IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Whitehall Road, BISHOP'S STORTFORD, CM23 2JL

When this picture was taken "The Ven" was class rooms and accommodation (upstairs) for students at the former Image trades union education centre. I paid a sentimental journey today. There was a house name plaque of "Venn House" in Whitehall Road but I could not see if it was the same building.

Read about the Trades Union education centre at Image see it today at Image

Built in the early 20th Century as a home for the Gilbey Family (of gin fame). It became a girls school some time before WW2 (I have post cards of it in the 1930's but I am unsure of copyright status) . In 1976 it was purchased by Clive Jenkins of ASTMS (before he told the National Executive) as an education centre. It was later sold following a merger with the AEEU as the new union could boast owning Image

An early venture into digital photography. The camera was an Olympus point and press borrowed from work. It cost £800 and would use up 4 AA alkaline cells in about 40 frames. It only had internal memory so once the memory was full photography was over until pictures were deleted. This is the west elevation of the former Image You can see another of the college buildings at Image

Now Called Image once more this is part of the front elevation of the former Image taken from "The Secret Garden". Before WW2 the mansion was a girls school and from about 1976 to 2005(ish) it was a trades union college.

This is the rear elevation of Whitehall College. It was once the home of the Gilbey Family (of gin fame). Before WW2 it became a girls school and in the 1970's was bought by ASTMS the Association of Scientific Technical and Managerial Staff (The Clive Jenkins Union) to become an education centre. At the time the picture was taken the Union had become MSF (Manufacturing Science & Finance). Following the merger with the AEEU in 2001 the new union Amicus found itself with two colleges on opposite sides of the M25 as the AEEU had its own college that had recently been refurbished Image The decision was made to sell Whitehall College it has now returned to luxury dwellings see Image The extension at the back was part of the college bar.

This path connects Cricketfield Lane and Dane O'Coys Rd

Running from a corner on Dane O'Coy's Road towards central Bishop's Stortford across some pleasant fields.

Looking from the footpath that runs along the bottom of the field.

The Veterinary Hospital, Rye Street, Bishop's Stortford is a lovely pink building with stable around the back. Tall vets work on the left hand side while short vets like myself work on the right hand side. I worked here for 2.5 years during the late 1980s.