I am a true Cockney, born in Hackney, East London, within the sound of Bow Bells of St Mary le Bow: I think at No 1, Brooke Road at the corner of Ridley Road, the scene of the Fascist Blackshirt Marches of Oswald Mosley just before World War 2.

My mother, Ethel Rosa Sporne, came from a large Huguenot family who had a sweet shop in Daubeney Road, Hackney. In 1911, on doctor's orders for her father to 'get some country air', they removed to King Edward Road, Waltham Cross - a district of Cheshunt. She got a job on the dairy counter of a large shop - O S Clark - in the High Street. My father, Fred Saggers, worked on the butcher's counter (his own father, also named Fred, was a butcher at another shop in Cheshunt itself.)

So that was where they met and courted, singing piano duets in her front room (she played the piano 'by ear') and going to the Music Halls in London. They married in Waltham Cross on 28th September 1918, soon after the Great War ended, and then moved to Hackney where he worked for a firm of umbrella retailers in the City. Soon after I was born, 16th December 1919, they moved back to Cheshunt and lived for a time with Grandfather. He continued the job in the City, travelling up by train every day, until he took a job locally with Cheshunt Urban District Council in the Accountant's Office. He was good at figures, and even after he retired in later life he would audit books for small businesses. Perhaps that is why I also became good at figures and became a Professional Engineer.

Dad was the oldest of Grandfather's children, the others being Vic and Betty. For a short time we all lived together in their house, but it was too much of a crowd and we moved to Pateman's Farm opposite where Grandfather later had his Butcher's Shop built. Brother Bryan was born on the farm, which after World War 2 became the Playing Field of Cheshunt Grammar School.

Cheshunt is described by Jack Edwards, the Librarian, in his book 'Cheshunt in Hertfordshire' which I have. Jack was the son of the Headmaster of Dewhurst School, and was at Hertford Grammar School with me. He still lives in Goffs Oak.

In the early 1900's there were four butchers in Cheshunt. Ripley later changed to greenhouses, the local industry (the Sea of Glass of the Lee Valley). Gocher, whose son Bert played cricket for Cheshunt with me after the War and took to growing his own tobacco (see the article in my Scrap Book). Bellam, for whom my Grandfather used to work, and later, Grandfather Fred himself.

Grandfather lived in Great Bardfield near Dunmow in Essex. At the age of 12 he walked all the way to Wormtey near Cheshunt, about 40 miles, to take up a job with a Butcher, in 1885. Nan was in service in a big house there, and they were married on June 3rd 1895 at Horton Parish Church near Windsor where her parents were living. They had come up from Marl borough, Wiltshire some time before 1889. I have been down to the Wiltshire County Records Office but have been unable to find out anything about Great Grandfather Henry Marsh or Great Grandmother Harriet (nee Sprules) except that they were born in 1842 and 1837 respectively.

Bellam's shop is now the Police Station. Grandfather started out on his own in one of the front rooms of Toogood's shop, the other room being a sweetshop, with the cycle business down the yard in the old stables. There were two daughters and a son, Dick, and we all played in the orchard. Dick also went to Hertford Grammar School with me, and when he left he joined the Northmet Electric Supply Company which later became Eastern Electricity Board. He became a top Executive at their Headquarters at Wherstead, near Ipswich. It is strange that we have been on opposite sides since leaving school and only met again in 1990 when I found that he lives in Todber, near Shaftesbury and paid a visit. He has a D.F.C.

Nan's maiden name was Sarah Jane Marsh. She and Grandfather used to live at 1 Blindman's Lane, which used to be more or less open country when I was a boy, but it is now surrounded by houses. There was a footpath at the rear leading to Rowland's Fields through the allotments, which are now houses and a school. As a small boy I learned to play cricket on the 3 ft paths between the allotments with Frank Harmer, who lived next door. Naturally we had to bowl very straight, and we were not very popular because the ball was always going into the vegetables. Small boy's feet can do a lot of damage to young carrots and rhubarb!

