Highfield Items | HISTORY OF A CHILD IN CARE

NCH PRINTING WORKS

The printing works at Highfield Oval gave a good start for a few boys when they left the Home. Highfield provided the NCH with most of its stationery and also produced many of the fund raising items that were sold to the public. The colour work that was produced at Highfield was always of a high quality. Any boy who was colourblind would soon be found out. In later years the Sunny Smiles books of childrens photographs were also printed at Highfield for fund rasing. Click on an image to enlarge.

THE ORIGINAL PRINTING WORKS

This was at the Bonner Road branch in London. When the Harpenden branch opened, this was transfered to this new larger site.

At the back of the printing works

For those of us who wanderd slightly out of the grounds, an long disused railway cutting was a place of quiet play. This was the remains of the original Hemel Hempsted and Harpenden line. At Harpenden, the branch diverges at Harpenden junction, half a mile north of the station, and turns sharply away westward through a deep cutting. At the end of this curve next to the Children�s Home and printing works, there is the site of the old spur facing towards Luton. Crossing the Luton road by a high and massive brick-arch bridge, the line now climbs a half mile at a 1 in 37 gradient up to Roundwood Halt, which, of more recent origin than the other halts, serves a residential quarter on the outskirts of Harpenden.

The Nicky Line at Harpenden or Our NCH Line

The Nicky Line ran from Hemel Hempstead to Harpenden, and was a branch line of the Midland Railway. 1877-1979. At one side of the Home there is an earlier disused cutting, this would have allowed trains to enter the line from the Bedford side rather than just the Harpenden side. Opened in 1877, and approximately eight and a half miles long, it had two main stations in Hemel Hempstead and Redbourn. Originally it was built to link the straw plait trade in Hemel Hempstead to the hat trade of Luton. Over the years the number of passengers and commercial traffic declined, due to the fact that the straw plait trade had long died out and new industries were using road transport. The last passenger train ran on 19 June 1947. In 1968 the line was sold to the Hemelite Company, who used it to transport ash from power stations to Cupid Green for the manufacture of building blocks. By 1979 all traffic had ceased and the railway line was completely closed down. In more recent years it has become a walk way and cycle track. Why is it called the Nicky Line? A number of reasons have been put forward, but no-one has ever really been able to say their answer is right.Why was it known locally as the Nicky Line? Several theories are put forward, from - it was named after the knickerbockers worn by the navvies who built the line to - it was taken from the parish of St. Nicholas in Harpenden. Odd items about the Nickey Line There is a tale of three children hit by a train one night, haunts the line, and some believe they have seen footsteps in freshly laid snow, these footsteps have no start and come to a complete stop where the incident was supposed to have taken place. It may have been a little tale to keep the children off of it. The book The Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead Railway � The Nickey Line by Sue an Geoff Woodward possibly gives the best history of Our Railway line. Problems arose in this area in the latter days of BR working, when children often tampered with the fireman's call plunger, leaving the signalman in doubt as to the arrival of a train. To overcome this train crews would telephone the signalman from Redbourn, giving an expected arrival time at the junction, but this was sometimes thwarted by the theft of telephone wires (I don't know what we wanted them for). The only solution was for the train to stop at the signal, next to the Children�s Home, whistle loudly and hope to be heard. If the signal went up the driver would proceed, but if not, the fireman had to walk from Ambrose Lane bridge by the Children's Home to the junction to inform the signalman of their presence. To avoid this walk trains sometimes crept round the corner against the signal. As an experiment in providing low cost rail transport. The Nicky Line was used to try out a new form of rail-car.

The Calendar 1941

THE BEAUTY THAT IS ENGLAND - THE WORK OF JOHN BUCHANAN The illuminated borders of this Calendar are the work of Mr. John Buchanan, a crippled artist without hands, and one of the twenty-five thousand the National Children's Home and Orphanage has been privileged to help. As well as providing the artwork for the NCH calendars and other items, Mr.Buchanan, undertook commissions for original designs, illuminations, presentation addresses, book-plates, and the like. The Calendar was printed at the Home's Technical School for the training of craftsmen. Any profits it secures will be used to help the family of nearly four thousand boys and girls now in the thirty Branches of the National Children's Home.

