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Late 60s early 70s Millwall fans were always a problem. Cars overturned, windows smashed. I was at one of the games
and we were told to wait in the Bobbers until the police had herded them back to the station. Mid 70s at a Chelsea
game the Police had to let the dogs loose on the pitch. We had parked in the car park at the Westside Centre and when
we tried to get back to it there was a police cordon across the entrance. A line of police, arms linked, barring the way to
the entire shopping Centre.

When we told one of them we had parked in there and needed to get through we were asked for our address, we lived
in Stopsley, and then they allowed us to crawl through their legs to get to the other side. That was a first. The Odeon
cinema of course, Dockerills pet shop opposite, we got our hamster from them. A shop on the same side as the Odeon
that sold prams and stuff also sold miniature gardens and I was allowed to buy bits and pieces to make trees and flower
beds, grass, greenhouse. I have no idea what happened to the pieces I had, suspect my mum gave them away. Davids
Disc-a-Dine in the 70s, food and music.

Furniture shop on the corner of Francis St, which I believe is now a cycle shop, where I bought my dining table and
chairs after I married. Barclays Bank on the corner, still there, my entire family banked there and my mum stayed with
them until she died in 2018. Further along heading toward town there was a Nat West Bank. Just past that was and I
believe still is, a bus stop and I used to stand there most weekday evenings to catch my bus back to Stopsley. One day
there was a group of 3 lads walking up and down and looking a bit suspicious. A man went along to the bank to pay
some money into the night safe and they mugged him! Couldn’t believe what I just saw so when I got home I called the
Police and reported it, they sent CID round to the house, next day they sent identikit people into my work at Kent Data
Services. Then they took me all around the pubs and clubs to see if I could spot any of them. I was useless.
Gill Lucraft

Everything was is Bury Park. I remember queuing for hours to see Mary Poppins at The Odeon, and my mum & aunties
saw The Beetle there. Woolworths with the traditional old counters. FL Moore, Texas the DIY shop.

Cavendish furniture, I used to go and pay my parents account weekly for furniture they bought there. And Westside
Centre with Green Shield Stamps shop. I remember playing outside the supermarket while my mum shopped on that
extremely dangerous climbing frame on concrete slabs! Who worried about H&S in those days. Good times.\\
Sharon O’Kane
My family arrived in Luton around 1957 from NW London I was eleven years old, enrolled in Denbigh Road School . My
parents owned & ran a greengrocers at 80 Leagrave road. I worked as a schoolboy at a neighbours butchery business.
My passion was cycling & the local bike shop was Billy Liddles, I spent many hours watching wheel building by,
occasionally Billy, and his son Geoff.Indirectly we moved to 75 Leagrave Road next to Liddles with a Hardware shop run
by mother. when leaving Denbigh I started work at Chas Bird of Collingdon street
(no relation) builders merchants. Married at age 18, bought a house 86 North street for £1000. Went on to become
Luton Sportsman of the year & inaugurated Luton International marathon.
Richard Bird

In the mid 1960’s I worked in Bury Park, 123 Dunstable
Road, next to the Odeon cinema. A shop that I am
sure many will remember! Shanks & Turner sports shop.
Owned by two LTFC heroes; Wally Shanks and Gordon
Turner. Not only were they great players, especially
Gordon! (We lost the 1959 Cup Final because the morons
in charge at the time, dropped him from the squad) They
were great guys to work for as well! Met many of the
Hatters players in my time there! Some fond memories
of the times!
Tony Archer

I got off my bus to go to work in Commers from 62-65 and caught one back again in Bury Park Rd just past Waldeck
Road. The area was becoming increasingly newly migrant occupied and the brickwork of houses were starting to
become multi coloured. Some occupants painting the bricks separately in different colours and the mortar a contrasting
hue. Calypso music was often heard being played quite loudly at any time of the day and I recall a small shop near the
bus stop selling yams and other items that seemed quite unusual back then.
Brian Crawley

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