Woodlands School
From 1961 to 1967 I attended Woodlands School in Oaklands Way, off Postmans Lane, Little Baddow. It was a tiny girls school run single handedly by the late Dorothy Bromley, the classrooms being two white wooden sheds in the garden. There was no playground but there was a grass tennis court that we the pupils had to maintain.
There were times when our court was not up to the job, then we would go and play tennis at The Rodney which I seem to remember belonged to Dr Kerr in those days (not sure about the spelling there).
The tennis court was completely isolated in woodland and a small group of us girls would walk there unsupervised down Postmans Lane, turning left at the end into Spring Elms Lane, up the hill and into The Rodney on the right. Very often Mrs Bromley would send us there to occupy us because she would be away at some political function, her main passion!
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RE: RE: Woodlands School
Celia, I too went to Mrs Bromleys in 62/63, but for only 1 term. Were you Celia Sibley back then? I was Lucia Ball. Do you remember me? I remember you, because of your horse drawings, & I rather liked you. Lu
Comment from Lucia Tilyard on Tuesday, 7th December 2010.
RE: RE: Woodlands School
The Heather Hills, was also the only place in England where Lily-of-the-Valley grew uncultivated.-or that's what I was told. In the winter, it was a wonderful place for sledging. Lingwood Common, which was a favourite childhood haunt of mine, has 2 hills that were once used as beacons, to warn off invaders. I think the first one, from what used to be called Little Baddow Road (it now seems to be 'The Ridge'), was actually called "Beacon Hill". We lived on the Danbury side of Little Baddow Road, across the road lived the inventor of the hovercraft- Cockeral. I have discovered that the song writer Neil Innes was a Danbury lad. Over the road from Eve's Corner, there was a little grocery shop run by the Miss Harts. This was in the 1950s & 1960s. They were the daughters of a minister and their names were Faith, Hope, and Charity. There was also a Grace. The Miss Harts were old then, but I'd be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers them. Back down to the General's Arms, across the road was a small shop that mostly sold sweets. It was run by another elderly lady called Miss Sorrel. I remember hearing that someone came into her shop with a gun, but she took no nonsense, and sent them packing. We were walking up to Danbury Common and found it had caught light, we felt like heroes alerting the P.Cs. My father was an artist, and on some Sundays we would all go off to the mill and sit and paint it from the other side of the river. There were no tearooms there then and few people. After school, on a hot day, we'd go to the river swim, and picnic. To begin with nobody else knew of it. However, later a number of people started coming there.
Comment from Lucia Tilyard on Tuesday, 7th December 2010.
RE: RE: Woodlands School
Dorothy Bromley MBE later had a private school on the Burnham Road at Latchingdon where our neighbour's daughter would ride her horse to classes.
Comment from Jennifer Read on Monday, 14th May 2012.