Cuckoo Estate
A Memory of Hanwell.
I was a toddler in 1947 when we moved to Brants Walk in Hanwell. We were living in Shepherds Bush. When I think back to the 3 bedroom flat we had, I feel we were very lucky. It was nice and I was very happy there. I went to Brentside Infants in 1951 and then to Brentside Junior Girls School. I failed the 11 plus so ended up at St Annes. At 15 I left school and got a job at Curry's Head Office in Ealing. I loved it and they were wonderful employers. At 16 they sent me to Alperton Technical College where I was learning to do shorthand and typing. Unfortunately, Mum decided to transfer to East Anglia and I was unable to complete the course. I loved Brentside schools but I wasn't too happy at St Annes. I hated leaving without qualifications but Mum wouldn't let me stay at school. Since then however, I have obtained several RSA certificates for typing, word processing, Medical Audio Typing and Mail Merge, all with distinction. I also went to night school and took GCSE English Language and Literature and GCE A Level English. I worked for the NHS as a secretary and I am now retired. The Cuckoo Estate was a great place to grow up. Much of London looked like many building sites due to the bombing, it seemed dirty and depressing whereas the Cuckoo Estate with its avenue of horse chestnut trees, neat homes and gardens and lovely shops seemed wonderful to me as a child.
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I discovered later in life research that many girls ended up missing out on passing the 11+ in that area then because there were only vacancies in Grammar schools for 10% of the children. Brentside boys and girls - 5% had to be boys, 5% girls. Because girls were found to be more intelligent at 11 than boys, girls had to gain more marks than boys to pass in order to achieve the 50/50 balance. We weren't encouraged to go to university from St Ann's then because we were told we weren't bright enough and/or parents didn't have the further education vision. I later discovered I was capable of degree education and went to university as a mature student and gained a BA(Hons) degree in European Studies and History which shows the system was seriously floored. My love of history stemmed from history teacher Mrs Hodlin, at St Ann's. Do you remember her?
Brants Walk and the Cuckoo Estate is a very different area now with much of it privately owned properties. It was a nice area to grow up.