Hoffmann's Factory Circa 1919

Sorry I cannot comment on the questions you asked regarding Hoffman's Susan. My father built the flats in Rectory Lane opposite Hoffman's about 1948 about 1950and we lived in one of the top ones and there were the Woods who lived next door ( Valerie Wood later became Chelmsford Carnival Queen) I used to love to watch the employees going in to work and leaving of an evening to go home, it was so busy, people rushing about just like in a painting. My great grandfather Walter Farrow was the Fire Superintendent for Chelmsford and after that was a councillor with Fred Spalding and he lived at 7 New Street with his family and he and family are buried in Rectory Lane cemetery. Walter was well thought of in Chelmsford.

I used to go to St John's School then the Cathedral School when I was 11 years I went to Rainsford Girls School.

When I was about 16 years old I used to open the Corn Exchange for the gentleman from Romford who organized Saturday night dances with some famous stars I would be there on my own with the stars, Joe Brown, Batchelor's Johnny Kidd and the pirates. Joe actually made up a song and played it on the piano to me. Some years later an aunt told me my mum and dad danced the Argentina tango and all the people with lot of American's forces who were stationed in Essex stood either side of the hall and watched my parents doing a wonderful dance.

Does anybody remember the small fleet of Eastern National 'Works Service' buses that would be waiting at Hoffman's for knocking-off time. These would take the workers home to all parts of Chelmsford.