A 1940's Eastside Memory
Playing in the Back Field
Lavinia, who contributed this memory, came to live in WGC in 1939, part of a family of four, initially in Broadwater Road. Her grandfather was already living in the town and in a letter to his sister in Australia said “they have allocated me a house in Welwyn Garden City - a BIG house in a little garden – I wanted a little house in a BIG garden”!
The family had moved from London and they “loved WGC because we had a lavatory indoors and we had running water – I should say that my mother enjoyed it more – I didn’t really appreciate the difference – but in London we had no running water and we had gas light and we had a lavatory out on the landing which we shared with the next door neighbour – amazing – Mum paid more rent for that flat in London than she did when she was allocated a house in WGC”.
In the audio clip Lavinia describes playing in the Back Field near Edgars Court. The extract came from an interview recorded by the Welwyn Garden Heritage Trust.
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We moved to WGC in 1947 lived in Bythe Mount near 20th mile bridge.
My father worked on the railway and was on call 24/7.
I went to Parkway school where as most other children my age went to Peartree. I went on to Handside school and finally the new Howard school.
We moved to Birds Close around 1953.
Met my wife Annemarie at The Welwyn Theatre in 1958 getting married in 1960.
Lived in WGC until 1968. Eventually emigrated to Australia.
I lived in Edgar Court and there was a field at the back the lad that lived next door was called Henry Baker – often wonder what happened to him?
I lived in edgars court in the 60s can’t remember the backfield just a green in centre of houses