Welwyn Garden City still is a very pleasant and liveable town with local employment, a good selection of shops, various local amenities and lots of greenery and public open space. It was a visionary, egalitarian utopian concept back then and I'm glad it's still ticking along just fine. Letchworth (the original model for the 'garden city') is also an OK place with an abundance of beautiful trees and open space as well as all the things you'd expect to find in a typical town. David's Bookshop is fab!
Left London a few years back and moved here and I have not regretted one bit. Best move made by a mile. Fast AC trains to London, Waitrose, JL, the greenery, space and traffic is virtually non existent compared to NW11.
Houses that will look good in 100 years... Yes, the house I grew up in (Handside Lane - lucky me !) was 100 last year and looks lovely despite many small changes I've known since the 70's.
Nabisco: Gone, Norton Abrasives: Gone, Film Studio: Long Gone, Polypenco: Gone, ICI: Gone, Rank Xerox: Gone, Smith and Nephew: Gone, Roche: Gone, Smith Kline & French: Gone. Avdel, Vulcathene, Suchard, Polycell, and hundreds of small businesses. There's virtually nothing left.
I see what your saying, but that's not quite true, as roche is still in the town... They've moved from Broadwater Road to Shire Park. And while many businesses have either moved or closed down entirely, others have moved in, Tesco being the most noticeable. Also several other smaller companies or branches of bigger companies, both in terms of management and distribution, are based in the town. So while I agree that Broadwater, the former industrial centre, is currently a bit empty, there's still a lot of trade and commerce in the town, its simply changed as industry and commerce has changed globally.
I used to work on the trains here from 1983 till 1989 and I can't fathom why they demolished the railway station main building and replaced it with that ghastly shopping centre which looks just like it would in any other town.
Across the road is the police station (not anymore) the cinema (gone before my time) it looks so weird in this old film, contrasting WGC to itself today. A shell of what it was, worth burning now.
That's right, the cop shop was opposite, next to what was the council offices. I think most towns are the same these days, most now being coffee shops, mobile phone shops and stacks of £1 shops.
The old cinema is gone is it?. I went to see the Wizard of Oz and Ben Hur there with mum and dad. The comments below suggest it is not what it was. That is not surprising, and I make a rule never to 'go back; to places of childhood happiness, especially now I walk with a cane and a smaller diminishing frame. It is not the same? Nor is England. I emigrated long ago, return to see friends and family now and then from Europe and America, and weep bitter tears for what the once lovely country has become now. I had a lovely girlfriend there by the name of Jayne Lawes from Pentley Park. I wonder what happened to her. Anyone on this site aware of her and her life? It is not simply old age that is hard, it is the tragedy of England that bites SO much more deeply.
Thanks for the comment. Wouldn't it be nice if you end up tracking down your old childhood sweetheart and catch up on old times. Sadly I think the way the world is changing is sad, and the pandemic doesn't help.
I was born in 63 and in 1968 we started going to the cinema on Saturday mornings or Saturday morning pictures..Highlight of our week! I also moved abroad and will never return..The memories of a great childhood in a great Town will be better preserved that way.
WGC is a great town .... its as good if not better than its ever been - yes its now mainly a commuter town but still alot going for it ... it has been most definitely a success ... you want to see failure ...look at Hatfield or Stevenage town centres they are awful
Welwyn Garden City still is a very pleasant and liveable town with local employment, a good selection of shops, various local amenities and lots of greenery and public open space. It was a visionary, egalitarian utopian concept back then and I'm glad it's still ticking along just fine. Letchworth (the original model for the 'garden city') is also an OK place with an abundance of beautiful trees and open space as well as all the things you'd expect to find in a typical town. David's Bookshop is fab!
Left London a few years back and moved here and I have not regretted one bit. Best move made by a mile. Fast AC trains to London, Waitrose, JL, the greenery, space and traffic is virtually non existent compared to NW11.
Houses that will look good in 100 years... Yes, the house I grew up in (Handside Lane - lucky me !) was 100 last year and looks lovely despite many small changes I've known since the 70's.
Nabisco: Gone, Norton Abrasives: Gone, Film Studio: Long Gone, Polypenco: Gone, ICI: Gone, Rank Xerox: Gone, Smith and Nephew: Gone, Roche: Gone, Smith Kline & French: Gone.
Avdel, Vulcathene, Suchard, Polycell, and hundreds of small businesses.
There's virtually nothing left.
Yup, there used to be some big names based in WGC
I see what your saying, but that's not quite true, as roche is still in the town... They've moved from Broadwater Road to Shire Park. And while many businesses have either moved or closed down entirely, others have moved in, Tesco being the most noticeable. Also several other smaller companies or branches of bigger companies, both in terms of management and distribution, are based in the town. So while I agree that Broadwater, the former industrial centre, is currently a bit empty, there's still a lot of trade and commerce in the town, its simply changed as industry and commerce has changed globally.
@@tomthornton6259
Wgc needs to be burned to the ground it's full of drugs, crime and wankers.
@@tomthornton6259 my fucking brain....gone
Moved here back in 1996 , Im in Knightsfield,hoping they wouldve shown that,but Guessens is very close to me...love watching this! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I used to work on the trains here from 1983 till 1989 and I can't fathom why they demolished the railway station main building and replaced it with that ghastly shopping centre which looks just like it would in any other town.
Across the road is the police station (not anymore) the cinema (gone before my time) it looks so weird in this old film, contrasting WGC to itself today. A shell of what it was, worth burning now.
That's right, the cop shop was opposite, next to what was the council offices. I think most towns are the same these days, most now being coffee shops, mobile phone shops and stacks of £1 shops.
The convenience of having a pub next door
Please confirm the year that this was filmed/ broadcast
I believe It was made circa 1949
The old cinema is gone is it?. I went to see the Wizard of Oz and Ben Hur there with mum and dad. The comments below suggest it is not what it was. That is not surprising, and I make a rule never to 'go back; to places of childhood happiness, especially now I walk with a cane and a smaller diminishing frame. It is not the same? Nor is England. I emigrated long ago, return to see friends and family now and then from Europe and America, and weep bitter tears for what the once lovely country has become now. I had a lovely girlfriend there by the name of Jayne Lawes from Pentley Park. I wonder what happened to her. Anyone on this site aware of her and her life? It is not simply old age that is hard, it is the tragedy of England that bites SO much more deeply.
Thanks for the comment. Wouldn't it be nice if you end up tracking down your old childhood sweetheart and catch up on old times. Sadly I think the way the world is changing is sad, and the pandemic doesn't help.
I was born in 63 and in 1968 we started going to the cinema on Saturday mornings or Saturday morning pictures..Highlight of our week!
I also moved abroad and will never return..The memories of a great childhood in a great Town will be better preserved that way.
WGC is a great town .... its as good if not better than its ever been - yes its now mainly a commuter town but still alot going for it ... it has been most definitely a success ... you want to see failure ...look at Hatfield or Stevenage town centres they are awful
#savage
This project ultimately failed
:(