Throughout October, our Sharing Stories oral history volunteers interviewed fourteen people about their connections to Trent Park House across the decades.
Sharing Stories, a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is designed to tease out stories of the House and add to its unique heritage.
Interviewees included the sons of Junior Commander Patricia (Paddy) Horrigan (ATS), who shared evidence that their mother was part of MI19 and was inducted at Trent Park in 1942. Paddy's work involved translating transcriptions produced by the Secret Listeners and the typing and preparation of reports.
In the 1960s, Betty Holmes, a drama student, remembers being invited to tea by Hannah Gubbay and hearing the stories of visiting royals.
And in the 1970s John Walton, who was born in Enfield, studied for his teaching certificate before becoming a maths and later a head teacher. He recalls:
The house was used for lectures I can remember having philosophy of education and sociology of education. I remember in the winter time, it was very, very cold. Down in the basement we used to have tea and coffee and the bar.
John met his future wife Linda, an art student based in the stable block, at a dance in October 1970. The men lived in Sassoon Hall and the women in Gubbay Hall. Visitors were supposed to leave by 10.30pm, though some may have come and gone through open windows!
And in the 1980s Andy Jones came to work at Trent Park as a park keeper. Andy says:
I live in Trent Park, I've worked most of my life in Trent Park, and a good percentage of my childhood in Trent Park.
Andy worked as a park keeper during the week, helping to maintain the grounds, but on weekends he led guided walks and even collaborated with drama students to create re-enactments of the history of the Park.
The park and the house are inextricable linked and have been from when Richard Jebb first the leased land. The two can’t be separated.
We’re also delighted to share the full interview with Jack Brown. Now 102, Jack remembers Trent Park during the Sassoon era. We travelled to Hull to film his story. Watch the full interview here to listen to his memories.
Our oral histories work is part of Sharing Stories: Connecting Trent Park House with Enfield's Communities, a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. These stories will be revealed either through research at the National Archives Kew, the Imperial War Museums or via oral history interviews with local people with links to the House.
Do you have a story to share about Trent Park House? We’d love to hear from you at christina.wheeler@trentparkhouse.org.uk.
(Photo: Volunteer Rani meets John and Linda Walton who studied at Trent Park House in the 1970s)
