31 Rock Road, Bernere, (1), Ard-na-greina, (2)

History of 31 Rock Road

1891

(no.2 Rock Road)

William Henry Paget, 27, commercial traveller, born London

Eleanor Catharine, 24, born London

Eleanor Mary, 2, born Cherry Hinton

Eleanor Jaggard, servant, 16, born Chester

1901

(Ard-na-greina)

Ellen Cotter, widow, 70, living on own means, born Ireland

Lily Cotter, daughter, 41, born Ireland

Mary, 35, born Ireland

Lucy, 33, born Ireland

Stewart, 26, born Ireland

1911

(Bernere)

William Young, 37, secondary schoolmaster County Council, born Tipperary

Jane Cooke, 32, born Queen’s County

Alexander Digby, 5, born Queen’s County

Gladys Eileen, 4, born Cambridge

Norman Johnston, 2, born Cambridge

1913

(Bernere, no.1 Rock Road)

William Young, schoolmaster

Patricia Harvey moved to 31 Rock Road in 1946 with her widowed mother, (Doris) Anne Moore. They had been living for several years in the village of Tadlow to the south west of Cambridge. Here she recalls her childhood and the vicarage garden:

They had expected to continue living in the area but an unfortunate turn of events led them to move to Cambridge:

Patricia’s mother set 31 Rock Road up as a guest house and stayed there for the next 40 years. Most of her lodgers were British Commonwealth Students studying education at Homerton College.:

Coming to Cambridge opened up all kinds of new possibilities for Patricia, not least, a bedroom of her own:

Patricia attended the Technical School on Willis Road, now part of the Anglia Ruskin University Campus:

She first worked for a firm of solicitors on leaving school but  after three years took a job as secretary at the University Old Schools. However she also took on the roll as a teacher of Pitman shorthand in the evening, something she enjoyed doing for 40 years:

She always felt Rock Road residents were lucky having such a variety of local shops and being close to the city centre:

Cambridge also provided lots of possibilities for entertainment:

Few people had cars, but one exception was their neighbour:

Patricia’s mother was an active member of the local Towns Women’s Guild and a member of the English Folk Dance Society.  She would travel to dance festivals including the  annual meeting at the Royal Albert Hall: