Arrival by train

[lonely_wolf]

I seem to be on a bit of a roll with posting at the moment, one thing leads to another, so here is another, inspired by the back gate to Hertford station on another thread.

Maybe this has been covered elsewhere, or perhaps there's nothing to say, but on my visit I was intrigued by the proximity of the railway station to the school, especially with it being quite a fine building, and couldn't help picturing the flood of girls that must have burst out of the trains and over the road at the start of each term. Would anyone give me their impressions, or did you all come by road?

[englishangel]

I seem to be on a bit of a roll with posting at the moment, one thing leads to another, so here is another, inspired by the back gate to Hertford station on another thread.

Maybe this has been covered elsewhere, or perhaps there's nothing to say, but on my visit I was intrigued by the proximity of the railway station to the school, especially with it being quite a fine building, and couldn't help picturing the flood of girls that must have burst out of the trains and over the road at the start of each term. Would anyone give me their impressions, or did you all come by road?

That is so accurate, though it was a lot noisier when "the flood of girls that must have burst out of the trains" at Liverpool Street at the end of term.

[Fjgrogan]

The majority of us travelled on the school train from Liverpool Street, accompanied by a handful of staff (those who had drawn the short straw) with clipboards. The Hertford East line was never very picturesque in those days, but I believe that now it would be much prettier - with places like Picketts Lock (?) - isn't that one of the venues for the 2012 Olympics sailing? I remember a station with the unlikely name of Angel Road which always looked like the backdrop for Stig of the Dump! Anyway we were all crammed into the train along with our luggage - we were allowed one large and one small suitcase; in fact the small case was then used during term-time to store school needlework, and the large case was stored in the house cellar on shelving which I imagine had been bunk beds during WWII. I remember particularly the smell as we came from Ware into Hertford East - years later it still smelled the same when I went by train for Old Girls' Day. The other notable thing about the railway was the noise of shunting. Because the school was so close to the end of the railway line we could clearly hear trains shunting; it was very noticeable for the first few nights of term, but after that we became immune to it and didn't notice it any more. On the return journey at the end of term as the train passed under the arches approaching Liverpool Street Station we used to all stand up and sing Auld Lang Syne. I missed that when later in my school life I started travelling on the Green Line bus - the 715 ran from Hertford to Guildford, and we were then living in Roehampton, which took two and a half hours, and I used to be extremely travel sick. Then the first thing my mother always wanted to do when I got home was produce an enormous meal!

[mvgrogan]

...... I remember particularly the smell as we came from Ware into Hertford East - years later it still smelled the same when I went by train for Old Girls' Day. ......

Was that the smell from a brewery? I have a vague recollection of that smell drifting across the field on occasions...

Mx

[Fjgrogan]

Actually I did wonder when I was typing the above whether it had been the brewery (McMullens) but that was the other side of town and long gone by the time I was travelling to Hertford as an Old Girl - or a parent. There is a limit to how long even the smell of stale beer will linger!

[Angela Woodford]

it was a weird Smell - I believe from a brewery. I've never smelled anything like it since. I associate the Smell with looking out over the cold frosty Field first thing in the morning. The Smell was then at its strongest. Blerrugh!

I've been reminiscing with a fabulous friend today who remembered that she was entrusted with the vast key to the back gate when she went via the train for a university interview - totally weighed down on one side with the huge thing. Useful if she'd had to repel unwelcomed attentions with a thwack of her handbag, I thought.

I only travelled up and down to Liverpool Street on one occasion in the UV1, and can't remember why. I know I was with Susan LIntott and Jill Wright. We talked of the glamour of Greta Garbo, who was Jill's personal Icon of Beauty. Jill even had wonderful cheekbones, which enabled her to attempt a Garbo Look. Fortunately, we had obtained one of those eight-seater compartments on a non-corridor train, and, during the longest between-station periods, we were able to effect a speedy change from school uniform into the home clothes we'd had stashed away. So lucky that dressing under nighties, dressing in the draughty gym facilities (brr!) and changing after All-Out in the House Cloakroom had perfected our rapid-change technique!

[mvgrogan]

...not stale beer... this was something like the hops being boiled - i'm sure someone more knowledgable on the production of beer will correct me if necessary!

and yes - frosty mornings across the field!! that's just the image that goes with that smell!

Mx

[Vonny]

...not stale beer... this was something like the hops being boiled - i'm sure someone more knowledgable on the production of beer will correct me if necessary!

and yes - frosty mornings across the field!! that's just the image that goes with that smell!

Mx

I remember the hop like smell too. You had a better view from 6's than we did in 2's. Our fire escape looked over towards the science block - nice!

[midget]

It was the smell of the soap factory near Liverpool St on the way home that got to us.

[J.R.]

Actually I did wonder when I was typing the above whether it had been the brewery (McMullens) but that was the other side of town and long gone by the time I was travelling to Hertford as an Old Girl - or a parent. There is a limit to how long even the smell of stale beer will linger!

Just for nostalgia sake:-

http://www.mcmullens.co.uk/ourbeershist.php

[Alexandra Thrift]

I'm pretty certain the ( Victorian) Brewery was very close to the school, it used to stink the place out several times a week.
I left in 1972.

[lonely_wolf]

The station today, taken from the direction of the school


Further information, strictly for trainspotters!:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertford_E ... ay_station

[englishangel]

Obviously the station hasn't changed, but the back gate was about where that bit of pavement on the right hand side is, maybe even closer to the station entrance. It was back gate, narrow pavement, road, station.