Goldings news page articals posted

Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication
on the 158th Anniversary of the birth of
Dr. Thomas John Barnardo

One of our Goldings old boys has been invited to lay the wreath at the service of dedication at Dr Barnardo's memorial.

This is surely a great honour for a Goldings Old Boy to be chosen. Johnny Leach was asked due to his voluntary work for Dr. Barnardo's for over 50 years. Johnny is joint voluntary manager at our shop in Northampton.

Please click on thumbnail for more photos

Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication on the Occasion of the 158th Anniversary of the birth of Dr. Thomas John Barnardo. The weather was kind to us all and we were able to celebrate this event in sunshine.

The service had started, and I had noticed the lack of any children within the church; and as my mind went back to the days when I was a young boy, within this same church, which in those days was full to the brim. Again I found that my eyes had registered on the words that I had read as a child: "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not." I then noticed a lady entering the church with two boys of about eight or nine years of age, they sat directly in front of us Goldings Boys. After some time sitting there, the lady wrote on the inside of the back cover of the programme: "I love Barnardo do you know why?" and showed it to the two boys, they Both shrugged their shoulders and then she wrote: "It gave me your mummy the most precious person in my life, and she gave me you all" this, for me, was the most Poignant part of the service and I just know if Dr. B was amongst us he would have been moved and would have a tear in the corner of his eye.

For some more information on Dr. Thomas John Barnardo please click on his photo on the left hand banner

Good site!

My interest in Goldings is much later than yours - I worked there for H.C.C between 1991 and 1997 - apparently in your ablutions block!

There was a photo of the staircase in the middle of the house described as painted drab colours by H.C.C. Whilst I don't recall it being very brightly painted, it certainly wasn't the colour shown in the picture. I assume that it was repainted for Stephen Spielberg's Band of Brothers - some internal shots were filmed there, probably two or three years ago. It was used as an Allied HQ in the early war period, and as Hitler's Bavarian Castle later on. The wood panelled sections were also used in an episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) - indeed there were also some external shots of the house. Whilst watching RH(D), I saw details which reminded me of Goldings - some of the panelling looked familiar. Later there was a shot taken from inside through a window, where an out-of-focus Mac Andrew Wing could be seen (at least, we knew it as the Mac Andrew Wing - I'm talking about the two storey extension beyond the archway in one of your pictures).

I shall continue to browse the site with interest - if you can use any of this material, please do so, but I prefer to be anonymous.

Regards,

Personal Email from Andrea Thorn to Goldonian web giving information on what series was shot on location at Goldings.

Randall & Hopkirk (deceased)

SERIES TWO, EPISODE SEVEN WHATEVER POSSESSED YOU

Most of the episode was shot at Goldings, Waterford, Hertfordshire. A huge, empty, former school with it's own ghost in residence on the third floor. For a long period, Goldings was a popular choice for location managers everywhere. Shortly before the R&H posse moved in, Steven Spielberg had been there filming Band Of Brothers. He kindly left the hotel lobby set for the TV crew to use. Or maybe just couldn't be arsed to take it down? Sadly, the builders have now moved into Goldings and it's being re-developed.

SERIES TWO, EPISODE NINE O HAPPY ISLE

Mostly shot in a village called Clovelly in Devon. The interior scenes of the police station were Goldings in Hertfordshire, where most of 'Whatever Possessed You' was filmed. The exterior shots of Berry Pomeroy's Hall were Hillfield Castle, near Watford in Hertfordshire, the brewery was McMullen & Sons Brewery in Hertford and Jeff's hotel bedroom was the Ferry Harvester Restaurant in Cookham, Surrey.

The first series of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) was transmitted in March/April of 2000, and was an instant hit. A second series was swiftly commissioned, filmed around London and the home counties earlier this year and began broadcasting on September 29th, 2001.

ANDREA THORN

Goldings was used also for Midsummer Murders, Catweasel to name but a few. The main Arch by the Back door was the closing scene in Band of Bothers, next time you watch it see if you can notice Goldings arch with bombed out vehicles all around, Just like it was in our days!. Then we also have The film He who Rides a Tiger was partly shot on location at Goldings in 1964. For more info Click here

Email message sent to Goldonian web was as follows:-

Received your email and passed it to my father who was at Goldings before going into the war. He was at the print school which at present does not seem to have much info. on the website. He wrote a book a few years ago called Barnardo Boy by Pen name John Charlesworth to allow his family to understand his history. It gives a gripping story of his life before and after Goldings and how he set up his own print business. you may have seen it. Anyway he has no on line computer but will be interested to see the site next time he visits my house. he has been to some of the reunions and I note he is the oldest on the website - Mike Clarke.

Reply to Goldonian web on my request to publish to the website 5/3/02

My Dad is very proud of his connection with Goldings and in effect we owe our standard of living to his success as a printer after a very difficult start in life. He was determined to make a success of printing and the family business is now run by my two younger brothers and a partner in Birmingham I am a teacher in Birmingham. The Book I mentioned is called Barnardo Boy by John Charlesworth, which he wrote to help us understand his history and was produced in the best paper and very carefully considered presentation for it to be submitted for a print award. To be honest, I am not sure the result of this but he had to deposit several copies with the British Library (I think that is its name) He published the book himself. Many people have told him how moving the story is. It was in the Barnardo catalogue a couple of years ago. You may be able to get a copy to read through the library. Some Waterstones book shops had copies or failing that he still may have copies to sell.

My father, known as Mike Clarke to his friends and family is 78 and sadly is not well but is interested in the concept of email and websites, which to a printer are remarkable. I am sure he would be only too happy to help contribute the site if he can. He has only seen the first contact that I received yesterday as I didn't get yours till after a parents' evening tonight. It will cheer him up tomorrow. Will get back to you.

Yours Angela Billingham ( Nee Clarke)

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