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Left click on item to enlarge photo![]() 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.
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 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.
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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?
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====================================== ====================================== ![]() 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
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Sister Joan
My name is Michael Lashley and I was at the Harpenden Branch from 1962- 1977 ![]()
Left to Right
Pauline Jones, Sally Jones, Philip Howard, Tommy Johnson, Vere Price, Noel Brown, Malcolm Price, Lenton Valero. REUNION AT HIGHFIELD 2008 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() REUNION AT HIGHFIELD 2009 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Highfield Reunion 2010 ![]() ![]() ![]() |