Highfield Cubs - 7th Harpenden On Open Day

Burt and Bruno in fairly new uniforms.
The Uniform of a Cub was passed down to a younger cub when a member went into the Scouts, in the mid 1960s my uniform had seen may previous owners. 7th Harpenden was so different to all the other local packs, the uniforms we wore had become obsolete many years before.

List of the Convocation lectures that were printed at Harpenden

The Worlds Largest Jig-Saw

An NCH publication "Many Pieces One Aim", a practitioner approach to the multidisciplinary concerns of an international voluntary child care organisation, published in 1975. It was printed at NCH Harpenden and bound by Campfield Press, St Albans. Which branch was this taken at? Was Harpenden used to construct the worlds largest Jig Saw of 1000 pieces with the aim of 1000 organisations each raising a £1000 to complete the Jig saw and raise £1 million for NCH? It was a most novel fund raising idea and brings back happy memories. Was this achievement included in the Guinness Book of World Records?

======================================
======================================

August 1960 Ghanans Visit NCH

Members of the Ghana Child Care Society visit Highfield
Philip Carlis Patittoo, Mrs Hessos Evans-Lutterodt, Mrs Philis De Graft Hayford and Mrs Margaret A Quaye visit Highfield and see the children of the branch Noel Brown and Tommy Johnson with their bow and arrows together with another boy from Flat 1, Mr Roycroft (Big Boss man at the Home) (far left) is overseeing the meeting.

NCH High Quality Work & Training

The printing department at Harpenden was always proud of its high quality colour work. Boys who were trained at Harpenden, found it easy to get work in other printers, due to the knowledge that worked produced at Harpened was second to none when compared to work from printers outside the Home. At Harpenden, I was always please to see a large pile of rejected printing, as it meant plenty of scrap paper to draw on. Philip As well as the NCH, Dr. Barnardo''s also had a printing works, but it appeared that their lads were not as skilled as the NCH workforce, and at times Barnado''s work was not as accurate in colour registration as one would have hoped. They could have always claimed this was an early experiment to see if they could do "Three Dimentional" cards, for use with red and green lenses to look through.

The Highfield Day Diary

The diary for the events that were to happen the following month, with items added showing if events went well.

June 1965

Calendar for June 1965

Tues 1 Ministry of health (Growth Study Team)
Wed 2 8pm Meeting of Harpenden Branch Committee (Mr. W.J. Thomas, FCA)
Thurs 3 Visitors: Party from Women�s Fellowship, St Paul�s Methodist church, Stevenage
Fri 4 Schools close for half-term holiday
Sat 5 Highfield Cricket Club v Skefko (H)
Sun 6 Whit Sunday 11am service � Preacher: Rev. G.E. Barritt, M.A. Service of Holy Communion to follow
Mon 7 Founders� day: Lunch, 12:30pm; tea, 4:30pm Founders� day service, 5:30pm
Tues 8
Wed 9
Thurs 10
Fri 11
Sat 12 Methodist recorder garden party at Highfield � cancelled
Sun 11 11am Service � preacher: Rev. Percy D. Beckwith, Chairman of London NE District
Mon 14 Children return to school (except St, Nicholas� children)
Tues 15 St. Nicholas� children return to school
Wed 16 Visitors: Party of senior children from Beaumont School, St Albans
Thurs 17 Convocation commences (at Swanwick)
Fri 18
Sat 19
Sun 20 11am Service � Preacher: Rev. W Motson
Mon 21 Convocation ends
Tues 22
Wed 23
Thurs 24
Fri 25
Sat 26 Open day
Sun 27 11am Service � Preacher: Mr DJ Saunders
Mon 28
Tues 29
Wed 30 District School sports at Highfield, children at home all day.
Hand written note by Mr Roycroft (Gov).
Pavilion went up in flames, put out by Fire Brigade

