1924 May

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Henry (Harry) Oakley Christy c1900 in Volunteer Army Cycling uniform

Patricia Lewis (Christy) Granddaughter

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Pollie Eversden and Aunt Lizzie Law outside Christy's Shop 1931

A Stormy Month

An alarming accident occurred one Monday morning when a runaway horse and cart broke into the front of Mr S Warboys’ house. The cart was the first of three loaded with wheat and belonging to Mr W A Angel, that were coming down the steep decline from Pembroke Farm (Kingsland Way) when the harness broke and the horse ran out of control of J Townsend. They ended up going through a wall and into the room where Mr Warboys and daughter were seated. Furniture and goods were also damaged but the occupants were fortunately only slightly bruised. The horse laid still while corn was unloaded so presumably it survived and the driver suffered 2 broken ribs.

On Sunday 11^th May between 8-10am there was a severe thunderstorm and rain. Sand was washed down the hills blocking drains and causing several lower houses to be flooded. At about 10 o’clock a fire was seen in the west. It was a straw stack, at the centre of four, belonging to Mr Sale. However the heavy rain stopped the fire spreading but that did not stop a large crowd gathering.

It must have been a very stormy month as at the cricket match against Hitchin Blue Cross rain stopped play and the match against Biggleswade was completely called off. However, Ashwell beat Pirton away and the Biggleswade Wesleyans at home but they lost the rearranged fixture with Biggleswade. In a busy month the Cricket Club also had a dance that raised £3-10s for their own funds, £10 for the Ashwell Nursing Association and £4 for the village hall.

Owner of Christy’s Stores Dies

Harry Oakley Christy was born in Parade House, High Street in 1877 and he died there on 29^th April 1924 aged 47. He left behind a widow and son. For most of his life he was running the family shop but for a few years he was learning the drapery trade in Streatham where he met his wife. The picture, from the same period, shows him in his Volunteer Army cyclist uniform in 1901.

There were three other deaths noted of people with some connection to Ashwell. Mr Chandler Merry died after being taken ill whilst working for the Royal Ordnance Survey nr Peterborough aged 57. He was born in Ashwell and attended Merchant Taylors School. His father farmed in Ashwell and Croydon. Arthur George Bryant died at the Three Counties Asylum, Arlesey, aged 53. Tamer Ann Hincks, late of Anstey and Royston, 74, died at her daughter’s home at Ashwell.

For Entertainment this month you could see ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ played by Merchant Taylors School boys at the village hall followed by a whist drive organised by the Men’s Club. About £6 was raised for the Boys’ Choir Fund. There was a concert Mr Barber and musicians in the Congregational Schoolroom.

The W.I. met as usual in the village hall where they were treated to an account of the annual meeting of the County Federation, a demonstration on making moccasins and music by the Ashwell Choral Society.

There were to more lectures by Dr Palmer in his series on ‘Richard Willows, Vicar of Meldreth.’

A Jumble Sale at the School for an outing to Wembley raised £15 which was enough to cover the cost all the girls going, giving a picnic to those not going and still some left over for future outings.

A team of the schoolgirls performed in a Festival of Folk Dancing that was scheduled to be at Hertford Castle but the turbulent weather struck again and rain forced it to move to the Drill Hall, Ware.