The Good Old Days
A Memory of Bexleyheath.
In the mid 1950's I used to work as a young school boy on a Saturday morning for the butcher ( I think his surname was Finch) just out of shot on the extreme left of the picture. I used to ride a delivery bicycle, small wheel at the front with a large wicker basket. The photographer had his back to the Co-op and once/twice a year you went to the room above the shop to exchange your tin "divi" coins. Also a school chum lived in Pickford Close by the surname of Rawlings and I remember making a miniture seesaw for his pet mouse. He still owes me for it! I also remember cycling from Brampton Road (the cul-de-sac opposite the goods yard which I believe is no longer there) to the Co-op on my brand new bicycle on an errand for my mother then walked back home only to relise where I had left my bicycle. It was still there, no lock or chain. I now live in Reading and am coming up to retirement, but still remember the good old days.
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Comments & Feedback
I lived at no.6 Faygate.Sally still owes me a date as we were to meet, but she didn't show. I did go out with Margaret Woodward
once. She had to meet my mum first to make sure it was ok. We took my little sister to the zoo. I liked Margaret a lot.
my best friend at the time was David Colwell who lived at no.10.
He had a younger sister named Diane. When we left school (Graham road secondary modern) in 1957, he went to work at Burtons in Dartford. I often wonder what became of him.
I worked here and there and then in 1960, joined the RAF and never actually lived at home again, though obviously visited.
What a small world.Delighted to hear from you.
I said to Sally last night "who lived at 6 faygate" and she immediately said Bryan Howard. What a memory as she will be 70 next June.Unfortunately I cannot recall you at all but the mid'late 50's is a long time ago. Sally now lives in South Australia and has done so for some 30 years or more with her second husband. I celebrated my 70th birthday out there in January 2013 and am going out there in June 2015 for her 70th. I must have upset my older sister has she now lives in California and has done so for 50+ years. I do not remember the very heavy snow we had winter 1962/1963 as I was travelling on cruise liners for Thomas Cook and Son Ltd as a foreighn exchange cashier but do remember all the snow piled high on the Warren where it ramained for many months. I also remember Margaret Woodward who lived in Horsham Road and also a Penny Smith who lived at 184 East Rochester Way, next door to her lived a Caroline. I married in November 1968 and in those days male employees of Thomas Cook had to get their permission and moved to Reading. Separated in 1990/1991 and divorced in 1996.Still single on my own and am able to travel a fair amount. Since 1991 13 times to San Francisco and 8 times so far to South Australia.
I cannot recall names of households of 2,4,8 or 10 Faygate but at No1 lived Harris, No.3 Maxted, No.7 Dunster and No. 9 Smith. Joined Thomas Cook and Son Ltd on 17 August 1959 as a relief foreign exchange cashier, 1968 joined an Australian bank - Bank of New South Wales, now Westpac, and in 1977 joined Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd in Reading as their Chief Cashier. FW, or as of now Amec Foster Wheeler,is a world wide engineering and construction company and I was based in their UK headquarters about a 20 minute drive from home. I could have retire in January 2008 and finally managed to retire at the end of February 2009.I have one son and two young grandsons Oliver, 7 next month and William 10 next April.I have not been back to Bexleyheath for many many years but plan to do so next year when the weather is better.
Regards David Roth
Just come across your article, and I think we were in the same class 5a(1) at Graham Road school. I also left in summer of 1959, with no career advice from school, or even if we were allowed to leave or return after holidays. I started my first job with a firm of chartered accountants in west end of London on 4th August 1959, and have spent my entire career in accountancy/banking. I left Bexleyheath in 1979 but always lived in Kent. I have now retired to Bexhill. I recently posted a picture of form 5a(1) on Facebook, graham road school 1930-1968, and added the names of the boys I could identify, some I could not remember, yours being one of them. Perhaps you could fill in the blanks as any I kept in touch with have died or moved away. Keep safe Martyn Smith