Ampthill Past Memories

Bricks, Neighbours and Memories – Memories of Stewartby - Part 2

In this special second episode, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Stewartby Village, Ampthill Past Memories brings you the personal recollections shared by contributors at a recent community get-together.

Having explored the history of the brickworks and village in Part One, we now step aside and let the people who remember take centre stage. Hear their contributions in full as they share their experiences, reflections and memories of a remarkable industry and the community it helped create.

These are the voices that bring history to life — offering a personal connection to Stewartby's past and preserving stories for future generations.

The chimneys may have disappeared, and the machinery may have fallen silent, but the memories live on.

🎧 Listen to the people behind the history and discover why Stewartby's story is about so much more than bricks.

Bricks, Neighbours and Memories – a special centenary series from Ampthill Past Memories, preserving the stories of our past, one voice at a time.

Ampthill Past Memories is recorded and produced by Sandra Read and Mariella Cook.

Bricks, Neighbours and Memories - The Story of Stewartby Village - Part 1

How did a small rural hamlet become home to one of the world's largest brickworks? And what happened to the community when the brickworks finally fell silent?

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Stewartby Brickworks, Ampthill Past Memories takes you on a journey through the remarkable story of the London Brick Company and the village it helped create.

Discover how farming settlements became a thriving industrial community, employing thousands of people and attracting workers from across the world. Explore the model village built for brickworkers and their families, the working lives and social traditions that brought people together, and the changes that eventually led to the closure of the brickworks and the disappearance of its iconic chimneys.

But this is more than a story of clay, kilns and bricks. It's a story of people, families, friendships and a community shaped by an extraordinary industry.

Featuring historical insights and personal recollections, this first episode sets the scene for the memories and experiences of those who lived and worked there and in the surrounding villages/Towns.

And the story doesn't end here! Join us for Part Two, where we hear the full contributions of those who came together at an Ampthill Past Memories gathering to share their own memories of Stewartby Brickworks.

🎧 Listen now and discover the story behind the bricks, the neighbours and the memories.

Ampthill Past Memories – preserving the stories of our past, one voice at a time.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series recorded and produced by Sandra Read and Mariella Cook.

In this episode, Researcher and Film Maker Douglas Downing reflects on a once-in-a-lifetime filmmaking journey alongside historian Simon Houfe. Together, they created Avenue House – A Collection Revealed, an intimate documentary exploring the magnificent, eclectic art and architectural collections gathered by Simon's grandfather, the renowned architect Sir Albert Richardson, during his years living at Avenue House. Join us as Douglas shares behind-the-scenes stories, personal memories, and the passion required to bring a legendary family legacy to the screen.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series recorded and produced by Sandra Read and Mariella Cook.

From grand houses and forgotten buildings, to the lives of ordinary residents whose stories might otherwise be lost to time, Ampthill Past Memories is about bringing history back to life—through research, recollection, and the voices of those who remember.

Today, we’re peeling back the layers of time, traveling all the way back to 1742. We’re uncovering how a private family home evolved into a public landmark, and meeting the fascinating ghosts of its past along the way.This is the story of Number 37 Church Street, or as it’s known today The Wingfield Club

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series recorded and produced by Sandra Read and Mariella Cook.

Sheila was born in Glasgow and moved to Ampthill in 1959 when she was 13. They moved into a house on Woburn Street which went with the job her father had been offered with AER refrigeration engineering company. Sheila details how hard it was for her and her mother to settle into Ampthill initially and describes how things eventually improved.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series by Sandra Read and Mariella Cook.

