Living In Aveley 1952 61

A Memory of Aveley.

A Memory of Aveley
Hello. I also stumbled across this site by accident and was blown away by all the memories shared by Colin Newberry on Mar 25th 2014. I can relate to many other memories shared but Colin's are so close, my memories flooded back. I moved to Aveley with my Mum and Dad -JOYCE and DEREK WILTCHER c.1952 from Grays town center, where we lived in a flat above Sydney Greys store (Radios TV's Fridges etc) in the high street right opposite Clarence Road.
We lived at 10 Arnhem Avenue, (and as of Aug 16th 2015 our house is the first photo in Google street view). To the right and next door were old peoples bungalows and Mr and Mrs WAKELING lived there, Mr Wakeling used to breed rabbits and he always fattened one up for us at Christmas. Attached to the left of us lived Mr and Mrs MANN and their daughter Dorothy, their house fronted on Field Road and faced the EDGELER's family (Daughter?? and David) and yes, Mr Edgeler was confined to a wheelchair as a result of being a PoW in Japan. Next door to the Edgelers at 12 Arnhem Ave lived the GROVE family (Chris and Beverley). Opposite 10 and 12 Arnhem Ave were two pairs of semi detached houses - the COKER family (son Paul) lived in the extreme left, attached and next to the right lived ??? To the right and the left in the second pair of semi's (opposite no.12 Arnhem Ave lived the PAISLEY family (son Raymond) and to the right of the Paisley's, the LANNIGAN's. Just for the record, I played regularly with Dorothy Mann, David Edgeler, Chris and Beverley Grove, Paul Coker and Raymond Paisley. I also had friends Donald Thwaites, Gary Eastland, Edward Hunwick, Richard Watkins (the Watkins family actually moved into our house, 10 Arnhem Ave when we moved out!!!
When we moved to Aveley I went to Aveley Primary School, I don't remember many teachers names but am I right that Mr Skinner became the Headmaster? One memory that sticks in mind was JAM ROLLY POLY AND CUSTARD, my favourite. Another memory was Sports Days, they were great, for some reason I was always picked to help set out the running track.
I then moved up to Bushy Bit, what a marvelous school it was. I remember Woodwork, Cookery, Gardening (complete with Snake Pit), Art, Music (the school had its own orchestra), PE and the notorious Harold Napier and his store cupboard!!!??? Looking back we were lucky to have him as our PE teacher, he taught us Football, Cricket, Athletics including, all field events, Boxing and Archery. In the Gym, apart from all the gymnastic equipment which we all mastered to some degree!! I remember we used to build human pyramids, ones memory plays tricks on you but I believe we managed four tiers!!! Bushy Bit had an excellent reputation for sporting prowess in Inter School and District competitions.

A memory of Aveley by Michael Wiltcher

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Added 19 August 2015

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Hello Michael. Colin Newberry here. Finally got round to it - I've a big garden to look after. I loved reading your memories from the "other end" of Arnhem Avenue. And all the names rang a bell. Wasn't Raymond Paisley - no offence meant - disabled in some way, his leg? Next to Paul Coker were the Clarks (I mentioned them in an earlier recollection): son Peter and daughter Dawn, who originally lived next to us at the bottom of Manning Street. I can remember - randy bugger - how in a hot summer, when we only had our pants/panties on and were splashing under a water hose in the back garden, Peter and I ran after Dawn trying to pull her panties down (I can even remember they were pink), thinking there was something different in there. Paul Coker went to Dagenham CHS like me but left earlier. I managed to find him on a website of DCHS some years back, and he told me he was now living in Maldon. I wanted to keep in touch but Google deleted his address because I delayed. I don't know if my memory's playing tricks on me, but I seem to remember you as a "stocky" bloke with jet-black hair in khaki trousers. It must have been Kevin Savill, when I visited him in Bristol a few years back, who showed me a photo of the pyramids - yes, four-tier - that Napier got you to "build" up at Bushy Bit. I don't know if Mr Skinner became the headmaster at the primary school. As I've said elsewhere, in my days I only remember Mr Moss. And I heard (when already in Germany!) that Mr Skinner (possibly by then retired) died of a heart attack while refereeing a football match at Blackshots. I'll take a break and see what else comes back. Bye, Colin

By Colin Newberry on Tue Oct 13th 2015, at 10:29 am

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Hello, I was born in '52 and attended Aveley Primary. I remember Mr Skinner so well. He was a truly great teacher. I have a copy on my desk now of a book about Bunce the pig that he read to us on Friday afternoons. I am pretty sure he is part of the reason I am now a writer! My recollection is also that he died from a heart attack. I remember being upset about it. I also remember Mr Moss. Other teachers I recall would be Miss Abbot who played the piano and took singing lessons. (D'ye Ken John Peel and Dashing Away With the Smoothing Iron) Miss Southgate who wore a corset and a lot of face powder, and Mr Ford who rode a tricycle. I am writing a novel which is set in a fictionalised version of Aveley and Grays and would be glad to hear from anyone with particularly interesting or vivid memories. I live in Penzance now so accessing these places is difficult.

By Abigail Rowland on Tue Jun 22nd 2021, at 2:48 pm

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