High Street c1955, Seven Kings
High Street c1955, Seven Kings Ref: S639006
Memories of High Street c1955, Seven Kings
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Seven Kings & local memories
Read and share memories of Seven Kings and Greater London inspired by Frith photos.
Walking to School
I went to Downshall Infants and Primary up to the age of 12 when I then went to Ilford Country High in Gants Hill. I remember the daily walk along Meads Lane calling for a sour grapes gob stopper that would dye our mouths dark purple.
The school seemed so big and when I look at this photo it looks like something out of Dickens! Miss Backhouse was my infants teacher and in the primary I had a wonderful teacher Mr Richards who was so supportive of me - he gave me faith in myself - thank you always Mr Richards!
From Downshall I remember we were all walked over to Seven Kings Park to play sport because there was no oval at the school.
I now live in Sydney and have done since 1972 - I'm now 57 and wanting to return and pick up some of those memories.
Please leave me a message if you have any memories of being at Downshall!
Downhall School
I arrived at the Infants School aged 6, fresh from a tiny village school in rural Somerset. My abiding memory was of the outside communal toilets with a trough at the base of a wall which used to back on to the pavement of Aldborough Rd. We would compete to see who could reach the highest up the wall (if you know what I mean) and attempt to score a bullseye by actually aiming right over the wall onto the pavement.
A more respectable past-time was playing with our Dinky racing cars in the playground, I recall they always went faster backwards! As I write this I'm looking at my No.6 racing car, a Cooper-Bristol, on the dresser; it has weathered the 55 years since then a bit better than I have.
Downshall School.
I went to Downshall school as it was then. It is vastly altered now. On the left of picture was a row of shops. First on the left was a greengrocers. Then the fish andd chips shop. Then Alberts Cafe, Balls the chemist. Then Leslie W Hubbard the hardware shop. Correct me if I'm wrong but that's not a bad memory going back to 1955. I lived round the corner in Norfolk Road at 128 and was late for school most days. Mr Tucker and Mr Crisp were very good teachers. I remember St John's Church with that rotten bell that used to wake us up every Sunday at 8 am. The Irish Padre was quite a character.
