book list
I was age 17 in the year that this guide was published. It is a joint effort between the Urban District Council and the Development Corporation. The guide is very similar to the 1953/54 and 1959 one, except that the street directory listing heads of households has gone and the book is a much slimmer volume.
There are 18 black and white photographs of people and buildings illustrating the text some the same ones appearing in the earlier guides, and a few more in advertisements. Most of these picture are half-page in size and of very good photographic quality. There are two maps. One of Hertfordshire 7" by 9", and a pull-out one of Welwyn Garden City 14" by 10".
There is a two-page potted history of the town, followed by a seven-page chronology of main events in the town's development from 1919 to 1962. This history and chronology is the same text by R. L. Reiss which appears in the earlier guides with the addition of the extra chronology up to 1962. Mr Reiss died in 1959.
Next are lists of key figures in the Urban District Council, an historic list of chairmen and clerks of the councils (Parish and Urban) since 1921, and a list of members of the Development Corporation.
There is a section (9 pages) of general information under the following headings:
There is a professional directory (2 pages) listing accountants, architects, chiropodists, dentists, estate agents, opticians, quantity surveyors, solicitors, teachers of music, dance and drama, and veterinarian.
There is a seven-page listing of societies and clubs under subheadings Drama, Music, Politics, Sports, and General.
There is a list of youth organisations including scouts, guides, cadets and boys' clubs,
There is an industrial directory listing local firms and trades unions.
There is a commercial directory listing local firms.
After these various lists is a section which gives a small amount of information (from a short paragraph to half a page) on 41 local firms. Four of these have a photograph to illustrate. These firms are:
The Alcuin Press, Dennis Barley & Sons (Ford dealers), Bailey and Little Ltd (decorators), B.C.R. Factories Ltd (coated abrasives), Bourne Chemical Industries Ltd, Broadbans Engineering Company Ltd, The Broadwater Press Ltd, Catomance Ltd (textile waterproofing), Cotrim's (Welwyn) Ltd (upholsterers), Curd Components Ltd (aircraft parts), Davenport (London) Ltd (scientific instruments), Dawnays Ltd (structural steelwork), Elliston's (Welwyn) Ltd (electrical wholesalers), Dickinson and Adams (Luton) Ltd (car dealers), Eylure Ltd (cosmetics), Fine Fare Ltd (supermarkets), Forge Craft Ltd (metal tubing), Guessens Hotel, The Headway Construction Company Ltd, Herault Studio Ltd, Reg Hunt (coaches), R.F. Jones (plasterers), Johns and Kelynack Ltd (chemists), Knorr Anglo Swiss Ltd (soups), The Lemsford Engineering and Sheet Metal Products Ltd, Lincoln Electric Company Ltd, J. Lingham-French & Son Ltd (photography), The Norton Grinding Wheel Company Ltd, Peartree Welding and Engineering Company Ltd, Polypenco Ltd (plastics), William Rhodes Ltd (mattresses), The Royal Exchange Assurance, The Skarsten Manufacturing Company Ltd, Smith, Kline and French Laboratories Ltd, T.A.I.P. (Engineers) Ltd (springs), Welwyn Bakeries Ltd, Welwyn Engineering Company Ltd (steel strapping), The Welwyn Motor Company Ltd (Silver Line Motors), Welwyn Photographers Ltd, Welwyn Service Depot Ltd, D.C. Wenk & Sons Ltd (electrical goods, cycles and prams).
I have scanned from the guide a view from Howardsgate looking towards Welwyn
Stores, a house in Woodland Rise, and a man with a very large belt of sandpaper
at B.C.R. Factories Ltd.
click on the images for a better view