No. 2 Market Place, is a beautiful listed building, that
is now (2015) the residence of Toni & Guys Hairdresser. It’s said that upstairs in one of the rooms
there is Tudor Rose on the wall about the fireplace. A lovely picture of the building as it is today can be found HERE
It has a long history, and in 1851 it was the home of
George Beaver, a retired basket maker and his family.
In 1859 alterations took place for a new post office (the post office had previously been in Bucklersbury.) The post office remained in the Market
Place, until it was moved to Brand Street.
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| Photo from Hitchin Past and Present by Pat Gadd |
The first postmaster was John Beaver, who stayed in
his post for forty years. He also ran a
grocery shop on the same premises. John would watch the Salvation Army Band playing in the Market Place, and when
the band asked the crowd for a penny to play another tune, he would throw
enough money on the drum to make the band start over again.
From 1908 – 2002 the building was Briggs & Co, later
Peter Briggs (book maker, later a shoe shop – which I remember very well.)
