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| Mollie King at the WEA stall at Brookmans Park Village Day Image courtesy of Brookmans Park WEA |
During the second world war, Brookmans Park residents who were eager to broaden their education had to walk by torchlight along muddy lanes to Potters Bar to attend classes organised by the Workers Educational Association (WEA).
In 1946, a local branch had been formed in the village, meeting in an unfurnished shop on Bradmore Green. Those attending had to bring their own chairs, blankets and refreshments.
Meetings then moved to private homes and eventually to the local library. By 1989 the Brookmans Park WEA boasted 70 students a year.
The then chair of the local branch, Mollie King, wrote a brief history of the local WEA in the May 2002 issue of the Chancellor's Community Newsletter. The article is reproduced below with the permission of the publisher. The Brookmans Park WEA site also has a short potted history.
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The appreciation of art class was held at my parents’ ( Stan and Jill Cannell) house at 78 Mymms Drive Brookmans Park for several years in the fifties and sixties. I was allowed to stay up and join the group for the first part of the lectures but once coffee was served I was sent to bed. This has meant that l know quite a lot about the history of modern art and often surprise my friends when we visit museums and I can quote lots of snippets from the lectures I heard all that time ago. Thank you WEA for giving me this opportunity.
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