Everybody helped out at the shop, especially at weekends. Dad and Uncle Vic would help Grandfather to cut up orders; Bryan and I would deliver by bicycle as far as Waltham Cross, Goffs Oak and Paradise (near Cheshunt Park); Aunt Bet would make out the bills, be cashier and keep the books. Eventually Grandfather saved enough money to buy the brand new shop in Clarendon Parade, and moved house to live in the flat above.

Grandfather was born on 24th February (same date as James) 1873, at or near Stebbing in Essex, and was baptised at Great Bardfield Parish Church, a mile or so away. I mentioned earlier that he was married on June 3rd. That's another coincidence, because it was on June 3rd that Marjorie and I went out together for the first time.

Grandfather was well over 80 when he retired - because he couldn't carry a side of beef in from the van anymore. Bryan had worked for him in the shop after he came back from World War 2, and eventually took over the shop and called it 'Bryan's'. He retired from it in 1988.

For some reason that I do not know, Dad left the Council job. I think he fell out with them because he was a Socialist, and Cheshunt was very Tory. During World War 2 he was elected as a Labour Party Councillor, one of only three, so he came back as a Boss after about twenty years. Some time between 1923 and 1925 he bought a window cleaning business, and at times had two or three men working for him. One of these was an ex-sailor called Wade, a real character who was nearly always drunk, but you couldn't tell because he always walked with a roll anyway!

The 1920's were very hard, and it got worse when one day Dad stepped back to admire his handiwork, fell off a roof and hit his head on a broken flower pot. He was unable to work for several months and so Mum started up a small toffee apple business at the back door. We were living at Waltham Cross at the time, near some orchards, so Bryan and I used to go and pick apples at weekends and after school. There was a Box Factory in the High Street and we collected wood offcuts to cut up for toffee apple sticks. Just up the road there was a real sweet factory - 'Maclanco' - and she bought sugar, glucose and other flavourings there, because she was also making cocunut ice, toffee slabs and other delicacies. She bought an icecream tub and sold cornets and wafers at the back door.

As a result of his accident Dad become tone-deaf and couldn't sing or whistle recognisably. He eventually recovered and started up again. He had a number of contracts with Schools and large houses such as Cheshunt Manor, Beaumont Manor and Caldecote to deal with and I used to help him at school holiday times. I've been on every school roof in Cheshunt and Waltham Cross in my time - perhaps that's why Malcolm and Paul have no fear of heights.

During the 1930's there was a great boom in house building. It was possible to buy a semi-detached house with two bedrooms, bathroom, front and back garden, for £5 deposit on a price of £395. Three bedrooms and space at the side for a garage would cost £495. But no-one had a garage, of course, because no-one had a car, only a bicycle. These are the houses in North London that are now selling for over £100,000. Dad cashed in an insurance policy and put a £5 deposit on a two-bedroomed bungalow at 135 Great Cambridge Road Cheshunt. It is still there.

I had already passed a Scholarship for Hertford Grammar School when we lived at Waltham Cross, and had gone to school by train. I continued by train for about a year from the new bungalow, leaving my bicycle at Aunt Emily's garden in Windmill Lane, but eventually Dad bought me a better bike with a three-speed gear, and from the age of 13 I cycled direct to school at Hertford - 8 miles there, 8 miles back, six days a week.

Aunt Emily was Nan's sister. As girls they had come up from Wiltshire with their parents and worked locally in service in the big houses in Cheshunt. There is a photograph of Grandfather Marsh in one of the albums, but I can't remember ever seeing him. I know he was a gardener at one time in the Windsor area, perhaps even on the Royal Estate, because of Nan's marriage to Grandfather at Horton.

Aunt Emily married Charles Cox, a gardener on one of the big Cheshunt Estates and lived for many years at 128 Turners Hill, next to Toogood's/Grandfather's first shop. They did not have any children, but had a lodger, Bessie Dowdell, who worked at Claridges Hotel in London and used to tell us of the comings and goings of the Prince of Wales and his cousin, Louis Mountbatten. Emily and Charles are buried in Cheshunt Cemetery, Plot 14 CP, under a large tree.

