Cycling Proficiency At Blackwell School

A Memory of East Grinstead.

Must have been in the early 1970s when I allowed myself to be roped in as an instructor, along with Charles Sheldrick, of Charlwoods Road, and three others; to my shame, I can't properly remember their names. One was a plumber who lived in Charlwoods Road (first house on the left coming out of Kennedy Avenue); His surname may have been Westfield, or Westlake. Then there was an ex-policeman, I think his name was Sid, who, like me, lived in Kennedy Avenue, as did a guy named Eddie. I think it was a Councillor King who set up the 'school', which prepared children for a test; if they passed, they received a badge and, I think, a certificate. We used to do Saturday morning stints at Blackwell School; one of the playgrounds was turned into a mini-road system, with pukka markings, a zebra crossing - the lot. I believe the kids would have been 11 or 12. We may have done up to four annual 'seasons'; can't remember why we stopped - whether the scheme came to an end, or others took over. Heck, I wish I could give my memory a service...