South Oxhey fifty years ago

Mrs Caldwell and Mr Griffin both moved into their brand new homes in Hayling Road South Oxhey in 1947

Here Mrs Caldwell answers all our questions on what it was like to live in Oxhey , fifty years ago……

 Where did you live before you moved into Hayling Road?

I was evacuated with my eldest daughter , Valerie when she was nearly a year old, to Bolton in Lancashire. Then my husband was called up for the war . We moved quite a lot in those days , we moved four times in a short while because of all the bombs and blasts . We moved from Shepherds Bush to a tenement in Paddington and then was offered the house in Hayling Road.

How did you sign up for your new home?

We went to view the house , well I say we, but my husband was at work so I accepted the house on our behalf. When we went to sign, up the coalman was there to arrange delivery. Before coal had been rationed and we had to take a perambulator to the coal depot to pick up our sacks of coal. The company was Wallis Spines of Watford Junction.

 We were invited to the opening ceremony and were handed our keys by Cllr Alan. She was such a nice lady and very helpful.

What were the roads like?

We moved in when the builders were working. There were no roads then. I was told that the road workers were Italian prisoners of war, but I don’t know how true that was. Hayling Road was the first road to be officially opened. gradually we bought small electric fires for each room.

Did you have electricity? If so what electrical appliances did you have when you first moved into your home?

Yes we had electricity . We had plenty of plug sockets , one in each bedroom and the living room, one for the cooker and two others in the kitchen. I did not have  a fridge we had a larder in those days, but I did have an electric iron and an electric radiogramme.

Did you have a car and a television?

Oh no , hardly anyone had a car or television. I worked at the Little First School to earn enough money to buy a television. We finally bought one in 1953. In 1952 we went to London to my sisters house to see the Coronation on the television as we did not have one yet.