Dad's younger brother, Uncle Vic, had served in the Royal Flying Corps in World War 1, I think as a Driver. He became a Bus Driver after the War, on the route between Liverpool Street Station and Waltham Cross. At first he was with one of the 'Pirate' Bus Companies who used to snatch each other's passengers, quite illegally (it's called private enterprise these days), but this kind of carry on was put a stop to when the General Omnibus Company was formed and was permitted to carry fares in London and the Suburbs. The Company eventually became the London Passenger Transport Board - L.P.T.B. Vic was invalided out in his late fifties with asthma - he was a heavy smoker - but only died in 1987 at the age of 87. His wife Grace was found drowned in the New River at Theobalds Park a few days later. She was the same age, and had been 'a bit funny' since being in a bomb incident in World War 2, although it didn't show very much. Her maiden name was McKenzie and she had two brothers, Stanley and Albion (Albie) who is the father of Julia Mckenzie, the TV and stage actress.

Grace and Vic had two children. Jeanette is married to Jim Wright, an ex-policeman and still lives in Cheshunt. Ken is the image of his father and was formerly married, but his wife died young. He married again to Helma Clark, from Cheshunt, and now lives in Ware near Hertford.

Dad's sister Betty (Doris Mary) was a local tennis champion, and late in life married Jim Rogers, also a local tennis champion. They must have looked rather odd when playing mixed doubles because she was very short and he was 6 ft. 4. They had no children and died a few years ago. Their house was one of a small block built on Pateman's Farm behind the Grammar School, and opposite Grandfather's Butcher's shop. They are both buried in the same grave as Nan and Grandfather Saggers, Plot 22 HV in Cheshunt new cemetery. I have donated a commemorative bench for them at Cheshunt Sports Club.

My brother Bryan was born in Pateman's Farm. He always worked in Grandfather's Butcher shop, which he later owned. He was in the Normandy Landings and was wounded somewhere in Germamy, but I have never discussed it with him. He renamed the shop 'Bryan's' and retired from it in 1988 to live in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire with Eileen, who he married after the War. They have three children. Hazel is married and lives in America. Michael is divorced and used to live in Sandy, but the last news was that he had gone over to America to live with Hazel. Kevin is still at home with Bryan and Eileen.

Bryan was a good footballer following in Dad's footsteps, which I did not do because I played Rugby. At one time he was on Tottenham Hotspur's books. In his early days when living and working in the East End of London. Dad had played for Leyton Orient which is now called Clapton Orient, and when he stopped playing he became associated with Spurs who between the Wars used Cheshunt Cricket Club's ground at Albury Ride during the winter as their training/second team pitch. Although the team was called Cheshunt Football club most of the players were from the Spurs second and third teams. Dad used to report the matches for the local newspaper and occasionally acted as linesman. He was Chairman of Cheshunt Thursday Football club and Bryan played for them.

When Mum died from cancer in 1948 Dad married again to Lilian Ingram and moved to Hunmanby in East Yorkshire where they opened a seaside souvenir shop. He was on the Committee of Hunmanby Football club, sometimes acted as linesman although he was getting rather too old for running about and reported matches in the Yorkshire Press. He continued to act as a Scout for Spurs and would send young players to Tottenham for trials. He had a lot of correspondence with Bill Nicholson, the famous Spurs Manager, some of which I have. Incidentally Billy, Nick's brother-in-law, worked for me in Sudbury, Suffolk. When Dad died I let Bill know and he wrote me a very nice letter.

Dad died of a poisoned finger in Scarborough Hospital in 1973 a week before his 77th birthday and Lilian died there in February 1981. There are entries in the Scarborough Book of Remembrance, commemorative plaques and rose bushes in the Crematorium grounds. Lilian was an L.R.A.M. and I have her Graduate's Robe. She played the piano and church organ as well as giving lessons. She was a cousin of the playwright Alan Ayckbourne's mother who lived nearby in Scarborough and used to visit her. Alan has written to me confirming this.

