Cruick Avenue

A Memory of South Ockendon.

I moved to 69 Cruick Avenue with my parents on my 5th birthday, 13th June 1960. We lived next door to The Wilsons (67) and the Scriveners (71). I started school at Mardyke the following September. I remember Mr Swanbury being the caretaker with Charlie Beck his assistant, who later became the caretaker. Mr Condon was the headmaster and later Mr Durham. The teacher to steer clear of was Mrs Peart, bit of a battle axe and handy with the ruler on one's knuckles! Lovely memories flooded back on reading Ian Pescot's memories. In our block were the Mundy's, Peterkins, later the Prices and later still, the Grooms. Then the Pescots, Wilsons, us Hunters, Scriveners, Krygers, Nokes and the Crosbys. A lovely street in those days. I can remember a family down the road a bit, No.55 I think. They had a poodle that walked everywhere on it's back legs! I was last in Ockendon about 10 years ago. The 'big' shops looked like something you'd see in Iraq! Even the bank was boarded up during the day!