Hitchin Town Fans Forum

Just to remind supporters of the link Hitchin F.C's founder John Pardoe had with his Harrow School and Wanderers contemporaries: John Pardoe: Harrow School 1853-58, Forest F.C 1862-64, Hitchin F.C 1866-7 Cecil Reid: Harrow School 1855-61, Wanderers F.C 1865-72, Hitchin F.C 1866-71 & Welwyn F.C R...

I have found details of Reverend Pardoe's education. Harrow School (Mr Rendalls House) Entered midsummer 1853. Left 1858. Home address given as Leyton Vicarage, Essex. BA 1861 Trinity College, Cambridge. Another celebrity to enter Harrow in John Pardoe's intake was (later General) Redvers Buller, wh...

Can't think why, but I've just finished reading The Prince by 'Old Nic' Machiavelli. First published in the sixteenth century, it describes the art of political control and leadership; much of it echoes modern day manipulation by governments worldwide.

22nd May 1840 Thomas Carlyle gave a lecture in his series 'Hero Worship'. On Friday 22nd May 1840 his subject was 'The Hero as King'. A small snippet: 'You have put the too Unable Man at the head of affairs! The too ignoble, unvaliant,fatuous man. You have forgotten that there is any rule, or natura...

Just 63 pages into Reginald Hine's 'The History of Hitchin', and I've already seen recorded the following names for Hitchin: Hiche, Hicche, Hitchche, Hycchyn, Hecchen, Hichyn, Hicchyn. The book was written many years before our visit to Truro in September 2014, so perhaps we can forgive Truro for th...

I have far too many pictures in my photo album of relatives' grave stones in the Vienna cemetery. One feels one's age when the whole of your parents' generation has disappeared into the ether (my last paternal (English) aunt died a couple of years ago). The lockdown has been weird. Reaching a low po...

A HAPPY DAY AT CODICOTE On Monday, 19th July (1869), an exciting scene as is seldom to be met with even in 'Merry England', took place at Codicote, and will remain for many a long day impressed on the minds of those who were fortunate enough to pass that way. The cause of the rejoicing was the retur...

Thank you, Stuart. Happy to hear that Fred is enjoying the historical items on the forum. In the times of yore when Canaries' fans would visit unfamiliar away grounds, from Histon to Kingstonian and beyond, I would see Fred and yourself crossing the car park, and I would know I was in the right place!

The 1870s ST ALBANS 0 HITCHIN 1 A match was played on Saturday last [21st January 1871] at St Albans. Hitchin won by one goal to nil. The players were as follows: St Albans: F.M.Seamarke, captain; W.O.P.Smith, R.Barker, F.A.Black, F.B.Thornton, J.Grimstead, L.Lipscombe, H.Brash, E.Stucley, substitut...

My first visit to Reading was on a football special train. The match was rained off, and all the Hatters' fans were forced to wait three hours in a wet and windy (and very boring) Reading town centre before the return journey. In the 70s, I remember pubs and chippies locking their doors at the sight...