Excitement on Arrival

Jackie Merricks

34 Boundary Lane, Welwyn Garden City. The block of houses on Boundary Lane under construction that we moved into - 1954.

My Mother Gladys May Humphrey and my father Donald Campbelll Lyness married 4th September 1939 in St Annes Tottenham.  They both worked for Standard Telephones Dad on night work and Mum on days at the same desk (that’s how they met). They lived at Waltham Cross and then they bought 50 Clarendon Road Cheshunt for £800 with a sitting tenant – Mrs Sitch.

Dad then worked for De Havilands, Stag Lane and then De Havilands NP2 Hatfield. De Havilands got our family a council house 34 Boundary Lane Welwyn Garden City in 1955.

Mum and Dad were great cyclists – Dad used to race and all holidays involved bikes and youth hostels.

That was before my sister Wendy and I came along. He always biked to work. The tandem that they rode was called Daisy! Weekends we were always out on our bikes unless it was pouring.

I was born 12th Sept 1940 and Wendy 2nd Oct 1947. 34 Boundary Lane was a very happy home and we had lots of cats from Blackie to Tootsie and lots in between.

Mum loved her garden and spent all her time out there – it was beautiful full of colour. You could see how much work went into it.

Dad bought a big old rover in 1957.

I went to Burleigh School Cheshunt and then Cheshunt Grammar. Wendy went to Gews Corner school in Cheshunt and then Pear tree school Welwyn Garden City.

Mum’s Mother and Father – Nan and Grandad lived in Parkstone. Poole – we went there for a holiday every summer and possibly Easter as well. Used to spend all day at Sandbanks and in the evening we played cards. Happy times.

Mum went to Rolls Royce on the De Havilland site when Wendy went to school. I went to De Havilands NP2 to work when I was 17.

Mum Dad and Wendy stayed at 34 Boundary Lane after I left to get married in 1961.Wendy left to go and live in Australia in 1977.  Dad died at 34 Boundary Lane in 1986.  Mum stayed there till she was not capable of living alone and I moved her to a nice home – Guysfield in Willian – she eventually died in 2006 in Stevenage Lister Hospital.

This page was added on 27/06/2017.

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  • I remember this family with such wonderful memories.
    I lost contact with Wendy in the late 1970s

    By Mary (15/01/2021)