yesteryear

This was the time when the annual orange rolling event took place on the steep slopes of Pascombe Pit on Dunstable Downs and the picture shows crowds making their way up the hill from Tring Road.

It was once a day of huge fun, with fairground attractions, bands and, of course, orange vendors. It was not unknown, either, for “Lady Teasers” to be on sale. These, apparently, could be filled with water with which to sprinkle unwary passers-by.

This photo, with the houses of Dunstable still far in the distance, is from a postcard owned by David Underwood, of Totternhoe, and was published by the Dunstable photographer James Field.

The low-slung buildings on the left, alongside the trees lining the Green Lane, are the old Rollings whiting works and the solitary building in the centre of the photo is the old Rifle Volunteer pub which stood on the corner of West Street and Whipsnade Road.

There’s a hedge lining the cart track which later became Whipsnade Road.

Meadway was yet to be built and the field opposite the pub was yet to become the site of the Meteorological Office.

We’ve used a version of this picture before in Yesteryear but, interestingly, the postcard shows a much wider panorama of the town than previously.

It was posted perhaps in March 1913 (the postmark is unclear) by someone named Craig who wrote saying that he had walked from St Albans to Luton “yesterday” and had arrived in Dunstable “this morning”. Certainly, the photo was taken before 1914.

There’s a merry-go-round visible at the foot of the Downs but in 1914 a ban was introduced on the roundabouts, swings and shooting galleries which had previously stood near the pub.

> Yesteryear is compiled by John Buckledee, chairman of Dunstable and District Local History Society.