A Potton Forage Postcard from 1899

The Potton History Society has nearly 200 ‘traditional’ photographic albums including one for Brook End which has the above 1983 picture. Behind the present Community Centre (The Old Fire Station) is an area where barns still survive. Many locals remember the little St John’s Ambulance building (now demolished to make way for a house extension). It was originally built to act as an office for a local forage contractor. Back before the sound of a car horn was heard on the Market Square the world was horse powered with a consequent demand for forage for the animals. A collection of material relating to Mr Ginn’s business has emerged from over a century of hibernation to find a new home in the society archive. The pre-stamped cards were the e-mails of their day. The collection gives an insight into the quantities of material acquired and the importance of rail transport in moving it. The example below shows a wagon of hay at the G.N.R station at Baldock on 2nd December 1899.

The Potton History Society Archive Collection is kept in an Annexe to the Mill Lane Pavilion. Please contact the Society Chairman George Howe or Secretary Chris Miles to arrange a visit or to donate new items ‘ancient or modern’.