Hadleigh Church Bus Shelter

The wooden shelter at Hadleigh Church bus stop was iconic and is preserved in the fond memories of a generation. It changed in detail over many years – different lamp-posts and windows – and its equally famous hexagonal seat was a trysting place and a gossip shop for myriad Hadleighites and foreigners alike. The shelter finally fell prey to the one-way traffic scheme, but the seat survived for several more years on the pavement near the Church’s main entrance, until decrepitude took its toll.

The first picture, from an old postcard, is featured in Robert Nichols’ brilliantly nostalgic record of yesteryear, “HADLEIGH POSTCARD MEMORIES”, published by our Community Archive in 2013 (available at all good bookshops). Someone must know the name of the lass perched on the window-sill? Do tell, if you know!

The second picture is from another old postcard, taken in 1950 by Mr Ward whose photographic studio was situated close by. The view is from the opposite direction (towards Leigh) and the lady on the bike is the Archive’s dear friend Heather Overall (neé Hopgood) and she is the owner of the postcard! Heather assures us that little Daphne is strapped on the back of the bike – and who are we to argue? [Click on the picture for an enlarged view]

The third picture is a much more recent one ( taken at Hadleigh Farm sixty years later) of Heather sitting astride an old penny-farthing bicycle. For the sake of decorum we cannot show the ones of her getting on, nor off!