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17 April 2014

Kings Langley, Part 2 - High Street

The lovely spring weather and a spare day made a great combination for having a re-visit to Kings Langley, where 4 of my junior years were spent.


First up, the old doctor's surgery in Vicarage Lane. Dr Anderson was the family doctor.



Living above one of the shops, the High Street was a very familiar place. In those days this was the A41, and all the traffic came through. We had one zebra crossing at the southern end, and crossing the road was very dangerous. When a gentleman was knocked down we had a campaign for another crossing. Waving placards, and marching backwards and forwards across the only crossing, we held the traffic up for ages! We got the second crossing. These days, they have traffic controlled crossings.


Nowadays the traffic is reduced to a trickle since the A41 bypass dual carriageway was constructed to circumnavigate the village. 


Today's shops seem to be catering for a very up market clientèle. 




The shop Dad managed at number 20, was a Wavy Line grocer; today it's a bespoke delicatessen with outdoor café tables.


The picture above is taken in front of what was, when I lived there, a newly built Royal Mail Parcel sorting office. There was a fire one year just before Christmas, and I can recall the fire brigade bringing out charred parcels.