My Childhood Memories

I wrote this some time ago and I'm glad I did because my memory is already fading at times. People that I remember from that time: Glenda Lawkins, Tommy Triggs, Johny Corse, Teresa McGuigan, Jimmy (can't recall his surname) a good mate nevertheless. There's lots more that I remember by first names but I won't bore you with a long list.

Later on I got married there while at the ripe old age of 20. My Best man was Jack Titchard who was a great mate and who is still a friend to this day. That marriage did not work out and sometime later I reconciled with my schoolday's crush, Jackie Cusack. We married and had two beautiful daughters, Kerry and Tiffany. After more than several career moves I finally settled on the Rag trade and opened a shop in Elm Park and a Factory in Harold Wood. This was a very successful venture and after several good years I and my partner in the factory, Ray Wiggins, were approached by COSIRA , a government department, and asked to consider moving our factory to Lincolnshire. After some investigation we decided to accept the government offer (it included a new purpose built factory) and we moved to Lincolnshire, settling near Boston.....to be continued.

I lived near the top of Dorking Road from about1956 to 1963 with my mum and dad and older brother Keith who used to play jocari (a bat and ball game) in the street. He was very good and a lot of kids used to watch him hit that ball attached to a long rubber band for hours on end. I went to bosworth primary which was over the fields that you could cut through, I beleave they’ve built new houses on them now. (Shame). I went on to go to Quails secondary modern and two teachers that I remember the names were Mr Laws the head and Mr Proser who was a games teacher and sometimes stood in if another class teacher was absent. They both dealt out capital punishment with venom. I remember that Mr Proser stood in for I think a Mathews teacher who was off one afternoon. We didn’t do any maths, instead he decided to see if we could take the slipper on the backside and dealt it out in alphabetical order me being first and quite a few refusing. I was also canned one day by Mr Laws who made a great spectical of it. You were given 4 or 6 across the open hand right then left that you held out to your side or you had the same across your buttocks and if you had tried to stuff an excercise book down your trousers and were caught you got double. I remember going on a school trip to Portsmouth for a week on bound an old frigate called the ‘Froujoant’ as I recall. Mr Proser was one of the teachers who came as well. We were on bound this ship for a week with a party of boys from another posh school. I vaguelyremember having a fisticuffs on deck with a boy who had picked on me and remember that a crowd had gather round as they did, mr Proser being in front instead of breaking it up was cheering me on. I also remember that mr Proser used to take us for rugby and loved to join in and that’s when a lot of boys used to lay into him in the tackles. My best friend from the street was called Paul Clarkson who had an older brother called David. There was also a boy called Clive Whitworth who was a bit of a bully and one time he had cut through our garden, we had the second corner house as you came into Dorking road from the Hilldean avenue end. I remember him getting badly stung by a hornets nest that he interfeared with. Later my brother Keith who was very protective of me and my friends threw Clive Whitworth over some hedges after he’d been picking on one of us. I remember going to the fair with my brother and going conker hunting each autumn with him.
My dad was a barber and he used to go around the estate on his bike cutting people’s hair. In about 1959 my dad got a black Morris minor. My dad was also a county table tennis player along with my brother they played for Romford and in the Essex tournaments. In 1962 my dad died suddenly from a heart attack at a table tennis tournament in Romford, my brother and I were with him at the time and it was the first time they had taken me to a tournament. We went in the ambulance to Oldchurch hospital where a wicked hearted sister told is he was dead in a most un-compassionate way. A little while afterwards we moved back to London to Stamford Hill, I was 13.

What memories. I attended Quarles the first year that is opened. Graduating in 1959. We didn't call it graduating back then we referred to it as "Leaving School." During my stay at Quarles Secondary Modern I had several wonderful teachers. One that has always stayed with me is Ms. Brenda Dare, she was my English teacher. I still remember what she wore on my first day of school. It was a red dress with a design pattern, and she also wore a pair of T-strap shoes. I thought she was so elegant. She was a great teacher too. I also made some great friends during that time, one was Beryl Whitehead, and the other Maureen Gudgeon. Such fond memories.

