Turnford A Peaceful Place

A Memory of Turnford.

I was born and grew up in a happy, peaceful village where everyone knew everyone else. My memories are of long walks in a beautiful countryside which could have been a million miles from London instead of an hour on a greenline bus. Of thick fogs in November when traffic crawled at walking pace; indeed, one night my grandfather was leading the crocodile of vehicles and they all followed him up his drive and there was great difficulty in turning everyone around and getting them back onto the road. I remember my father saying he was going mushrooming one morning as there were some beauties at the end of the field which would be just ready at daybreak. The mushrooms grew just below the railway and when my father arrived at 6am a train had stopped, and the driver was picking the mushrooms! I remember many happy Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching cricket and the excitement of being allowed to score for the Rochford's 2nd XII (such lovely boys) and going to the away games in the back of an old lorry. Memories of Prince and Jolly, the two huge carthorses who worked for Rochford's and tramped backwards and forwards pulling cart loads of tomato waste. Fishing in the stream for sticklebacks. Climbing the banks of the New River and walking for miles along the footpaths. Watching the barge horses pulling barges along the River Lea; crossing over the river on the lock gates - I go cold thinking about that one. Racing up and down the hills on the islands created in the gravel works. The village shop and being relieved when Mrs Newbury retired as we were scared stiff of her; Ken was much easier to manipulate! A time of growing your own vegetables and eating your own fruit. The AA man who parked in front of the New River Arms and saluted members of AA as they drove past. Of climbing onto our gate and onto the public telephone box roof when someone was in it. The time a pony got loose and was leading a convoy of traffic along the arterial road. I lived there until I got married and felt happy, safe and part of a large village family. On a trip back to England a couple of years ago I was driven through Turnford, Cheshunt and Waltham Cross and was hard put to recognise anything. But I still have wonderful memories and thank the people I grew up among for helping to make the first 20 years of my life so happy.


Added 02 April 2007

#219076

Comments & Feedback

I was born and raised in 5 Springs Cottages, High Road, Turnford in 1957. My Dad was the boiler man for Rochfords nurseries Ken White (Chalky) my mum worked on the nurseries growing and picking Tomatoes, Cucumbers and carnations. My dad was born at that address, as his father was the Boiler man before him, I love my life there, all the nursery workers were like family. Rochfords was like a village of its own. Before they ripped all the nursery down, we used to play in the spinny at the bottom of our gardens, all day and had to be dragged in for food and at night, We were always safe as we had the the whole of rochfords workers (Family) watching over us. I am still in touch with my childhood friend from next door Diane Klimanzik, Her father was a prisoner of war and worked on the nurseries, he was most kindest, loving man i have ever met, he used to breed racing pigeons and Diane and i loved seeing all the new babies, and helping to look after the birds. They were long sunny summers, beautiful springs and snowy winters. I was very lucky to have been born and raised there. I moved in 1972 to cheshunt to a Rochfords flat.
Wow happy days, happy memories,
What a small world, caw8157, I lived at 7 Spring Cottages - my Dad was Jock Thomson and he worked with your Dad, Ken, in the boiler house and they used to take turns at being “on call”. We had alarms installed in our houses, which used to go off in the middle of the night if there was a fault with one of the boilers. They also used to drive the tractors around the nursery and my Dad also drove the lorries between the nurseries and market. We played together in the Spinney, and used to walk to school in Wormley together, along the banks of the New River. Can’t imagine kids of today doing that! I remember the November fogs - it was that thick, I remember walking into a lamp post one morning. There was another lad who lived a couple of doors away called Frank. Great memories of Rochfords, as you say, we were one big family. Remember the Christmas parties in the hall at Turnford? Remember the Polish workers who lived in the big hostel at the end of the cottages. They used to give us chocolate, but there was nothing to fear in those days. We moved to Cheshunt around 1965, but I sort of came back in 1972 when I attended East Herts College. We used to go to New River Arms for lunch, but never got thrown out for being under age. I have very fond memories of living in Spring Cottages. I‘ve driven past over the years, but obviously, a lot has changed, and sadly, the nursery has long gone.

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