Should you be walking from these crossroads in New Park towards town, take time to look to your left and take in the view of Omega Street, stretching back up New Park hill. At the top is the school, perched on the hill like a medieval castle, peering down sharply upon the village below. In the community, streets were frequently named with connections to the Gas Company, as it was the very reason for New Park’s existence. Although there is no ‘Alpha Street’, one wonders whether ‘Omega’ signifies the last of the housing considered necessary for the housing of the Company’s workers. Initially it was the right hand side of the street that was built, with the left hand side coming later. However with the complete street in mind, it holds many fine examples of the communal spirit to be found in this independent area.

At the top left, on the corner was a small bakers and during the breaks and lunchtimes of the school, the owners would sell their produce to the children through the school railings. One house down, on this left side, lived Mrs. Black who visited the Centre with a photograph of her sister at the school in 1911. The class, along with two teachers, is at a time when the school was still considered to be part of Bilton. It did not become New Park Council School until 1925. To the left is Miss Mountcastle who must have spent her entire career at the school. She lived on Elm Street, next to St. John’s Church. In front of her stands Mary Wood, the sister to Mrs. Black. The other teacher is Miss Fisher.

Directly opposite Mrs. Woods house, lived the Cracknell Family whose connections were very much tied to the Gas Company. Alf Cracknell, worked in the retort house where he fed the coal into the ovens, releasing the gas.

His wife, Martha, was very active in community events. At an early age, she can be seen, third from the right, preparing for a May Queen Parade. This photo was taken in the lower school playground next to Omega Street. Indeed, the school playgrounds were where the children of Omega St. often played out of school hours.

In later years Alf and Martha can be seen 3rd and 4th from the right in this celebration of the New Park Beauty Queen.

Martha can also be seen in this photo, 6th from the left when she played in the New Park ladies football team. During the matches in WWII, the ladies with collecting tins raised money for the men when they returned home. Each was given a packet of cigarettes and a couple of pounds for a drink. This was distributed from the school.