The Hollies

A GLIMPSE OF No 27  NORTH ROAD BOURNE 100 YEARS AGO

Victorian and Edwardian housing predominates in Bourne and it has gained a reputation as solid and substantial accommodation. Some of the larger properties in the town were built in North Road and a small archive exists of The Hollies at No 27, seen on the left of this pair of large town houses on the corner of Elm Terrace, which provides a perfect example of life during the early years of the last century.

The owner of this house at that time was Mr Alfred William Collins, a fruit grower who sold his produce locally. Records show that he was in business from the premises in 1913 and after he died, it was continued by his widow Laura who was still trading in 1922 although the work may have been too much for her because the property changed hands soon afterwards. The extensive area of land at the rear, including a large orchard, was subsequently sold and in recent years has been developed for new houses.

Mr Collins was an enthusiastic photographer and, proud of his home, his family and success in his profession, took many pictures that have survived and are now in the possession of Bourne Heritage Centre and Mr Graham Luesby. We know that Alfred Collins took these photographs because each is signed underneath with his initials A C.

The Hollies is the house on the left in the first picture and next to it is a photograph of the front garden with Mr Collins proudly standing nearby and surveying his domain. The bottom pictures show the back of the house with an elderly gentleman relaxing in a chair, perhaps the father of Mr or Mrs Collins who lived with them, while the couple can be seen on the right with their chickens, a regular feature of homes in rural areas at that time which aimed at self-sufficiency, although often more from convenience than necessity.