Fred Titmus’s sweetshop holds many memories of childhood for many Hatfield residents.
This British Pathe newsreel showing Fred in his shop, handing a boy some sweets from his counter, may spark a memory of your own.
Do comment below and share your own memories. Did you visit the shop to buy sweets? Click on the image below to run the newsreel.
Add your comment about this page
My dad too worked for Hawker Siddeley at Hatfield, Manor Road, and his ‘digs’ (we lived in Bournmouth) were at 23 Manor Road. I was a young lad visiting his sweet shop when up there (mid-60s) and remember meeting him. Have to say I was disappointed a bit, as I thought dad had said Fred TRUEMAN! I was expecting ‘fireworks’ but the guy was so nice, kind and polite. My dad worked there for 20 years – we never moved up there – and the first year he travelled (working nights) by Lambretta, up Monday, back Saturday morning…..125 miles before the M3!
Good money of course.
Used to go in there most school mornings on the way to green lanes primary, he once signed a cricket bat for me lovely kind generous natured man
I went into Fred’s shop a few times hoping to see the great man and finally I was lucky, but I was too shy to say much!
I was fortunate enough to see Fred bowl on quite a few occasions at Lord’s. He was so unlucky to coincide with another off-spinner, J C Laker who still holds the record for the most wickets (19) in a Test Match.
I was born 5 Manor Parade in 1957 so lived next door to the sweet shop.
My father worked for the DH/HS/BAe aircraft division and my mother at one time for the Dynamics side. Although my father learnt to drive (as did my mother) in the war he never did after. My mother used to drop him at Manor Parade in her car before continuing to her job. She then picked him up in the evening. My father was a regular in Fred’s shop and I got the impression got to know him quite well. In those days sportsmen used to do normal jobs at the end of their career (check out the World Cup squad of 66). Now they all seem to become experts and pundits – often not very good ones.
Next door there was Manor Motors that the family used quite regularly. The name of the owner lies deep in my memory somewhere. I also recall the person who took the business over was a great fan of pre-war Singers
I lived @ 6 Broadacres, remember Titmus sweet shop well.
Our family lived at 36 Green Lanes and we knew Fred Titmus’s shop very well. Brother Alan was a paper boy for a couple of years and my mum Irene worked in the shop for a while during the 1960’s. Dad had a newspaper account at the shop from 1949 until his death in 1986. Every morning without fail we would get our newspaper and dad ‘paid the papers’ on Saturday morning. Mum, Irene died in 2010, age 87 years having spent most of her married life in Green Lanes.
Hi, I certainly remember this as I was the boy in the Video! (Still owed royalties, I believe!). I am Mark Titmus, Fred’s son and used to live at 3 Manor Parade. I used to play cricket and football on the old aerodrome site with Grandad, almost every night! I was recently going through some old Pathe News clips, on line, of Dad’s playing career. Dad died in 2011. My Grand Father, Tom, used to run the Newsagents for my dad and was assisted by Winnie/Rene, my Grand Mother. My parents divorced around 1971 and I moved to St.Albans with my Mother and Step-Father, Peter in 1974. I went to St. Columba’s College in St.Albans, later graduated and Studied Law and had my own solicitor’s practice in Waight Close, Sakisbury Village, unbelievably, on the old Hawker Siddley site, until 2010, when I moved to Spain. Sadly, with the exception of my Mum, all aforementioned are now deceased. Mum continues to live in St.Albans and is now 82
I lived in Green Lanes (No 28), from 1963 until 1979, went to Green Lanes Primary, and then to Hatfield Grammar in College Lane, and onto Hatfield School in Travellers Lane when it moved. I worked at Fred Titmus’s newspaper shop, which was then run by his father, as a newspaper boy for some time, and used to play draughts with him when the shop was quiet.
Colin Barry and I were playing cricket on the sports field opposite Manor Road, with his new cricket set, when it came to my turn to bat I hit the ball and the bat broke in two. On our way back to his house in Green Lanes we called into Fred’s shop for sweets. Colin was having a meltdown about his broken bat, fortunately for me Fred was in the shop, he asked Colin if he had treated the bat with linseed oil to which he replied yes all over. Mr Titmus then calmly explained that he should not have put the oil on the joint where the handle joins the bat, and that is why it broke. If Fred is still around I would like to thank him, he saved me at least two weeks pocket money. Cheers
I lived in Broadacres till 1973 and remember Fred Titmus`s sweet shop and Manor Parade Shops. Hatfield Garden Village was a great place to grow up in.
I have lived here from 1956 to present day 2011 and remember all the famous people hatfield produced inc donavon
I lived in Hatfield from 1959 until 1966 when we moved to York. I went to Green Lanes Primary and often visited the sweet shop. Not being a fan of cricket I didn’t really appreciate how famous Fred was but always remember how nice he was on my visits.
Sadly Fred died earlier this year 2011
Another international cricketer was Bill Edrich who played with Fred Titmus and lived a few hundred north of Fred’s shop in Green Lane.
Another famous cricketer, Bill Edrich, lived a few hundred yards north of Fred’s shop along Green Lanes on the opposite side of the road.
I never met Freddie Titmus but I remember his sweet shop on Manor Road in Hatfield Garden Village. However, I have met Freddie Brown who lived in Bramble Road and was captain of the MCC.