Hertford - Not a Dump

During the last two years I've become used to driving through drab, postwar housing estates, on my way to collect or deliver books. For some reason, I usually seem to end up in Bedfordshire or Hertfordshire. I've no idea why.

When I learned, last week, that I would have to drive to Hertford, my heart sank. More ring roads and concrete. More people who look as if they are on their way to a day centre.

But I was wrong. Hertford is rather nice:

The centre of Hertford had a very strong 'market town' feeling - lots of quirky old buildings, with hidden alleys and courtyards. I also noticed that the people didn't swing their arms when they walked, which is always a good sign.

Perhaps the woman in the distance is on her way to a day centre, but I'm sure they have a better class of jigsaw puzzle there.

Castles are always a bonus and this river ends in a pleasant weir, right next to an arts centre with a chi chi cafe.

I've forgotten who the statue is of. No-one I've ever heard of.

I noticed that several signs pointed the way to a place called 'Bengeo'. Bengeo! What sort of a name is that for a town and why haven't I heard of it until today? Even buses were going there.

It all sounds rather foreign - place names should end with a consonant. But apparently Bengeo is of ancient provenance, so I take it all back.

Bengeo's main claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Captain W. E. Johns - the author of the Biggles series of books, with titles that include Biggles Gets His Men, Biggles Takes It Rough, Biggles and the Poor Rich Boy and Biggles Fails To Return.

There are 98 Biggles titles in all, but no Biggles of Bengeo, which is rather a shame.

I liked what I saw of Hertford and tried to ignore the hideous car park and some of the less inspiring architecture on the outskirts. The centre would have been even nicer without the constant roar of traffic from the ring road, but the same could be said of most towns.

I went to Hertford expecting bland uniformity and concrete ugliness. Instead, I found character and charm. I hope I have the chance to make a return visit.

The Ladybird Book of Progress

These fields are on the edge of a new town. The town is growing and people want more homes to live in.

The children who play in these fields will be able to have a proper playground, with clean concrete, instead of mud and grass.

This man is called a town planner. He must design homes that are cheap to build and do not take up too much space.

The man has designed many new buildings for this town. 

He lives in an very old house in another town.

The fields are dug up and an old church from long ago is demolished.

The ground is then flattened so that there will be space for a car park and a row of coffee shops.

To make sure that the ground is hard and the grass cannot grow back, the builders use concrete.

When the concrete is dry, they can begin to make the new homes.

This man is not very good at making walls because he has never done it before. A house with walls like this might fall down.

The man told his foreman that he had built walls in the Slovak Republic, but he was not telling the truth.

Brian is about to hit his hand with a hammer. He will then say that he has had an accident at work.

People who have accidents when they are at work can go home. They can also ask for money.

This is called compensation.

This is Charles. He used to be an investment banker, but had a nervous breakdown. This happens when people are very worried and unhappy.

Charles' wife would like him to be a banker again.

This is Nigel. He has been told that he is not allowed to go near children.

British workers must follow very strict safety rules, but these men are from a country called the Ukraine.

If they have an accident, they will not ask for compensation.


This block of flats will house around one hundred families.

They will also make good homes for old people, as they will not have to worry about looking after a garden.

These flats will be clean and modern. The people who live here will have a lovely view of the town.

Would you like to live in the sky?


There are also new houses. They will be much nicer than the cold, damp homes that were built in olden times.

Instead of dull, plain bricks, the walls will be covered in pretty, tiny stones, called pebbledash.


As the town grows, it will need extra electricity.

This new power station will give people the energy they need and also make new jobs.

The town is big, but it can get even bigger, as there is a lot of countryside.

To-day, many homes are old and draughty. One day, perhaps we will all be lucky enough to live in a bright, clean new town like this one.