My name is Cyril Askew. My parents and I moved to Potters Bar in 1934 and rented a house in Park Avenue. My father was employed as cinema foreman in the newly built RITZ CINEMA, located in DARKES LANE, on the corner of Byng Drive.

The first school I went to was St JOHN's JUNIOR SCHOOL, which was located near the junction of Southgate Road and the High Street.This was later demolished to make way for a petrol station at the crossroads of Southgate Road, Mutton Lane, High Street and Barnet Road.

I later went to the POTTERS BAR SENIOR SCHOOL which was located in the High Street. On the way to school I often stopped to watch the blacksmith shoeing horses. His smithy was where I believe is now known as Princes Parade in the High Street.

In the High Street were three public houses: THE WHITE HORSE; THE ROBIN HOOD (later demolished to make way for the MFI warehouse); and, at the end of the High Street, THE GREEN MAN.

The Robin Hood suffered bomb damage during the war, but was able to stay open after some repairs.There was also a pub at the corner of Southgate Road and the Barnet Road, called THE RED LION.

Opposite the Red Lion, on the corner of Mutton Lane was an old farm house which I believe was called MANOR FARM. Also, on the opposite corner of Mutton Lane was a bakery where they used to bake Hovis bread. I think the family there was named Tilbury.

Among the various shops in the thirties and fourties along the High Street, I remember CLARKE's the butchers; LOCKE's fish and chip shop; COBBS the cornchandlers; SAINSBURY's; CLEMENTS greengrocers; TWYMAN's garage; BARKER's the ironmongers; and BRAY's newsagents.

In my early 'teens, on Saturday nights, I used to go to a dance at the VILLAGE HALL which was located opposite the WAR MEMORIAL on the corner of Cotton Road, next door to the Police station.One Saturday night a violent explosion shook the hall - a large bomb had been dropped which had exploded in the cemetery in Mutton Lane.

Between the Potters Bar Bus Garage and The Walk there existed a large private house known as PARKFIELD, demolished in the early thirties. It had a beautiful garden with two ponds.

Opposite this site was another private estate known as OAKMERE PARK. This was quite extensive and had two large lakes and a large nursery.I believe that in those days it was owned by the Forbes family.

Next to this park was an old derilect church. St.Mary's Church was in The Walk and next to St Mary's was the local cricket ground.

I was a member of the Potters Bar & Little Heath troop of the Boy Scouts, the H.Q. was a hut located in Quakers Lane. I later joined the Home Guard and in 1943 I joined the Royal Navy.

The area I have described above was the old original part of Potters Bar and the High Street was then known as the Great North Road.

The area surrounding Darkes Lane was the newer part, developed mainly after the First World War. Potters Bar railway station in Darkes Lane was one of the L.N.E.R. (London & North Eastern Railway) stations.

I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who thinks they might have known me, or would like more information regarding the Potters Bar district.

I left the town in 1948 to live in Hatfield. I am now retired and live permanently in Spain. I can be contacted by e-mail on benidormrbl@wanadoo.es

At 18 years of age