Pinner 1939 and Harpenden 1945-1948
This film starts with scenes at the Pinner house and garden including a visit from John’s sister Florence. This part of the film ends in May 1939 when the family moves to Maybury, Wheathampstead Road, Harpenden.
The film resumes after the war in the summer of 1945 (3:56). It introduces John and Doris’ two new children Peter (walking!) and Christine as a tiny baby in the back garden then Sheila and Jean in kilts emerge from the Dining Room door. It skips to Winter 1946-47 (4:52 – 6:17) with scenes showing fun with frost, snow and ice. After the snow melts it shows Peter wielding a fork, and pushing a wheelbarrow. The remainder of the film shows idyllic summer scenes in the garden – camping, picnicking and feeding the chickens. Uncle Joe appears In the last scene where we’re fooling around on bikes while Doris demonstrates good tennis strokes against the garage doors.
The scenes from [10:01- 10:50] show a baby (Christine ~6 months) and (Peter ~ 20 months) probably from Spring 1946. We believe that this section of film should appear before the snow scenes.
Some photos from 1942
Holiday in Lancing 1947
This was the first family holiday since 1939: we stayed in a self-catering house in Lancing, Sussex. We established the practice of having a picnic to break the journey. Doris’ sausage tarts were very popular with all of the family.
Jean learned to swim after having managed to float at a Guide camp in Mundesley earlier that summer; and Sheila soon followed.
The main actors
Click on any image to see an enlargement
During the war, the Lanchester was ‘laid up’ (in the garage)
Gran and Grandad were bombed out at Old Glanthams in 1940 and Gran stayed at Maybury for a while.
Grandma and Pat were also bombed out; Grandma came to stay at Maybury for a while.
In September 1942, Jean started at St Albans High School. Sheila followed a year later.
On the evening of June 15th, 1944 a Doodlebug landed about 1/4 mile away. Later that night (June 16th) Peter was born.
Throughout the war, John travelled daily by train to E Smith and Co in Gray’s Inn.
The war in Europe ended on May 8th 1945.
30th August 1945 Christine was born while Jean and Sheila were at Bentley Lodge with Gran and Grandad.
Big Freeze of 1947. St Albans High School was closed during the spring term due to lack of fuel
