Gubbins Lane Harold Court Primary

A Memory of Harold Wood.

I lived on Shepherds Hill and attended this school until I went on to Redden Court Secondary Modern at age 11. My name was Marguerite Valentine at the time. I would be interested to hear from anyone who attended during this time and especially those who lived on my route to school. Linda who lived just before the bridge that crossed the river Ingrebourne. Or Ann Swain who also lived on Shepherd's Hill.
I have been in Toronto Canada since 1966 and am married to Alan Wong who I met in Hornchurch in 1965. We eloped in September 1965 to Scotland . Married in October 1965 and came to Toronto November 1966. I lived at 22 Shepherd's Hill with my sister Valerie, mum Ivy and my dad Walter James Valentine who worked at Warley Hospital as an electrician. My brother John was 11 years older than I and got married at 19. I don't remember too much about him as a kid except the ear twisting he inflicted on me to go and make a cup of tea for him and the Elvis Presley records - 78's.
We lived across from Fordham's farm and loved to go scrumping in his fields where pear and other fruit trees were never harvested. We also loved to go mushroom picking in the cow field at the rear of our house, and newting in the pond. The fields where wheat was grown became a golf course but a strip behind our house was not developed.
I could access the park across the fields and cross the river on a rope swing or a fallen tree. Often accompanied my our dog, Jet, a black mongrel my brother had brought home telling my mother it was a Scottie! I remeber the warnings about not going in the wading pool becasue of Polio even though we had been vaccinated.
I was an athelete and a tom boy and won sports champion awards at Redden Court every year that we had a physical education teacher, we didn't that first year! 1959.
I have 3 children my daughter will be 39, oldest son 34 and youngest son 30 this year.
My mum's family were publicans and ran the Thatches Arms in Brentwood until maybe the early 40's. They had also run the First and Last Inn in Cornwall. My mum's two brothers, Arthur and Sid were also in the ale business, as it was referred to later. I think that meant off license where you bought beer to take home! Mum and dad frequented the Cherry Tree in Brentwood on Saturday evenings. We often walked to the Shepherd and Dog to buy Smiths crisps, with a little packet of salt wrapped in blue wax paper inside!
My dad worked at Warley Hospital as an electrician, my brother apprenticed there as a sheet metal worker and my sister also apprenticed as a dress maker. I rebelled as it was expected in the 60's and left school and apprenticed as a hairdresser in Hornchurch and wanting nothing to do with Warley Hospital thank you very much.
Oh the memories. Will be in England in the spring of 2012 now that I am retired, with Al my hubby for 47 years. Feel free to contact me through this site or on Friends reunited searching under the schools mentioned above.