memories. Sue
Old Hatfield
I was employed as an electrician, by a company known as J.Hodge and spent 18 months in Hatfield House re-wiring the East Wing. I knew Old Hatfield intimately as I lived in Hatfield for 20 years. When I went back there in 1995 I was very disappointed to see how this part of the town had been changed and, not for the better in my opinion. Many of the old roads had been altered beyond recognition. Is this progress or what?
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