X941/1/28

Memoirs of Derek J.Oliver – ‘Some memories of living in the Ashburnham – Dallow Road district of Luton during the 1920s and 1930s’.

1996 - 1997

From: 1996 To: 1997

Includes: - Schools [pg.1-4], including York House School (private), Dunstable Road School, Dunstable School and their curriculum, uniforms, sports facilities and teachers. - [pg.5]Occupants of Ashburnham Road: Mr Cotchin, Liberal Agent for Luton; Arthur Mander, Head teacher of Beech Hill School; Miss Staddon, schoolteacher; Arthur Nicholls, worked at Balmforths; Godfrey Laws; Fischers; Warwicks; Joe Weedon, hatter; Percy Stone, Manager at Davis Gas Stove Co. Limited; Mr Grant; Percy Pates, dentist; Bernard Stratton, who emigrated to Canada; Askews; Ridges; Slaters; Pearsons; Irene Coles; David Shackman. - [pg 6 - 7] Occupants of Ashburnham Road: Hawkins, hat manufacturer; Charlie Thompson, Haulage contractor; Vic Newham; Attwoods; Arthur Ealing, headmaster, with sons Ron Ealing and Alec Ealing; Sylvester; Spivey; Stillwell; Ron Crain; Bert Silsbey, blocker, daughters Edie Silsbey, Elsie Silsbey, Doll Silsbey, Nora Silsbey; Ashley Overhill, blockmaker, Ron Overhill; Aubrey Cain; Jim Heley, blocker; Clara Heley; Claude Heley; Mrs Rains; Ameys; Sally Robertson, Jack Robertson. - [pg.7] Sunday School at Wellington Street Baptist Church; - [pg.7] occupants of Brantwood Road include Doris Irons & Joan Ridge; Lyndhurst Road – Geoff Breed; Malvern Road – Alf Firmin, Connie Bavister; Butlin Road – Lionel Brand & family. - [pg.7] shops in Dallow Road - [pg.7-8] public transport - [pg.8] Scottish colony between Dallow Road and the railway line; Thomas Oakley at Maple Road; grocery shopping at Mr Tuffnells in Dallow Road; playing games in the street. - [pg.9] Go karting, ice skating, sledging, exploring countryside, boy scouts, Guy Fawkes night, Bernard Stratton. - [pg.10] people walking to work; Palace Cinema in Mill Street; Empire in Bury Park; other Luton cinemas - [pg 10 – 11] Politics in Luton - [pg.11] standards of living and poverty, clothing, fuel, housing. - [pg.12] Meccano - [pg.13] cars; Thomas Oakley Scrap Merchants - [pg.14] employment in Luton; wages at Laporte Limited; inflation; Pages 17 – 23 Employment at Laporte, including; - [pg.17] Chamber of Commerce inducements & New Industry Committee; employment of women in hat industry; surplus of male labour. - [pg.18] employment of W.C.Oliver at T.Balmforth, general engineers and boiler makers; explosion at Thermo Electric Company at Kingsway site in 1919; - [pg.18-19] Laporte in the early 1930s; layout of site at Kingsway, Luton; staff housing; - [pg. 20- 21] Anti – semitism in Luton before the war. - [pg.21 – 26] reminiscences about Laporte staff: Harry Arnold; L.P.O’Brien; John Sutherland; R.B.Craig; Bill Piggott; Isaac Ephraim Weber; Robert Durler; Horace Alcock; Jim Harnaman; Bob Howard; Tom Anness; Syd Piggott; Joe Bunnage; Claude Castle; Ralph Champkins; A. Muckleston; P.D.O’Brien; Geoffrey Hickson; John Harvey; Bill Woodhall; David Cutler. - [pg.25] Opening of Luton plant May 1933 by Leslie Burgin - [pg.25 Research team: A.N.C.Bennett, I.E.Weber, Vic Slater, W.S.Wood; Len Balchin, Ray Wiggington, Derek Oliver, Douglas Wait, Douglas Morris, Douglas Ward.

26 pages

item

Oliver, Derek John,
Cotchin,
Mander, Arthur,
Staddon,
Nicholls, Arthur,
Laws, Godfrey,
Fischer,
Warwick,
Weedon, Joseph,
Stone, Percy,
Davis Gas Stove Co Ltd,
Grant,
Pates, Percy,
Stratton, Bernard,
Askew,
Ridge,
Slater,
Pearson,
Coles, Irene,
Shackman, David,
Hawkins,
Thompson, Charlie,
Newham, Victor,
Attwood,
Ealing, Arthur,
Ealing, Ronald,
Ealing, Alec,
Sylvester,
Spivey,
Stillwell,
Crain, Ron,
Silsbey, Bert,
Silsbey, Edie,
Silsbey, Elsie,
Silsbey, Doll,
Silsbey, Nora,
Overhill, Ashley,
Overhill, Ron,
Cain, Aubrey,
Heley, Jim,
Heley, Clara,
Rains,
Amey,
Robertson, Sally,
Robertson, Jack,
Irons, Doris,
Ridge, Joan,
Breed, Geoffrey,
Firmin, Alf,
Brand, Lionel,
Bavister, Connie,
Oakley, Thomas,
Tuffnell,
Oliver, William Ewart,
Balmforth, T., & Company Limited,
Arnold, Harry,
O'Brien, L.P.,
Sutherland, John,
Craig, R.B.,
Piggott, Bill,
Weber, Isaac Ephraim,
Durler, Robert,
Alcock, Horace,
Harnaman, Jim,
Howard, Bob,
Anness, Tom,
Piggott, Syd,
Bunnage, Joe,
Castle, Claude P.,
Champkins, Ralph,
Muckleston, A.,
O'Brien, P.D.,
Hickson, Geoffrey,
Harvey, John,
Woodhall, Bill,
Cutler, David,
Burgin, Leslie,
Bennett, A.N.C.,
Wood, W.S.,
Balchin, Len,
Wiggington, Ray,
Wait, Douglas,
Morris, Douglas,
Ward, Douglas

LUTON, Luton Dallow Road, Luton Ashburnham Road, Luton Dunstable Road, Luton Brantwood Road, Luton Lyndhurst Road, Luton Malvern Road, Luton Kingsway, Luton Maple Road, Luton Butlin Road, Canada, Luton Wellington Street, Luton Bury Park, Luton Mill Street, EDUCATION, Luton state schools, curriculum, sports, teacher, York House School, Liberal Party, head teachers, Beech Hill Senior Boys School, Davis Gas Stove Co Ltd, dentists, emigration, hat manufacturer, haulage contractor, blocker, blockmaker, Sunday Schools, Baptist chapels, shops, public transport, Scots, MIGRATION, grocer, games, skating, shopping, Guy Fawkes, cinema, Luton Empire Cinema, Luton Palace Cinema, POLITICS, POVERTY, clothing, fuel, HOUSING, scrap merchant, Laporte Limited, wages/conditions, T. & Company Limited Balmforth, JEWS