Living In Harold Hill

I was born at 55 Bedale Road in January 1955, 1958 we moved to a prefab 55 Briar Road. The prefab was great and Dad took great pride in the garden which wrapped around our home, he build a big fish pond in the back. We were opposite the parade of shops, I remember there was a fish & chip shop, greengrocer, Bakers Shoe menders, a wool shop, chemist, newsagents, butchers ( with a huge metal ornate till that 'George' used to let us press the buttons on). I went to Bosworth Infant and Junior school, the infants I remember Mrs Galloway and Mrs Shields (always spitting and not surprisngly wearng a waterproof wrapround apron all the time), moving onto Juniors I loved Mrs Hall who taught sewing etc, Mr Horder was our year 3 and 4 Teacher. I passed my 11+ so moved onto Harold Hill Grammer School, Appleby Drive.Sadly Bosworth was knocked down in the 1970's due to asbestos in the roof. The Grammar uniform cost my poor Mum & Dad a fortune from Stones store in Romford. I can't remember the Heads name but he was a tall menacing figure, Miss Davies his deputy was the one who really put the fear of God into everybody...she would appear from nowhere with her black gown bellowing out behind her, mortar board on head , winged glasses and a threat of the cane if you so much as glanced at her! Mr Rixon was the cool Maths teacher, Mr Pryke the crazy scientist and Mr Hursey our English Teacher a real character.
assembly every day singing, miming or making up our own lyrics, I used to love it every morning. We had huge playing fields and extensive sports were offered. At break there was a tuck shop set up near the hall. Those days the future Employers used to visit the school and tempt us to join them! We used to walk down to Sextons sweet shop in Straight Road, a tiny shop with just the window to sell stuff through with a huge man stuck behind it...always wondered how he got in and out? We used to get extra pocket money by collecting empty drink bottles and taking them back to the shop for the deposit or take rags to the Rag and Bone man in Straight Road.When I was 11 we had to move from our beloved prefab and ended up at 14 Hilldene Avenue. I was then Janet Bayley, friends with Patsy Evans, Diane Blackburn, Gillian Downing, Helen Baker, Rosemary French, Janice Berger and Sue Berkins .Colin Miles, David Bulldog, Gary Slate,Mick Elphin? Adam Ackroyd, Chips (Chipperfield)....ah , happy times :)

I remember wally, every Sunday. Also went to Bosworth and have fond memories of Mrs. Galloway, who used to have a small boat, she would tell us about it in maths. Mrs. Shields, spitting and smelling of what I now know to be wine corks. We used to change the song " Star of wonder, star of night, Sheildsy caught her pants alight"

Hello there I grew up in 32 hailsham road from1953 till ileft in71, i went to bosworths and got caned by mr gridley almost every week our teacher in years junior year 3 and 4 was old boot or mrs crutchly who was mad. I remember agreen peasouper fog that came in year four we were all put into the hall and told to stay but as you could see less than 6 inches I felt my way dow the row and climbed out the window the only way home was to walk one leg on the kerb and one in the gutter and no matter what Iwalked into every car, one day the school bully dixie deneen tryed to beat me up he got me in a cornerand i was so scared i beat him up and was then top dog in the school ,so many good kids, Lawrence Colnet ,billy gornal, Lindsey Childs, Doreen Stamp, Carol Smith. Wallies sweet and icecream van almost every night , we built a small community of dug outs in the field behind our houses ,out the front door was london in the swinging sixties and out the back, my garden fence was the boundary of greater london and over it was countryside for ever, hundreds of years old royal huntilng parks it was the best place to grow up. I went on to Quarles mr laws who nearly played cricket for England he was in the reserves and somehow saw this as a ok reason to be perpetually drunk, we had a rugby team i was the hooker we were unbeaten for years its mentioned in the 1966 school newsletter i won the woodwork prize that year, i have an extremely good memory and could write several books of our escapades .In 1971 i left the uk to start a tropical fish business in ceylon with several of the Quarles schoolmates , but due to a revolution we could not get in so i lived in india for nearly a year then came to Australia ,this was a very smart move, 70 next year, been retired since 39, i live in a solar powered house( over 30 years) surrounded by the best orchard for miles around , and more than enough money for ever,, life as an essex man, stronger, faster, smarter,and fitter, has been a privilege and it all began with the sheer bueaty of arold ill,,,we even had our own song, Home, home on the hill,where the mods and the rockers roam, there's a punch up or two, a bung up for you, home home on the hill,.......this was the chorus the verses make chaucers Canterbury tales look like coronation street. .....take care and look after your hearts......... out there in the perifery we were stoned and immaculate we were the children of god.....blessed.