The Croxley Green History Project is recording the memories of long-time Croxley Green residents to capture how life in the village has evolved over the decades. Here, we feature some of the memories already recorded:
Second World War
“I remember tanks going down Watford Road and the way the treads of the tanks damaged the surface of the road. I remember the blackout and one of the bombs falling because that blew our front door off the hinges!
“We tended to live in one room because it was easier to keep it heated. There was a bed under the stairs, and we used to sleep in there to be safe.
“I remember the convoys going through during the war. And the Americans coming through going to Bovingdon and us saying “Have you got any gum chum?”.”
Prince Phillip
“It must have been just after the Coronation, and we heard that the royal car was coming through. My mum and dad took me down, and we were outside the Post Office.
“And they came along, and Prince Phillip had got a big grey topper hat on, and he looked gorgeous.
“I was so excited as a 10-year-old – I had never seen a top hat before – and they drove past in their open top car.”
Working at the Mill
“The Mill stretched from Croxley Moor to where Morrison’s is now. The machines ran non-stop, for 24 hours. When I was a boy, the coal and pulp would come up by barge on the canal.
“As a boy of 15, when I started at the Mill, I couldn’t believe how vast the machines were. I started as a sample boy, then moved on to labelling and from there to packing, and then at 18 I worked on the guillotine.”
If you would like to participate please email croxleyhistory@gmail.com or visit their website.
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