Memories Of Tyler''s Croft 1959 To 1963

Harold , It sounds as though you were a year older but I was also in he orchestra and recall all of the teachers names mentioned. The school did me and many of my friends well.
John Healy

I went to Tyler's croft and left in 1958 to start work. Very happy memories of that time. I lived in the prefabs on Townsend Lane.

Hi Shirley i also lived in the prefabs in townsend lane
My friends were Denis Brown,Martin Carol,Derick Allen then we moved to the council estate by Fryent School that was sycamore grove do you remember any of this i also had a sister Estelle Samuel that went to the same school

When I went to Tylers Croft wasn't it Mr Axton who was headmaster

Hello Stephen... Just a quickie, dear Martin Carrol was killed in Ireland whilst serving in the Royal Artilary... God bless him. I know that people used to say that joining the army was the best thing he did, well who knows. I remember the other people you mention as I also lived in Townshend Lane, opposite the factories. I remember several people around the Sycamore estate...... went to see Mickey Richardson a couple of months ago....still a good lad, he was a grey drummer like Charlie..... Charlie lived in the prefabs in Pilgrims Way. So many wonderful memories! Did you know Stan and Willy Hardy.... Stan was the lifeguard at Kingsbury swimming pool. Silly, I've been told owns a hotel in Turkey...... who knows but we had some laughs! Anyway Stephen best wishes. Geoff Shwalbe

Vic DePaauw
I went to Tyler’s Croft.Mr Axton was headmaster. Perkins was in Music .Charlie Watts had a motorbike that would not run.I lived in Townsend Lane opposite the allotments .Moved to elthorne Road till married in 1963. Now in Oxfordshire

Was at Tylers Croft from 1954 to 1958. My class teacher was Mr Jones, a fiery Welshman who had a remarkably accurate aim with chalk sticks, or anything else that came to hand. Mr Taylor, who could hold a class spellbound throughout a 45-minute lesson. The only other staff member I recall was the art teacher, Mr Coutts. He helped me achieve my one real claim to fame while at the school - The muralist work of the mad-hatter, which overlapped the school dining room clock as his pocket watch. It took many lessons to paint. Goodness knows how long it remained in the dining roof. I left in October 1958 to join the RN and later went into advertising and journalism.

I was at Tyler's croft from 1958 to 1963, I remember those teachers as well as Mr Taylor English, Mr Simmonds PE, Mr King science and Mr Horn did RE as well. Some of my classmates were Graham Jaggs, Albert Vanner, Brian Knight, Vic Jones and Malcolm Teague.

Yes, I remember all those names. I was only at Tyler's Croft from September58 to March 60 as I moved home. I sat next to Graham Jaggs in class, and form teacher was Mrs Walker.

Wow, remember all the teachers names and great memories of Tyler's. Attended there 1960 - 64. Also a member of the orchestra as cellist. James ( Jim) Killick

Remember Alan Day well..and his brothers Peter and Roger.....in the Boys Brigade together..hope you are well Alan...been a long long time!

I read the comments here with great interest and came to the conclusion that most of you commenting must have been at the same school, but in a different dimension. I was there from 1960 and recall all the teachers Harold mentioned. Mr Horn was my form teacher and for me was the best of them. Mr Kadish was the worst, teaching art and judo. We were not allowed to speak one word in class and I watched him beat the hell out of a boy one day for the "insolence" of telling him that he had no right to beat us children. When the boy (I think his name was James) got off the floor and told Kadish he would report him, Kadish said that he "might as well make it worthwhile" and sent him to Mr Flint to be caned. With such a discouraging start it is amazing that my interest in art survived enough for me to live as an artist for 20 years when I first settled in the Caribbean. Most teachers slippered the boys. It was a daily happening. One of the PE teachers would slap the bays on their bare backs if he thought they weren't trying hard enough, (I think Mr Simmons was the nicer of the two) but it was enough for me to skip the class for two whole years. Mr Gregory, Maths, would slipper up to 5 boys in a single class. I remember when the first calculators were allowed in school, heavy metal contrivances that worked mechanically by turning a handle. Gregory was white faced and shocked when I passed GCE maths. Mind you, I was surprised too! Mr Jackson, Technical Drawing was ok and so was Mr King, science, and Mr Perkins, Music... but they were all pretty boring. Mr Lovejoy was the teacher who told me I was an idiot and destined to work in a factory. Today I live largely through selling my autograph, but if I had listened to Lovejoy I would never have made Star Wars and 60 other movies, nor written my books, nor lived on a tropical isle where tourists keep me in pina coladas. The friends I remember David Kelly, Paul Barrett (I think that was the surname, his brother was Norman and they lived off Church Lane) and Peter May. No idea what happened to any of them. I remember boys named Derek and David too. So generally, my memory of Tylers was what a relief it was to leave, yet frightening as we were so poorly prepared to face the reality of life in the outside world. Definitely a different dimension to what you other ex-students seem to recall.