Fond Memori At Eastbury We Made Many Friends Es Of Barking

A Memory of Barking.

My twin brother Brian and I are Barking born and bred. We were born at 10 King Edward Road in May of 1936 (now 81) where we stayed until about 5 years old when our parents moved to 43 St Erkenwald Road off Ripple Road opposite what was to become DOES clothing store where their son Dennis became a school chum of ours at Eastbury School.
We were schooled firstly at Westbury Infants and Junior School before moving on to Eastbury Secondary Modern for Boys. Our schooling at both schools was quite enjoyable and we buckled down to all our lessons.We made many friends at Eastbury among whom were Harry Goulding, Teddy Elliott, Johnny Burrows, David (Buddy) Dobbs, Peter Miller, Albert Tyrie among a class of about thirty students all too numerous to mention. I remember with affection the teachers we had at Eastbury. There was Mr Bullen History and French, Mr Hewett Biology and Music, Mr Sparks Science a rather timid little man who always failed to command attention, Mr Brindley Maths a rather strict teacher in every way, Messrs Todd and Stevenson both class teachers and also PE teachers, I had it that Toadd was involved in Olympic athletics.believe Stevenson who was our basketball coach was also part of the England team. Rumour had it that Todd was involved in Olympic athletics.
Later on we had a new teacher by the name of Smith who was a rather large fella and carried around with him a rather larger plimsoll which he called Oscar and used it with abandon if he caught anyone misbehaving. Then there was Mr T L Perry Headmaster a most likeable man and most approachable when not giving you four of the best with his cane and putting your name in the punishment book for posterity. FINALLY I wonder how many of us boys remember the school motto which was on the wall in the main assembly hall - TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE, Which I have remembered after all the passing years.
As for Barking Town itself I recall all of the shops, cinemas, pubs and parks previously mentioned in other peoples memories and will return to these in a write-up as the more I write the more the memories come flooding back.
Clifford and Brian Smith


Added 17 June 2017

#390846

Comments & Feedback

Clifford, my name is Brian Newman and I too went to Eastbury. It was though a little after you as I was born in 1942. Some of the teachers you named had gone by the time I had got there, but Mr Bullen ( a good teacher), Mr Brindley ( whose presence alone would command instant silence), and Mr Hewitt were there. Also of course Mr Perry, ( WINKLE) as he was known, but a good headmaster. Now we come to Mr Smith, a man I did not like, as the brown slipper (OSCAR), how could I forget, was frequently cracked across my bum. You could have fried eggs on my backside it was so hot after a couple of cracks. Still happy memories, and all the fun of the fair, ha ha .

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