Growing Up In Upminster
A Memory of Upminster.
So many memories of Upminster in growing up, thankfully my memory is still intact. Wonder how many people remember the following, Silver Horn sold the most delicious ice cream in Corbets Tey Road. Unigate dairy was at the back of the now Rooms furniture store, with the milk dispenser machine in Station Road selling cartons of milk chocolate drink :-)
Room Stores with the toy depart on the top floor now M&S There was Timberland on the corner of Bell corner now a travel agents. Swan library opposite the public library. Woolworths opposite the park. there was also a small record shop alongside of Silver Horn, can't remember the name! then there was Sainsburys also opposite the park and Tesco's further along. Ward sports down St Mary's Lane and The old telephone Exchange now converted into flats I believe or offices.
On the site of the now Waiterose was Top rank bingo hall. I also remember down at Upminster Bridge there was The Beach comer where all the bikers used to go to, I went to Branfil infants school I remember a Mrs Cooper and then onto the Junior school. teachers I remember here are Mrs Carroll. Miss Pumfleet, Mrs Wilson Mr Hill, Mr Jenkins.
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I was in the same class as Stephen Reed above. I remember Mr. Sumner ( 2nd year ), who seemed very strict at first but who I grew to love; Mr. Jenkins ( 3rd & 4th years ), who was also very strict ( quite justifiably walloped me with a slipper on a number of occasions ) but for whom I came to have the utmost respect. I remember having a crush on April Pumfleet ( although in my defence, I don't think I was the only one ). I too used to play with Martin and his sister Ruth at Mr. Jenkins' house in Rush Green, very near where I later ended up living for 25 years.
I remember Mrs. Carroll being quite strict and not having much time for me because - like Stephen, and our friend Ronald Grimbly, if I remember correctly - I was one of the only three in a class of 48 who couldn't sing well enough to be in the school choir ( nothing much has changed since ). I also wasn't at all religious, which in Mrs. Carroll's books at that time meant you were bound straight for Hell, do not pass go, do not collect £200.
I also remember going up to Mr. Ford's office on more than one occasion, most often for a more elaborate speech than either Mr. Jenkins or Mr. Sumner had already dished out, and a much harder seeing-to with the slipper - not that Mr. Jenkins or Mr. Sumner were exactly delicate!
I bought The Beatles albums there, always on the day the albums were released.
When I was older I sometimes had a drink with friends at the Essex Yeoman in Station Road for no other reason than it was close to the station. I remember it as being a modern pub with little character and popular with older drinkers.
I too remember the names on that list, some slightly better than others; Alison Southey ( along with Anita Grayburn ) was one of the only other two kids who, along with me, ended up going to Abbs Cross. Bruce Matthews came late to the party, I think, maybe around third year ...? David Harvey, Stephen Hutchison, Andrew Holden, Andrew Nutt ( the only kid whose surname was easier to take the p*** out of than mine, as I recall ), Peta Masters, Valerie Pollard, the other David Cook ( there was a David Ian and a David Andrew ), David Brereton ... to name but a few. As for the school itself, yes, I had a glimpse of it not so long ago ... I didn't want to hang around too long, though, for fear of getting blamed for demolishing the infants' school ...
As I think has been observed elsewhere, I believe many of us had a crush on April Pumfleet, and I'm sure each one of us thought we were the only one. I seem to remember that she ( and Mr. Jenkins ) came on the cruise we went on when were in the 3rd or 4th year ...? Definitely worth three days of projectile seasickness. Miss Pumfleet, that is, rather than Mr. Jenkins.
I'm curious to know how other people remember some of those teachers. In both Mr. Sumner's and Mr. Jenkins' case, I remember them being very strict ( probably more so Mr. Jenkins ) but also developing a great affection for them, despite the fact that I fell foul of their slippers on several occasions. I know Mr. Jenkins sadly passed away many years ago, but looking back, I have the greatest respect for him.
I never developed the same respect or affection for Mr. Ford, I'm afraid, cute bubble-car or not. The mention of his name still strikes the fear of God into me even though I'm older now than he was then.
You asked what I've been up to in the last 56 years. Quite a bit, one way and another: I too worked for the Civil Service in the shape of what was then the D.H.S.S. for about eighteen months, which at the age of 21 was my longest job to date. I don't think someone whose life ethic was that rules are made to be broken was really cut out for the job.
I've been in a few bands, along the way, as a keyboard player ( I think I'd just about developed an interest in playing the drums by the time I left Branfil, courtesy of Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, who at that time I'm pretty sure ( in hindsight ) couldn't actually play the drums yet ). I first heard Emerson, Lake & Palmer in 1970 and decided I was going to be the next Keith Emerson; in light of the fact that he shot himself in 2016, maybe just as well I didn't succeed. I also fell in love with Curved Air in 1971 ( well: Sonja Kristina, more specifically, since April Pumfleet obviously wasn't interested ), and about thirty years later I recorded a cover of 'Back Street Luv' ( anyone remember that? - no? ), for which she very kindly wrote an extra couple of verses for me.
I've written a book; it remains to be seen whether it will be published. It's a romantic comedy drama ( so I'm told ) and is longer than 'War And Peace' and not much shorter than the Bible, although I like to think it's a lot funnier.
Been through a number of jobs and an ... eventful, for want of a better word ... personal life. I basically gave up work twenty years ago and haven't regretted a second of it. I never heard of anyone whose last words were 'I wish I'd spent more time at work'.
So that's me, in a nutshell. I've put these comments on here rather than send private messages, as it is that two or three people have been kind enough to contact me privately and ask similar questions. I'm not sure if I should be flattered or concerned that people seem to remember me quite readily ...!!
I trust life has treated you well ... I remember coming to your house in Beech Avenue, and I vaguely remember your younger sister Megan. I feel I perhaps owe you an apology on behalf of myself and some of the others in the early years of Branfil Junior ... I seem to remember we were sometimes less than kind to you, and we all really should have known better.
The thing that amazes me most when I think back to my time in Upminster ( or some of it, at least ) is that we thought the worries of being an eleven-year-old were the worst thing in the world, and when we grew up, it would be easy street from there on in. If only we'd known ...!