July 1965

Calendar for July, 1965

Thurs 1
Fri 2
Sat 3 2:30pm District Brownie Revels to be held at Highfield
Sun 4 11am Service � Preacher: Mr AB Wells
Mon 5 5:30pm Highfield sports (juniors)
Tue 6 5:30pm Highfield sport (seniors)
Wed 7 Visitors: Party from Hanwell Methodist Women�s meeting
Thurs 8
Fri 9 Roundwood Park Secondary School closed for the day
Sat 10 3:15pm Party of children to Shillington Women�s Institute Jubilee Party
Sun 11 8am Service of Holy Communion, conducted by Rev ER Richardson, 11am Service � Preacher: Mr. C Drew
Mon 12
Tues 13 Visitors: Party from Hertford Methodist Women�s Fellowship, 7 to 8pm Batford Infants� Open Evening
Wed 14
Thurs 15 Visitors: Party from Slough Central Hall Women�s Meeting, Batford Infants� School closed for the day
Fri 16 Nursery School outing to Whipsnade, Harpenden Schools closed for the day
Sat 17 1:30pm Party of children to Whipsnade
Sun 18 11am Service � Preacher: Rev. ER Richardson, 2:30pm Sunday School promotion service
Mon 19 Growth study
Tues 20 Growth study
Wed 21 Manland Primary School sports, Visitors: Party from Bushey and Oxhey Methodist Church
Thurs 22 6:30pm Valedictory service
Fri 23 Schools close for the summer holiday
Sat 24
Sun 25
Mon 26
Tues 27
Wed 28
Thurs 29
Fri 30
Sat 31

August 1965

Children on holiday : parents, relatives, friends, small family groups in North Devon, Broadstone, Glouster, Jerring, Maundesley, Lymington, scouts to Guernsey, boy, girl to Italy, boy, girl to Guernsey

September 1965

Wed 1
Thurs 2 Scouts return from camp
Fri 3
Sat 4
Sun 5
Mon 6 Harpenden schools reopen
Tues 7 St Luke�s school reopens
Wed 8 Visitors: Party from Neighbours� Bright Hour, Northolt
Thurs 9
Fri 10
Sat 11
Sun 12 11am Service � Preacher: Mr KE Phipps
Mon 13 Growth study
Tues 14 Growth study
Wed 15
Thurs 16
Fri 17
Sat 18
Sun 19 11am Service � Preacher: Rev. KV Jones, MA, BD
Mon 20
Tues 21
Wed 22 8pm Branch Committee (Rev. JW Waterhouse OBE, MA, BD)
Thurs 23 Home Office visited the home for the August inspection, found everything as usual � excellent
Fri 24
St 25 Bletchley Brownies to visit Highfield
Sun 26 11am Service � Preacher Miss M Musselwhite of the MAYC
Mon 27
Tues 28
Wed 29
Thurs 30

October 1965

Calendar for October 1965

Fri 1
Sat 2 London North-West District M.A.Y.C. Five-a-side football and netball
Sun 3 Harvest Festival 11am Service � Preacher: Mr. F. Agar
6pm Service of Praise
Mon 4 Ministry of Health Doctors (Growth Study Team)
Tue 5 Ministry of Health Doctors (Growth Study Team)
Visitors: Party of students from Phillipa Fawcett College
Wed 6
Thurs 7
Fri 8 10:30 to 12:30 � Mass Radiography Unit to visit Highfield
Men 34
Women 111
145 � nil return for investigation
Sat 9 Choir to Luton Industrial Mission Anniversary
Sun 10 11am service � Preacher: Rev. Dr TF Glassson
Mon 11 8pm at the Public Hall, �Ruddiigore� by Gilbert and Sullivan Harpenden Light Operatic Society
Tue 12 8pm at the Public Hall, �Ruddiigore� by Gilbert and Sullivan Harpenden Light Operatic Society
Wed 13
Thurs 14
Fri 15
Sat 16
Sun 17 8am service of Holy Communion � Rev ER Richardson
11am service � Preacher: Rev John Ducker, B.D.
Mon 18
Tue 19 8am High Street Methodist Church � visit of Miss Pauline Webb, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference
Wed 20 Staff Training College course commences
Thurs 21
Fri 22
Sat 23 Group of children to sing at Muswell Hill Methodist Church
Sun 24 11am service � Preacher: Mr H Crouch
Mon 25 Half term holiday for Harpenden schools, Monday to Friday inclusive.
Ministry of Health Doctors (Growth Study Team)
Tues 26 Ministry of Health Doctors (Growth Study Team)
Wed 27
Thurs 28
Fri 29
Sat 30 Wedding of Miss Ann King and Mr Robert Sneddon
Sun 31 11am Service � Preacher Mr H Smith

