Mavis investigates: The Lost Railway of Haverhill, Suffolk

Mavis of Haverhill, Suffolk delves into the faded history of the railway line.

[@sallyh2407]

This is utterly, utterly brilliant. So cleverly done. Absolutely made my day.

[@SuffolkFox]

This comment makes my day 🥰

[@sallyh2407]

@@SuffolkFoxI didn't stop laughing for days, must have watched it thirty times. If you ever do one about Hadleigh do let me know (it's my hometown but I live in Yorkshire now). 🤩🤩

[@davidmoore6197]

I moved from Haverhill 17 years ago and now live in a small town in Norfolk. I had forgotten how lovely the Haverhill accent is, as demonstrated wonderfully by Mavis and Christine. Lovely look at the old railway, but nicely contrasted with current developments; grit ol Tescoos. Look forward to seeing more videos. David Moore

[@SuffolkFox]

💖

[@paradox2012]

It was more Hackney then suffolk when I was there ;)

[@johns5722]

Thanks BBC Look East for bringing me here - bloomin' marvlous!

[@SuffolkFox]

Hooray!! 🥰

[@JeanneW777]

I Love This! A great big vote from a resident of Haverhill, Massachusets. I hope you get your train and railroad station back!

[@barrychapman6486]

No chance

[@terrytezzbigtel]

'A gret ole Tesco' Mavis how much I love your videews deeaa x that reminds me of the old railway bank I used to play and build dens up as a kid in long melford. Love to Phylis deeaa.. yip thass royt

[@SuffolkFox]

Well I never!

[@sandyfretwell9125]

I live in Nottingham, BUT, born Cambridge 1948, and my first address was The Woolpack, Haverhill, dad worked at the Coop and in the Woolpack at night. My brother born Haverhill. Iv been back once about 8 years ago, of course I have aNottingham Accent.

[@SuffolkFox]

Oh wonderful!

[@waggyquack974]

Hello Mavis, I'm an old Haverhill boy born down Eden Road 60+ years ago. Haverhill used to have 2 railway stations, one where the Tesco is now as you rightly point out and there was another up Duddery Hill on the patch of ground just before you get to the big Vauxhall garage going up from the White Hart. It was part of the Colne Valley line and stopped being used for passengers well before I was born but was still used for freight. I seem to remember one of the buildings used to be the home of Haverhill weight lifting club when the station closed. As for Sturmer Arches, when we were kids the more foolhardy would walk along the parapet. Absolutely bonkers! I still speak with a Haverhill 'twang' even though I moved away from the town many, many years ago but I was brought up in the town before the influx of Londoners. On my occasional visits to my home town the accent seems to be more estuary English than the rich Suffolk I grew up with. I went to primary and Junior school at the Cangle Junior and Infants which was opposite the Woolpack (Now housing I believe) and I was there when the school got it's name. I remember being told by the teachers that Cangle was an Anglo-Saxon word for underground stream and Haverhill residents will know that the river (The Haverhill Brook is its proper name I think) goes under the junction at the bottom of Wratting Road by the Pightle and comes out over the road from Crowland Road. The school badge was a big C with a sideways V going into it because it stood for C and Angle. When I was there the school flew a little white pennant with 1000 on it from a small flagpole to represent over 1000 pupils on the school roll. I well remember playing in the fields on which the Clements and Chalkstone estates were built. One of our favourite places to play was the old chalk pit which was a hundred or so yards over the old railway line adjacent to the cricket ground. I can still remember as a young child when the Relief Road, now Ehringhausen way, was opened which took all the traffic away from the high street and Queen street because that was the main road through to Cambridge. When it was first built the relief road skirted the boundary of the town and, where the big Cineworld cinema is now, cows would be grazing in the fields. On the other side of the road, at the bottom of Duddery Road where the bridge crosses the river was a meadow where a horse called Bessie resided which I still remember as Bessie's meadow. Happy Days.

[@sandyfretwell9125]

i play this often, love your accent mine ow iis northern in the midlands, Sandy

[@Simon-wi3dk]

I was born in Haverhill 1964 , I don't remember the train station in use but I do remember the old Haverhill . My mum used to take me and my brother to Sudbury to visit family . Beecham closed many stations , he was in cahoots with the road haulage companies , definitely taking back handers . Great Suffolk accent just like my old Nanna from Sudbury , pretty much extinct in Haverhill now .

[@SuffolkFox]

Thank you for the comments and memories! It really is a dying dialect, i just want to get it heard again and remembered. It’s a big part of my home town and growing up. 🙏🏼 (I also remember Murray’s!)

[@Simon-wi3dk]

@@SuffolkFox do you remember or know if there was a bridge that ran over train tracks in stoke by clare . I am sure I remember being in the car with my parents heading towards clare and going on a bridge where the village green is now . This is a faded memory as I was very young , its possible I am confused with another area .

[@AlfieSteward]

This is really good!

[@AlfieSteward]

You deserve more subscribers

[@paradox2012]

Almost got a glimpse of bennys bbq! My staple dinner when I was at Sammy 😂

[@SuffolkFox]

One of Haverhill's finest cuisines!

[@paradox2012]

@@SuffolkFox lived in kedington till I was 12. The best memories of my childhood involved pushing the buttons on the fruit machine while mum got chips and scraps for tea :)

[@SuffolkFox]

@@paradox2012 Wonderful! Love Ketton

[@alantraish3368]

Not surprised Tesco is there. The supermarkets were looking at redundant railway land years ago. Many demolished stations have supermarkets plonked on top of them 😢

[@suffolksettler5106]

even though Sudbury stil has a station the old one is under Waitrose

[@David_Watts]

Mavis, you 'ol darlin'..well done! I quite enjoyed this lit'l adventure..although I must say it was very sad, as well. Please keep on video makin'..people need to be made aware, before it's all gone! A little somethin' from the Ipswich area would be nice(wink wink, nudge nudge)

[@Ariesbuddha]

I live here, silly Suffolk they call it lol not far wrong lol xxxxxxxxx

[@louiseelle3615]

That’s my green art work in the back ground on sturmer arches 😂

[@ill-oneofficalmusicchannel4697]

Can we get Mavis stands on the Clemence estate all day? 😂

[@WashingtonRobert]

Hello Mavis. For them that's interested in the railway there's some lovely people trying to get it back again. Check out www.railhaverhill.org.UK There's a nice Facebook page , 'Railhaverhill' and one of those Twitter things.... @Railhaverhill. Thanks everso much.

[@SuffolkFox]

YEP!!!!! Absolutely.

[@gilesjohnston2876]

What am I doing with my life

[@jelofts]

Love the accent!

[@winksplayle]

Wasn't there 2 stations!

[@leinadsenil4710]

I'm from Haverhill 22 Henry close

[@caramelthecat3128]

Squeezylemon Now i now where you live...😼😼😼😈😈😈

[@Spinosaurus-nz1lz]

Do you really think it's clever to give away you're location on the Internet.

[@finleymartin5354]

I can get u 😈😈😈😈😈

[@finleymartin5354]

I live there

[@Cooldueeaig]

True fox

[@edsstokes]

That accent is hilarious 😂😂😂

[@caramelthecat3128]

Lol Sturmer Arches

[@vaultboyasksquestions5517]

Furry alert