Long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, have recorded their memories of Ampthill Past giving a unique insight into their personal and working lives of several decades ago.  The interviews conjure up a fabulous picture of how Ampthill used to be and highlights some of the interesting goings on and colourful characters that used to reside in the area. If you would like to be involved and help us continue to preserve Ampthill’s historic past, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

This episode of Ampthill Past Memories explores the history of almshouses and workhouses in Ampthill, two institutions that played a vital role in caring for the town’s poorest and most vulnerable residents. From early charitable almshouses founded through generous bequests to the more complex and often harsher realities of the workhouse system, their stories reveal how attitudes to poverty, welfare, and community responsibility have changed over time. Together, they form an important but often overlooked chapter in Ampthill’s social history. Listen as we uncover how these institutions shaped the lives of generations in our town.

Long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, have recorded their memories of Ampthill Past giving a unique insight into their personal and working lives of several decades ago.  The interviews conjure up a fabulous picture of how Ampthill used to be and highlights some of the interesting goings on and colourful characters that used to reside in the area.If you would like to be involved and help us continue to preserve Ampthill’s historic past, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for further information.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series recorded and produced by Sandra Read and Mariella Cook.

This special edition of the Ampthill Past Memories podcast marks the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day. On Friday 15 August 2025, the people of Ampthill gathered in the town square, joined by the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Camilla King, the town mayor, Councillor Steve Addy, and fellow ward and town councillors, to honour those who served, sacrificed, and endured during the Second World War in the Far East.

We pay particular tribute to the local men of the 5th Battalion of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, many of whom suffered immense hardship as prisoners of war, and whose courage remains an enduring part of Ampthill’s history. This episode returns to that poignant moment, featuring the proclamation delivered by town crier Kelvin Horton, reflections from army veteran Terry McHugh, and the moving sounds of the Last Post and Reveille played by Louis Sherry of the Ampthill Town Band.

This recording is shared with grateful thanks to Martin Fryer and Ron Taylor of the Far East Prisoners of War Family for permission to use their invaluable research and data.

Long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, have recorded their memories of Ampthill Past giving a unique insight into their personal and working lives of several decades ago.  The interviews conjure up a fabulous picture of how Ampthill used to be and highlights some of the interesting goings on and colourful characters that used to reside in the area. If you would like to be involved and help us continue to preserve Ampthill’s historic past, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for further information.

This special edition podcast focuses on a house that no longer stands, but once dominated Dunstable Street. Known variously as St. George's, Redborne House, Russell House, and Cleveland, it was a building with many lives, from the home of Ampthill's first millionaire to a wartime hospital, a children's nursery, and even a school annex. Its story mirrors the changing face of Ampthill itself. Listen to the story of 14 Dunstable Street.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series from the Ampthill and District Preservation Society.

Long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, have recorded their memories of Ampthill Past giving a unique insight into their personal and working lives of several decades ago.  The interviews conjure up a fabulous picture of how Ampthill used to be and highlights some of the interesting goings on and colourful characters that used to reside in the area.If you would like to be involved and help us continue to preserve Ampthill’s historic past, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Ampthill and District Preservation Society website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for further information.

WARNING - This podcast discusses violence and war that some listeners may find distressing.

This special edition podcast features the voice of Paul Roberts, who recorded stories about his friend Bert Harris. Bert fought in WW2, and became a Japanese prisoner of war.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series from the Ampthill and District Preservation Society.

Long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, have recorded their memories of Ampthill Past giving a unique insight into their personal and working lives of several decades ago.  The interviews conjure up a fabulous picture of how Ampthill used to be and highlights some of the interesting goings on and colourful characters that used to reside in the area.If you would like to be involved and help us continue to preserve Ampthill’s historic past, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Ampthill and District Preservation Society website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for further information.

Alan Bush was born in Ampthill. Hear the fourth part of his story here, read by his son Paul.

Ampthill Past Memories is a podcast series from the Ampthill and District Preservation Society.

Long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, have recorded their memories of Ampthill Past giving a unique insight into their personal and working lives of several decades ago.  The interviews conjure up a fabulous picture of how Ampthill used to be and highlights some of the interesting goings on and colourful characters that used to reside in the area.If you would like to be involved and help us continue to preserve Ampthill’s historic past, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Ampthill and District Preservation Society website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for further information.