Bluefield Laundry, 119 Hemingford Road, Cambridge

History of 119 Hemingford Road

1898 gardens

1920 garden

1923 house completed on one of the last remaining vacant plots in the road. It was the only house with a double bay reaching up to the first floor bedroom, it was detached and had a bathroom and it was owner occupied. It was built by Harry Thulborn, a 31 year old self-employed window cleaner. He had been brought up at Ten Mile Bank and during WWI was a farm labourer. After an accident he had a long stay in Addenbrookes Hospital and it there he probably met his future wife, Kate Ratley. The Ratleys lived at 117 Hemingford Road. The builders were probably Sparkes in Devonshire Road; Harry lived there until his death in 1962. The house was also occupied by two nieces; Harry’s niece had been rejected by her mother, while Kate’s niece had moved from Brighton because her parents had died.

The family had. car, but this was strictly for pleasure. Daughter Margaret recalled: “I think we were the only one with a car in that part of Hemingford. … The car was for pleasure. It was kept in pristine condition. Cleaned every week. …. And we used to go to Hunstanton in the 1930s. No-one else did. And in the autumn, when it got a bit cool, we used to go to Royston Heath and have a picnic every Sunday.”

1930 H Thurlbourn

Kate’s father, Harry Ratley, lived with them until his death in 1943.

There was no fridge until the 1970s although there was a meat safe with a wire mesh on to keep flies away, outside in the shade. “You bought your stuff more or less every day. The milk was delivered daily. The butcher was ‘Baron and Harris’ on the corner of Romsey Terrace. It was all our turns to go up there before we went to school. Sp that it was all fresh And mother used to go into town on the bus, about three times a week, to Sainsbury’s, to get butter and bacon, we used to go with her.” Fresh eggs didn’t have to be bought: “We always had a cooked breakfast! My mother kept chickens all trough the war. We had egg and bacon through the war.”

There was no electricity in the house until 1945, so the kitchen (and all the other rooms) was lit by gas: ‘We had the two gas mantles over the fireplace, where we used to sit and read – we had two newspapers every day, which weren’t expensive like they are today.’

“We also had a bathroom, which nobody ese had, although we didn’t really know at the time.”

“There was nothing in the bedrooms. We did’t have all the books they have today. We had books – we always had books for Christmas. But we dodn’t have anything – we just had one p[resent for our birthday through the year. So you didn’t go up to your bedroom to read – for one thing it would be too cold most of the year! You went to your bedroom to sleep.’

Mr Matthews, an electrician lived next door at no 123 Hemingford Road. He had converted the old Laundry into a workshop, and Margaret and her brother would play there with his two daughters.

Nearby at 103 Hemingford Road was a sweet shop run by Mr and Mrs Reed. Mr Reed was a railwayman, and wasn’t allowed to have another job. So his wife and hr sister ran it.

Margaret Thulborn had known Charlie Squires from before WWII. He had lived at 35 Romsey Road. Charlie had served in the war. Margaret and Charlie married in 1949 and lived at 119 Hemingford Road until 1953. They then bought 6 Romsey Road before moving to perne Road in 1960.

1960 Harry Thurlborn

1970 K Thurlborn