Refreshing "The Road through Harpenden"

The Road through Harpenden

This site has been running since 2001 and my attention was recently drawn to some pages which were last updated years ago relating to talks I gave to various societies, and the arrangements for me giving talks. Many of these talks contain valuable information which is hard to find and need to be properly integrated with more recent postings.

I have started restructuring the pages relating to publications and talks -and to begin I have looked through the talk I gave in 2002 and 2004 under the title "The Road Through Harpenden" which contains interesting information on early maps, turnpike roads, stage coaches and cycling - together with a number of old news stories from the Herts Advertiser. Some more links need to be made - and several other talks need similar reformatting.

Rural Relaxation - Collared Dove for Lunch!

The dove saw the hawk as a threat

But its plans to escape were upset

When a window it hit

So I wrote this obit

And the hawk ate a feathered bagette

This morning I was interrupted by a large thump on our sitting room window, and I realized at once that a bird must have flown into it at speed. However I wasn't the first to get to the Collared Dove ...which had almost certainly flown into the window trying to escape from the Sparrow Hawk! [Another picture]

OK this was rural life coming into my garden - but I still try and get a rural walk or two each week, with pictures, but recently I haven't had the time to go through them to select the best for the blog.

Vi-Cocoa - made by Dr Tibble at his factory at Callowland, North Watford

Old News

In about 1899 or 1900 Dr. Tibbles opened a factory at Callow Farm, North Watford, to make that "wonderful" chocolate drink Vi-Cocoa (see advert) and other chocolate products. Unfortunately it burnt down in 1903.

More Information

The Vanishing of Old St. Albans

Old News

St Albans

We are not the first to worry about our heritage buildings being demolished. When Frederick James Worsell's shop was sold to Boots, the chemists, in 1899, F. G. Kitton, the artist who produced the above drawing, wrote a long piece urging the people of St Albans to sign a petition asking for the building's features to be preserved.

Full Newspaper article and further information

Congratulations to Dr Janet Woodall of Walkern

The Hertfordshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England has presented Janet Woodall with the Peterkin Award for her immense contribution to village life. She transformed the village journal, founded the Walkern History Society and made Walkern immeasurably more lively, neighbour- and neighbourhood-conscious.

WW1 Tapestry from Napsbury at St Albans Museum

Just a quick note to warn you that the excellent WW1 Exhibition at St Albans Museum  "Keep the Home Fires Burning" finishes on 14th November. There is still time to see this wonderful tapestry of military badges made by soldiers in Napsbury Military Hospital and also the Memorial Window from the Folly Chapel at Wheathampstead.

A link between Thomas Edison and Hertfordshire

As a young man John Verity spent some time around 1880 in America working with Thomas Edison (whose first light bulb patent is dated 1880). He returned to England and his efforts culminated in the great display of incandescent lighting at the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1882.   In conjunction with Sir James Pended and Sir George Elliot, he founded the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company. As chairman of Verity's (Limited) he was a large employer of labour in Birmingham and Manchester. 

In 1897 he made Sandridgebury, Sandridge, his country home and married the daughter of a London banker, Henry Lubbock, of Newberries, Aldenham, Herts. Later the same year he also hosted a meet of the Hertfordshire Hounds at Sandridgebury. However he only lived in Hertfordshire for a short time - perhaps after becoming High Sheriff for the County of London, and died in 1905.

More Information about John Verity

A Hertfordshire Hounds "Calendar" from 1897

The Hertfordshire Hounds will meet on ... ...

Hunting

Trudi has provided this most interesting Hertfordshire Hounds "Calendar" where, instead of turning over the pages the owner would get a regular postcard from the hunt kennels which were just north of Harpenden. The card was then slide in from the side to appear in the central window. In this case the card was sent to John Verity of Sandridgebury.

I would be most interested to hear of other similar Victorian "post card calendars" - particularly if linked to Hertfordshire.

Hitch Bricks at Ware Museum

Some Hitch Bricks

Further to my earlier posting about the distinctive bricks made by Caleb Hitch of Ware, Helen has written to say that her grandfather and great grandfather worked with and subsequently bought out Hitch's building firm. In addition Ware Museum has a permanent display on Hitch bricks in the museum with information concerning the Hitch family, as well as the connection between malting and brickmaking. The museum is open from 11am to 4pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and 2-4 on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. 

WW1 Exhibition at Ware Museum

B.T.W. Ware Museum currently has a WW1 exhibition (until January 14th) and will be open for a Dickensian Evening, which is on the 5th December, from about 7pm until 9.30ish.

Genealogy plans for Rest of 2014

We are all getting older and need to plan for the future and there have been some family discussions about the current situation and how a smooth transition might be made as old age takes its toll. I am well aware that some years ago a well-known local historian died, having collected (and in some cases borrowed) many important historical documents, and the local history society only learnt of his death on the second day of the bonfire! In addition infirmity might force a dramatic down-sizing if, for example, a move to a nursing home becomes necessary.  It would be difficult, if I died tomorrow for anyone to quickly identify material that should end up in a records office, through to items which are best treated as waste paper.

The current thinking - as far as the house is concerned - is to add a downstairs bedroom with en-suite facilities - which means clearing the garage - and so the first priority is a massive assault on the clutter that fills the garage and other areas of the house. This is just starting and will mean less time for working on genealogy-related tasks. The rest of the plan ... ... ...

For readers of this Newsletter, and users of the main web site, the chief effect will be that I spend less time posting new information on the main site. There may be more news style "quickies" on the Newsletter - but only if people keep me informed of forth coming events, publications, etc. In view of the bitterly disappointing donation rate when I answer "Ask Chris" questions (see the Webmaster's report) I may consider cutting this facility out altogether. On occasions I have spent five or more hours preparing an answer and don't even get a "Thank You" message for finding an extra generation or two! On the other hand the downsizing will almost certainly mean streamlining my library - and selling off duplicate and otherwise unwanted Hertfordshire material on ebay ... When I do I will put a note in the newsletter