I now live in the US and have for over 50 years. Wow, time goes by quickly. If anyone out there remembers me, I would enjoy hearing from you.. By the way, my name is Pauline Veil, "NEE" Slight."

I lived above that shop at 57 Farnham Road. Pauline Veil - Sllight

Takes me back. My name is John Hovey. I went to ingrebourne and then to Quarles. I lived at the top of north hill drive ppposite the red house, does anybody remember me or my brother peter.

I believe I was in the same class as ken Sellwood. I agree with most of the previous comment especially the remarks about the dreadful teachers, including Laws, Jeffries brothers and Prosser who always said in his strong welsh accent. ‘ I will hit you now in a miniute’
I remember being caught by Laws coming down stairs on the wrong side. When he caned you he always put his gown and hat on. If lucky, if you can call this, he caned in the morning because in the afternoon after he had a drink he would hit you on the wrist or tips of the fingers.
Regards John

My name then was Paula and I lived in Harold Hill from 1962 after moving from Bow at the age of 7. Our first house was in Hilldene Avenue, almost oppposite the old Bosworth school. I remember little of that school other than sitting next to boy who nearly got me caned as we kept giggling over a picture of a funny sheep!
I left after 2yrs as we moved to Taunton Road and I then went to Ingrebourne Junior until I was 11.
My form teacher there was a Mrs.Grove who was a bit of a bully to certain pupils,one in particular remember was a John Buxton,who she made stand up and poked mercilessly in the back and humiliated constantly. I felt sad for him and I've always hoped he made good in the end despite all that.
My favourite teacher was a Mr.Chiffeny,bald with silver mad professor style hair at the sides.What a diamond he was.He encouraged me in my art and gave me paint ,paper and brushes so I could create at home.Lovely man,so kind. My best friend was Dawn Collins who lived just outside the school with her mother who was blind.We used to ask if we could join Jimmy Harolds gang and play cops n robbers during break times,great fun.There used to be a climbing frame at the back of the school and one evening after everyone went home I decided to climb it,got half way across and froze with fear,not able to go back or forward,but in the end fearing more the wrath of my mother if I was too late back from school I managed to get down,phew. I still hate heights.
There was an outside swimming pool at the back of the school and once a week we all donned our cozzies and trooped over for a dunk in the cold water. I learnt to swim in that little pool.I also got my first verucca from there too.🙁 In those days you had to go to the nurse and have your toe scraped with a surgical knife and wear a big plaster until the verucca was gone. Painful.
Me and Dawn were given the job of laying out the tea and biscuits in the staff room,but I don't think they'd have been happy if they'd known Dawn used to scoop out a handful of sugar out of the bowl and cram it in her mouth quickly and there was always a few of the melt in the mouth biscuits missing that had gotten into our pockets! Never tasted biscuits like it,they were made on the premises by the cooks. 😜 delicious!
I liked my time at that school,but sadly then all too soon it was time to move up to Broxhill Secondary after failing to get enough points in the 11 plus that would've got me into grammar school. Broxhill had the better reputation at the time of the local schools and mum fought to get me in there. Hmmmm,was it worth the fight?! 🤔

I went to bosworth school about the same time as Paula and new a girl called Paula Haynes I think she lived hilldene ave my name is Brian clapton .i lived in daventry rd.great times in bosworth school and attached to school where pottery buildings .

