Hidden Royston

Behind closed doors at Royston Police Station Policing across Britain is changing in response to new technology, the changing nature of criminal activity and reduced resources, and Royston is no exception. Until 1896, the town actually had two police stations – one was part of the Cambridgeshire force, the other came under Hertfordshire – because […]

A straw poll of residents in Royston High Street one grey Monday morning found a broad acceptance of CCTV cameras in public places. “If you’ve nothing to hide, why would you worry?” was a typical response, and others were reassured and felt safer. I was standing under one of the CCTV cameras in 11 locations

Old Royston’s unseen sights Our lives are so full these days – with 24-hour news, mobile phones that can do pretty much everything for communication, including making calls – we can easily go around with our eyes metaphorically shut. We may have become less observant or, as a survival strategy, we cease to take in

An hour with Ray Constant, Watch Commander at Royston Fire Station reveals much about what has kept him in the fire service for the past 24 years, the last five based in Royston. A guided tour around the fire station reveals a comfortable but professional setup – with a mess deck where the crew gather

Below stairs at the Banyers House Historical records are selective and therefore open to interpretation, making any attempt to uncover the past all the more interesting. That’s what I discovered when trying to unearth some ‘underground’ stories about the Banyers House in the centre of Royston. Some facts about the Banyers are well documented. It’s

Royston road names revealed If they know nothing else about their history, Royston residents are aware that the town stands at the crossroads of two great Roman roads – Ermine Street and Icknield Way – which are themselves believed to be ancient British trackways, though some would dispute this. In the town centre, Icknield Way

Behind doors – Offscreen at the Royston Picture Palace When the Priory Cinema in Royston closed on 28 September 2000, after 67 years, there was a public campaign to keep it open. Instead, nearly two years after the curtain had come down on Stuart Little (the film, not the mouse-like star) the building came down

Below the High Street The death of the high street has been foretold many times over the decades. Royston is no exception – with empty shops in evidence, ‘use it or lose it’ applies more now than ever. One cause of the gradual decline of the British high street has been attributed to the relative