Marden Park

A Memory of Caterham.

Marden Park was the furthest extent of our cross-country run from Caterham School (Wapses Lodge) in 1951. We would leave the school, cross the Caterham by-pass, run on a bridle path between fields (which I believe, in 1944, were used as a huge parking area for military materiel in the build-up to D-Day), down on to the Woldingham Road, under the viaduct and onto Marden Park Road. We would then run as far as (what was in those days) the convent. The headmaster of Caterham School at that time was Mr (Butch to the pupils) Howell. Once, when the weather was awful and the thought of the run through cold sleet proved too much, we loitered in the cloakroom to await the keen ones' return. Just our luck that Butch happened to pass the cloakroom and heard our chatter. I can still hear his booming Welsh accent: "What are you boys doing here?" Flailing around for a suitable excuse we stood looking sheepish ... but not for long ... "Follow me" says Butch and off we went, quaking in our plimsolls, to his office to receive six of the best, with nothing but our thin running shorts to cushion the cane.

John Logan