'Dad always stood to attention when the bosses were collected'

My parents Patrick and Connie Brusby both worked there from about 1940 to 1947.

My father was employed as a fitter maintaining the cars for members of staff. His workshop was situated in what he called the Farmyard and my Mum was a messenger girl in one of the many offices. Dad always had to be on hand, stood to attention, when the bosses were collected by their chauffeurs from the front entrance of the house, just in case any of the cars failed to start.

Another of Dad's jobs was to drive the bus. Every day he collected the secretaries from Watford Junction to take them to work at The Grove and of course take them back at night. When it was very icy the bus would not always make it up the steep incline going towards The Grove, it would slide backwards sometimes but there were never any serious mishaps.

Another two relatives also worked there. My aunt, Kitty Carverhill, and my cousin Billy.

Kitty worked in the canteen which backed onto Dad's workshop. Kitty would hand Dad his dinner through the back window of the canteen everyday at noon. Billy, like my Mum, was employed as a messenger.

Some of the names my Dad remembers are: Lord Stamp, Sir William Hartley, GR Wood (Secretary London Midland), Ossie High (store keeper), Mr Shearman, George Morris (Chief Messenger), Sir William Wood, Jack Guest, Mr Doughty, Mrs "Moggie" Morgan (one of the four lady chauffeurs called, we think, "Chauffeuses"), Alec Sargeant, Mr Cox (Lord Stamp's chauffeur), Mr Doughty (driver for Sir Harold Hartley), Charlie Morgan (driver for Sir William Wood), Miss Cato, Mr GL Derbyshire, Mr Yates and Bill Wilson.

As well as a police station at The Grove, there was also the Euston Co-operative Society shop on the site.

I have enclosed a photograph of Dad in the Farmyard with his workshop behind him and the small girl is the background is me aged about two.

July 1, 2002 14:30