The three people in the photo are, from left to right:
Joe Shepherd, a wheelwright, aged 30, living at the Fire Station in 1939, Frank Hide, a carpenter, living in Albert St, aged 22 and William “Bill” Briars, a plumber’s apprentice, living in Walkern Rd, aged 18.
My Dad bought the orchard opposite the fire station in Basils rd in 1961, He cleared the land and built a 3bedroom bungalow at the weekends. he was a well known bricklayer in Stevenage, we lived at Bedwell in a council house at the time. The older people that lived in the cottages and the fireman opposite were always so friendly and helpful. When we eventually moved into the house my mum became pregnant, we didn’t have a phone, my Dad left to go to work and my mum went into labour. I rushed over to the fireman they kept calling my Dad until they could get hold of him, I rushed to the doctors office. Eventually everyone arrived and took care of business in 1964. It was a sad day when they pulled down fire station, The house is still there and my parents lived there until they passed. Great memories always
Lovely to see the old fire station. I was born at 44 Basils rd in 1951. My next door neighbour Mr Hammond was a fireman there and around 1959 and ’60. I used to collect his dinner from his wife and cycle to the fire station to bring it to him. I loved going in the fire station. I returned there 3 weeks ago with my brother for a trip down memory lane. So sad the old fire station is gone. The firemen came to put out our chimney fires twice. My mum had been drawing the fire up with sheets of newspaper and caught it alight. I loved the sound of the old siren going off when I was a kid and used to race down the rd to watch the engines leaving. We moved to Dover in ’63 as my dad Denis Casey bought a bakery. When in Stevenage he worked at Hutchins bakery in Albert st. Stoked the post office boiler and delivered for Lines hardware shop in the afternoons. I used to go with him after school. I was in the park (the old rec) in Letchmore rd when a cow escaped when going into the slaughter house in Albert st. I hid in the corner in the bushes and watched as the cow was impaled on the railings, right near me It was horrific and we were surprised to see that the very same railing is still there now all bent and twisted over 57 years later. I love old Stevenage and the old buildings but sad to see it’s mostly eateries now. Middle Row was lovely and had great little shops. Amazed to see Deemers [Deamer’s. Ed.] still thriving. When I lived there pre New town there were so many shops. It had everything then. My mum worked part time in the International stores on the end of Walkern rd. we used to buy our sweets in Millie’s tuck shop next to the Alms houses and spent our days climbing trees in the Avenue and roller skating along Grove rd and Middle row or catching Tadpoles in Mr Eds pond outside his house in church lane. We would sit on the railway bridge waiting for the steam trains and get covered in steam from the flying Scotsman. The fair used to come to town and be all the way up the high st and in the big field past bowling green. It was lovely to visit.
I went about 12 years ago too with my mum and sister and stayed at the Cromwell hotel as a treat for my mum. She had often wondered what it was like inside as she’d walk past when she was young. Happy memories
My father, Donald Randall joined the Fire Brigade in the 1950’s and Stevenage was his first station as he lived locally. I remember going there, ring the bell on the engines, playing upstairs. I agree with Mr Charles that the planners destroyed the High Street. I remember Blundells, the department store, Hawkes shoe shop, the lovely delicatessen shop and many more.
I can confirm the Picture is 1939. The person on the Right is my father ( William “Bill” Briars ). He joined the fire service in 1939 at the age of 18.
This was at the bottom of Basils Road. We used to play in here and in the buildings nearby where the council stored the carnival floats. I remember I lost my shoe in the guttering and had to explain this to my mother! It is a shame Stevenage was destroyed by the developers/council like so many lovely English towns in the sixties.
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The three people in the photo are, from left to right:
Joe Shepherd, a wheelwright, aged 30, living at the Fire Station in 1939,
Frank Hide, a carpenter, living in Albert St, aged 22 and
William “Bill” Briars, a plumber’s apprentice, living in Walkern Rd, aged 18.
My Dad bought the orchard opposite the fire station in Basils rd in 1961, He cleared the land and built a 3bedroom bungalow at the weekends. he was a well known bricklayer in Stevenage, we lived at Bedwell in a council house at the time. The older people that lived in the cottages and the fireman opposite were always so friendly and helpful. When we eventually moved into the house my mum became pregnant, we didn’t have a phone, my Dad left to go to work and my mum went into labour. I rushed over to the fireman they kept calling my Dad until they could get hold of him, I rushed to the doctors office. Eventually everyone arrived and took care of business in 1964. It was a sad day when they pulled down fire station, The house is still there and my parents lived there until they passed. Great memories always
Lovely to see the old fire station. I was born at 44 Basils rd in 1951. My next door neighbour Mr Hammond was a fireman there and around 1959 and ’60. I used to collect his dinner from his wife and cycle to the fire station to bring it to him. I loved going in the fire station. I returned there 3 weeks ago with my brother for a trip down memory lane. So sad the old fire station is gone. The firemen came to put out our chimney fires twice. My mum had been drawing the fire up with sheets of newspaper and caught it alight. I loved the sound of the old siren going off when I was a kid and used to race down the rd to watch the engines leaving.
We moved to Dover in ’63 as my dad Denis Casey bought a bakery. When in Stevenage he worked at Hutchins bakery in Albert st. Stoked the post office boiler and delivered for Lines hardware shop in the afternoons. I used to go with him after school.
I was in the park (the old rec) in Letchmore rd when a cow escaped when going into the slaughter house in Albert st. I hid in the corner in the bushes and watched as the cow was impaled on the railings, right near me It was horrific and we were surprised to see that the very same railing is still there now all bent and twisted over 57 years later. I love old Stevenage and the old buildings but sad to see it’s mostly eateries now. Middle Row was lovely and had great little shops. Amazed to see Deemers [Deamer’s. Ed.] still thriving. When I lived there pre New town there were so many shops. It had everything then. My mum worked part time in the International stores on the end of Walkern rd. we used to buy our sweets in Millie’s tuck shop next to the Alms houses and spent our days climbing trees in the Avenue and roller skating along Grove rd and Middle row or catching Tadpoles in Mr Eds pond outside his house in church lane. We would sit on the railway bridge waiting for the steam trains and get covered in steam from the flying Scotsman. The fair used to come to town and be all the way up the high st and in the big field past bowling green. It was lovely to visit.
I went about 12 years ago too with my mum and sister and stayed at the Cromwell hotel as a treat for my mum. She had often wondered what it was like inside as she’d walk past when she was young. Happy memories
I remember the Fire Station in Basil’s Road when I lived Basil Rd in 1941 till 1954
My father, Donald Randall joined the Fire Brigade in the 1950’s and Stevenage was his first station as he lived locally. I remember going there, ring the bell on the engines, playing upstairs. I agree with Mr Charles that the planners destroyed the High Street. I remember Blundells, the department store, Hawkes shoe shop, the lovely delicatessen shop and many more.
I can confirm the Picture is 1939. The person on the Right is my father ( William “Bill” Briars ). He joined the fire service in 1939 at the age of 18.
This was at the bottom of Basils Road. We used to play in here and in the buildings nearby where the council stored the carnival floats. I remember I lost my shoe in the guttering and had to explain this to my mother! It is a shame Stevenage was destroyed by the developers/council like so many lovely English towns in the sixties.