Where to start?
I lived in Newbury Gdns and attended Broadfords Infants School, then Bosworth Junior School and finally Quarles Secondary Modern School for Boys. There was a girls school attached but segregation was practised in the schools.
Not sure what happened to Broadfords but Bosworth was demolished due to the "High Alumina Concrete" scare long after I left Quarles. Quarles is now a campus of Romford College or somesuch.
I attended the three schools over the period 1955 to 1965.
Bosworth had sports and craft activities on Fridays and each sport or activity was called a "Club". One year I was in Archery Club. Great experience using a long bow! I failed the 11 Plus and was sent to Quarles. I landed in Form 1D. 1 was the year and the D was the stream from A to F. There were about 40 to a class. I managed to work my way down to 2E by comming bottom in the anual class exams. These were used to determine your position in the streams. The top three scorers went up a stream and the bottom three went down a stream. I then found some interest in school and came top in 2E, promoting me into 3D. Mr. Clarke was the form teacher. He had a deep voice and spoke slowly. His favourite saying to me was "Your a half-wit, Northwood".
I'll have to continue this later. It's turned more into a memoir than a comment!

Where to start?
I lived in Newbury Gdns and attended Broadfords Infants School, then Bosworth Junior School and finally Quarles Secondary Modern School for Boys. There was a girls school attached but segregation was practised in the schools.
Not sure what happened to Broadfords but Bosworth was demolished due to the "High Alumina Concrete" scare long after I left Quarles. Quarles is now a campus of Romford College or somesuch.
I attended the three schools over the period 1955 to 1965.
Bosworth had sports and craft activities on Fridays and each sport or activity was called a "Club". One year I was in Archery Club. Great experience using a long bow! I failed the 11 Plus and was sent to Quarles. I landed in Form 1D. 1 was the year and the D was the stream from A to F. There were about 40 to a class. I managed to work my way down to 2E by comming bottom in the anual class exams. These were used to determine your position in the streams. The top three scorers went up a stream and the bottom three went down a stream. I then found some interest in school and came top in 2E, promoting me into 3D. Mr. Clarke was the form teacher. He had a deep voice and spoke slowly. His favourite saying to me was "Your a half-wit, Northwood".
I'll have to continue this later. It's turned more into a memoir than a comment!

Where to start?
I lived in Newbury Gdns and attended Broadfords Infants School, then Bosworth Junior School and finally Quarles Secondary Modern School for Boys. There was a girls school attached but segregation was practised in the schools.
Not sure what happened to Broadfords but Bosworth was demolished due to the "High Alumina Concrete" scare long after I left Quarles. Quarles is now a campus of Romford College or somesuch.
I attended the three schools over the period 1955 to 1965.
Bosworth had sports and craft activities on Fridays and each sport or activity was called a "Club". One year I was in Archery Club. Great experience using a long bow! I failed the 11 Plus and was sent to Quarles. I landed in Form 1D. 1 was the year and the D was the stream from A to F. There were about 40 to a class. I managed to work my way down to 2E by comming bottom in the anual class exams. These were used to determine your position in the streams. The top three scorers went up a stream and the bottom three went down a stream. I then found some interest in school and came top in 2E, promoting me into 3D. Mr. Clarke was the form teacher. He had a deep voice and spoke slowly. His favourite saying to me was "Your a half-wit, Northwood".
I'll have to continue this later. It's turned more into a memoir than a comment!

Where to start?
I lived in Newbury Gdns and attended Broadfords Infants School, then Bosworth Junior School and finally Quarles Secondary Modern School for Boys. There was a girls school attached but segregation was practised in the schools.
Not sure what happened to Broadfords but Bosworth was demolished due to the "High Alumina Concrete" scare long after I left Quarles. Quarles is now a campus of Romford College or somesuch.
I attended the three schools over the period 1955 to 1965.
Bosworth had sports and craft activities on Fridays and each sport or activity was called a "Club". One year I was in Archery Club. Great experience using a long bow! I failed the 11 Plus and was sent to Quarles. I landed in Form 1D. 1 was the year and the D was the stream from A to F. There were about 40 to a class. I managed to work my way down to 2E by comming bottom in the anual class exams. These were used to determine your position in the streams. The top three scorers went up a stream and the bottom three went down a stream. I then found some interest in school and came top in 2E, promoting me into 3D. Mr. Clarke was the form teacher. He had a deep voice and spoke slowly. His favourite saying to me was "Your a half-wit, Northwood".
I'll have to continue this later. It's turned more into a memoir than a comment!