Una Taber interviewed about living in Hemel Hempstead

Interview for the ICO project New Towns, Our Town: Stories on Screen

Interviewed for the ICO New Towns project, Una Taber recalls that she had one child and another on the way and she and her husband were living with her in-laws when they applied to Hendon Council for accommodation. They were asked if they would be interested in moving to the New Town at Hemel Hempstead, and after visiting they said yes as it was ‘so absolutely country, it was lovely’. Her husband worked for John Dickinson & Co. for six months before they could be offered the house which had three bedrooms, as they had a third child on the way. Una remembers shopping at Woolworth’s in the old High Street and when she was served, a local person said ‘that’s right, serve the foreigner first’. Local people referred to the Londoners as foreigners because they had thought the new homes would be for them, but they were intended for the people moving from London. Her grandson said to her, ‘Nan, do you know you are a foreigner?’ Una Taber says she does not feel like a foreigner now, particularly as her husband served as a councillor for 29 years. Una then talks about the years during the Second World War when she was corresponding with Les Taber who would later be her husband. Una was 15-21 years old when her life was affected by the war. When Les was called up for national service in the armed forces she recalls that she would write to him, and would write to others serving as well. Another man she was writing to said he would come back and marry her, but he died while serving in Italy. Una says she never regretted moving to Hemel Hempstead as the air is so good. Her husband lived to 97 and she is 95. The interviewer asks how her husband became a local councillor. Una recalls that he got to know someone on the council and joined the Labour Party, and then stood for the council and was voted in. Later on Les served as Mayor and Una was Mayoress and she recalls giving a party for guests at the Town Hall. They met a well-known footballer and had their photograph taken with him.

Additional Description

Una has probably been asked to tell the story of her wartime correspondence before as it was covered by the local press when her husband wrote a poem to her recalling their courtship and happy family life together. https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/ex-mayor-of-hemel-hempstead-96-pens-poignant-poem-to-wonderful-wife-1323158 The story of Les Taber’s long service as councillor for Adeyfield and the first Labour Mayor of Dacorum was covered by the local press, particularly after he died in 2017. https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/tributes-paid-to-former-hemel-hempstead-mayor-les-taber-1322888 Interviews with Una Taber can also be found on this website: Talking New Towns: Oral histories of Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City https://www.talkingnewtowns.org.uk/content/category/towns/hemel-hempstead/una-taber