November 1965

Calendar for November 1965

Mon 1 Harpenden Schools reopen after half-term holiday
Tues 2
Wed 3
Thurs 4 Local fire brigade practice on our grounds
Fri 5 6pm Guy Fawkes bonfire on Lords
Sat 6 Children to Young People�s Fellowship party, Shillington
6pm Cubs� District camp fire
Sun 7 11am service Preacher: Rev GE Barritt, MA Service of Holy Communion to follow
Mon 8
Tues 9 Manland Secondary School Christmas Fair
Wed 10
Thurs 11
Fri 12
Sat 13 Circuit Rally: Rev Derrick A Greeves MA, High Street Methodist Church
Sun 14 11am Service Preacher: Rev. A Kingsley Turner MA, Chairman of the District
Mon 15 Visitors � party from London School of Economics
Tues 16 RCCA Regional Day Conference at Bury St Edmunds
Wed 17
Thurs 18
Fri 19 Visitors � party from Brentford Secondary Modern School
Sat 20
Sun 21 11am Service Preacher: Rev Harold Walker
Mon 22
Tues 23
Wed 24
Thurs 25 RCCA Annual General Meeting at Knebworth
Fri 26
Sat 27 children to a party at Marconi�s St Albans
Sun 28 11am Service preacher: Rev ER Richardson
Mon 29
Tues 30

December 1965

Calendar for December 1965

Wed 1 8pm Meeting of Harpenden Branch Committee
(Mr DG Cracknell, LLB)
Thurs 2
Fri 3
Sat 4
Sun 5 11am Service � Preacher: Rev Roger F Ducker MA
Mon 6 Ministry of Health Doctors (Growth Study Team)
Tues 7 Ministry of health Doctors (Growth Study Team)
Wed 8 Manland Secondary School Prize Distribution (time to follow)
Thurs 9
Fri 10 6:30pm Roundwood Park Secondary School Christmas Fair and
Concert
Sat 11 Children to Westminster Theatre and index Christmas party,
Dunstable Highfield Social Club Christmas party
Sun 12 11am Service � Preacher: Mr HA Higgins
Mon 13
Tues 14 7pm Manland Primary School Christmas concert
Wed 15 6:30 to 8pm Roundwood Park Primary School Open Evening
7pm Manland Primary School Christmas Concert
Thurs 16 7pm St Nicholas School Christmas concert
7pm Batford Junior School Christmas concert
Fri 17 7pm St Nicholas School Christmas concert
7pm Batford Junior School Christmas Concert
Sat 18 Children to Enfield County School Christmas party
7pm in Chapel � carols and Christmas music performed by the Music Makers (programme 3s. 6d)
Sun 19 11am Service � Preacher: Mr R Shackleton
3pm Carol service
Mon 20 Manland Secondary School Christmas concert (time to follow)
Tue 21 9:15am Service of Holy Communion, to be conducted by Rev ER Richardson
Wed 22 Schools close for Christmas holiday
Thurs 23
Fri 24 6:30pm Visit of Father Christmas
Sat 25 Christmas Day 11am Service to be conducted by Mr AL Malden
Sun 26 11am Service � Preacher: HC Roycroft
Mon 27 Boxing day
Tue 28
Wed 29
Thurs 30
Fri 31

Sister Joan

My name is Michael Lashley and I was at the Harpenden Branch from 1962- 1977
I was looked after for most of my time there by Sister Joan.
I left the home in Jan 1977 to go to college in Oxford,stayed there for 18 months then moved to London.
After 20 plus years in London I have since moved back to Harpenden.
Since I left the NCH in Harpenden I have always kept in Contact with Sister Joan who looked after me in Flat 13. I am glad to say that Sister Joan is alive and well and still living in Harpenden and I visit her regually.
Mike Lashley