Great Grandfather Samuel Saggers was born in 1849 at Stebbing in Essex. He was a carpenter. His father was then 'of full age' and therefore born before 1828. His mother was Eliza, nee Hawkes, born 1816. Samuel married Esther Chopping at Stebbing Parish Church on 19th March 1870. She was born in December 1848 from John Chopping and Hannah Levitt, both of Stebbing.

Sam and Esther had six sons and six daughters and eventually moved to Great Bardfield, about six miles away, but not before the oldest child Emily was born in Dunmow.

Emily married a local man named Reith and later moved to London. I have not been able to trace what became of her. The next daughter was Sarah, born in Great Bardfield and married to a local furrier named Ellis. They later moved to Wood Green near Alexandra Palace in London where he carried on the business. Their two sons Reg and Sidney carried on the business when he died. There were three daughters, Beatrice, Winnie and Hilda. The house was built over the Piccadilly Tube Line and every time a train rumbled underneath their parrot would let f1y with some very colourful language. I knew Aunt Sarah very well because we were often visiting to go to Ally Pally. A granddaughter, Barbara, lived with Aunt Sarah. I think she is still alive. The last I heard she was living in Barnet, either Leicester Road or Lancaster Road. She would be a year or so younger than me.

The other daughters were Eliza, Esther (Tet), Rose and Minnie Ellen. I don't know what became of Eliza. Rose married Jim Butcher and went to live in Chelmsford. Esther married Arthur Claydon and went to Braintree. Bryan visited her a few times and also met Aunt Rose. I don't remember meeting either of them.

Minnie Ellen stayed in Great Bardfield and married twice, having four children by her first husband, Frank Willis. The youngest was Muriel, born 1918. I knew nothing of all these sons and daughters, except Sarah, until Autumn 1989 when one day I was wandering about Great Bardfield Churchyard looking at gravestones. A man who was working nearby came over and asked me what I was doing, and I told him I was searching for Saggers' graves, and who I was. He told me that I was standing next to Minnie Ellen's headstone (but Greenwood, second husband's name) and that he was Muriel's second husband Charles Highams. So he took me to his house and there I met my Aunt, Muriel, who I didn't even know existed. They have Sam's family Bible. Muriel told me all about the family history; as written above, and about the sons.

Grandfather Fred was the oldest. Harry married, went to Chelmsford and had three children, Henry, Eric and May. William also married and went to Sevenoaks in Kent, but had no children. There were three other boys, all born deaf and dumb. Alf and Joe never married and are buried in Great Bardfield Churchyard next to their sister, Minnie Ellen Greenwood. Muriel tells me that Great Grandparents Sam and Esther are buried nearby in an unmarked grave, under what is now an unofficial footpath.

The last boy, George, worked at the windmill and Muriel sent me a recent cutting from the local newspaper which has a photograph of him with his horse and cart. He married a widow with a family and had a son of his own by her, George Saggers, who has two sons, Graham and Malcolm who live a few miles away. George lives in a new house a few yards from the original family cottage. This was one of a pair which has recently been converted into one and renamed 'Popinjay Cottage', nicely rethatched.

I have met Mark Saggers who is a B.B.C. Sports Reporter, currently on Radio 2. He comes from Staffordshire and has been doing his own researches. We have compared notes and agreed that we are not related. He told me of some graves at Bassingbourn, Cambs., which are nothing to do with his family. I have seen and photographed them, just in case, and looked them up in Cambridge County Record Office. It seems that from early 1600's to 1848 there were three separate families of Saggers there, and there are over one hundred entries of births, baptisms, marriages and deaths. I could not establish any connection with Stebbing or Great Bardfield but that does not mean to say that there is none. Some young Saggers may have walked over there - it is only about 30 miles - just like Great Grandfather Fred walked to Wormley for his first job.

At Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, where the new Airport is, there is a 1914 War Memorial recording Ernest Walter Saggers.

The outcome of all this is that there are probably still some Saggers around Chelmsford and in Essex, although Muriel has not mentioned them. The triangle formed between NW Essex, SW Cambs., and NE Hertfordshire seems to be the area to search for Sam's Father Samuel, and his grandfather William. One of them must have come from it. There is no record of either of them in Essex County Records, according to the search which they made for me.