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John looks at a photograph of Gwydir Street residents celebrating VE Day, which him and his family participated in. Image courtesy Gwydir Street Friends, 2024.

John – Gwydir Street

John in conversation with Ella

Both John and Ella have grown up on Gwydir Street and became friends after connecting during the coronavirus pandemic.

John was a child during World War II and remembers the VE Day street party as well as many shops, pubs, cinemas and other businesses that were much loved by residents.

On the occasion of his 88th birthday, John enjoys some cake with Ella and shares his memories.

Gwydir Street from 1936

John talks about how his family came to rent the house he lives in on Gwydir Street.

1946 Gas Bill, 3 Grafton Street

First electrical appliance

John talks about the first electrical appliance in their house – the radio.

A group of Children in front of a wireless set listening to BBC radio in 1939. Image: bbc.co.uk – © copyright 1951 BBC

The Bath House

John talks about going to the Bath House.

Gwydir Street baths, (MoC36/69)

The Kinema aka. the “fleapit”

The Kinema. Courtesy of Cambridgeshire Collection

Childhood games

Playing in the snow-covered washing line area, 1964. Courtesy Robert Webb.

John remembers the air raid shelter on the street and the Dethridge family living at number 60 who used to feed their vegetable scraps to his father’s pigs.

Air raid shelter on Gwydir Street in the 1940’s. Image courtesy of George Dethridge & Jo Edkins.

 

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Licence

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dear Visitor,

Thank you for exploring historical Cambridgeshire! We hope you enjoy your visit.

Capturing Cambridge makes accessible thousands of photos and memories of Cambridge and its surrounding villages and towns. It is run by the Museum of Cambridge which, though 90 years old, is one of the most poorly publicly funded local history museums in the UK. It receives no core funding from local or central government nor from the University of Cambridge. As a result, we are facing a crisis; we have no financial cushion unlike many other museums in Cambridge and are facing the need to drastically cut our operations back.

This could affect our ability to continue to run and develop this groundbreaking local history website. If Capturing Cambridge matters to you, then the survival of the Museum of the Cambridge should matter as well.

If you won’t support the preservation of your heritage, no-one else will! Your support is critical.

If you love Capturing Cambridge, and you are able to, we’d appreciate your support today.

Every donation makes a world of difference.

Thank you,
Roger Lilley, Chair of Trustees
Museum of Cambridge