Lanfranc School

A Memory of Croydon.

With the 50th anniversary of the tragic air crash involving my classmates in 2011 I thought I would add a few memories.
I could so easily have been on that plane had it not been for the fact that I wanted to buy my first cycle. I saved half the cost towards one I had my eye on. The plan being to ask my parents for the other half instead of going on the school trip. A cunning plan that worked and now I am a retired father of two and have my first grandchild.
I no longer live in Croydon where I was born in Mayday Hospital (1946) and lived for a while in Rochford Way before moving to Woodcroft Road in Thornton Heath. Now I live in Sussex but have made several visits to Croydon (Mitcham) Cemetery to pay my respects to the boys interred there.
When I went to evening classes at Lanfranc we used to dare each other to ride down the cycle track that divided the cemetry into two halves. It was a long track unlit and of course very spooky, I'm sure we broke many speed records on those nights.
I remember not too fondly of the teachers at that time, some were ex-Army or Marines who took up teaching after the war. They could do and say practically what they liked short of murder, unlike the teachers of today who must not upset anyone. I think my favourite had to be a Mr Budd, the Science teacher, and sadly he was one of those on the plane. Some of those teachers are buried close to the memorial site in the cemetery
On happier note I remember the pranks we used to play on the builders erecting houses in the road (Windgate Crescent) between the school and the common during our lunch hour and being chased by them and losing them in the bushes. Complaints were made to School and the Headmaster Mr Fowler used to threaten dire punishment if he ever caught us(which he never did).

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