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 Page last updated: 14/03/2023 The Pictures on this page will enlarge when clicked with your mouse  
With Acknowledgement to Richard Kinge & Martyn Hunt* for these photographs
The Square - Knight Street thought to be 1964. Knight Street - A North end view. Knight Street - another North view. Forrest Stores c. 1970.
Taken from the Square - a very familiar view looking down Knight Street. Bell Street (to the left) had already by then been made one way, in fact 'turned' around, as the original one way was East to West! The date could be earlier, possibly the late 50's, by the cars in the picture and the catenary suspended (still pre-war) street light. Taken from a high window on the West side of the road. The George IV public house is in the distance. The Austin A40 car (bottom of the picture) suggests the early 60's again. A 1968 view in Mid Summer. Still the absence of cars! The very well known grocery store in Knight Street. In the 30's, 40's and 50's Sidney Parmeter was the Manager who lived 'on the premises', in fact in the house next door (to the left of the store) and George Turner was the actual shop manager. Forrest Stores had two stores - one in Sawbridgeworth and another at Shere in Surrey. The store had a cash office and there was a Cup & Wire system to carry cash back and forth! 

 

Knight Street - Carnival Day 1969.
As mentioned elsewhere on this Web Site, the Sawbridgeworth Carnival was traditionally held on the Whitsun Bank Holiday Monday each year.
 
The Square - Looking South c. 1970. Bell Street c. 1965 Station Road c 1968. The Railway Station 1970's.  
The iron mongers Charles Riches Ltd. was another very well known business in the area. Started by Charles, who with his family lived in the house to the right of the shop. This was a very prosperous business after the 2nd world war and carried an immense stock of tools and general ironmongery. It was run by two of the brothers after Charles died - Bert and Tom. They also ran a furniture shop (opposite) and a crockery and tableware shop in Knight Street. Bell Street facing East. W. Cook & Son the greengrocers was a long established business with a nursery at the back of the original shop beyond the red ford car. The shop nearest was a later addition. In the distance can be seen Church Street and beyond that the Church Yard and the cross of the memorial to both world wars. Beyond Cooks and beyond The Tuck Shop some alterations are in hand - probably the changing of what was Filby's 'corn merchants' to the Lloyds Bank.

 

Facing East. The area with the chestnut fencing around it is probably what was the old Council Depot and now the plot where the new Fire Station has been built. In the distance is Dorrington's Bakery and Shop. The buildings on the right of the picture were at one time a Newsagent and Dairy but 'now' the nearest seems to be a photographer with a glass merchant to the rear.

 

The view from the footbridge looking North, towards Bishop's Stortford. Work on relaying some of the track is in progress. The station was much diminished in the 60's with the station buildings (wooden) being completely replaced. The yard to the South of the level crossing was very busy up to the early 60's with much activity in conjunction with the major malting complexes on both sides of the main tracks plus Walter Lawrence Joinery Works beyond! At the end of the platform on the right, in Steam Days, there was a long siding for goods trains that allowed passenger trains to pass - its path can still be seen on Google Earth! (Earlier photos of the Station are on the Miscellanea page)
.New Additions 2015 ============================================================================= .
Thomas Rivers Nursery, Garden Centre c 1980 Knight Street - Looking South. Station Road 1960s. * Sawbridgeworth Station 1999
The centre was operated on the site of the historic nursery site, just off the High Wych Road but the photograph was taken at the time that the closing down sale was taking place. The George IV public house is on the left and the photo is taken from close to the junction of Station Road. Facing East again but nearer to the junction of London and Cambridge Roads. The shop on the left is at the junction of Walnut Tree Avenue and at the time was owned by a Mr. Birch who ran it as Cycle and Electrical business. A nice photograph taken on the 4th September 1999 of a Steam Excursion that commenced at Alton in Hampshire on its way to Ely Cambridgeshire, captured by Martyn Hunt who in his younger days was brought up in Sawbridgeworth. (Submitted 22/02/2022)

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