Cuckoo School The Chaplain Connection

A Memory of Hanwell.

To anyone living in and around Hanwell, Cuckoo School was the edifice which overlooked many of our homes. The school where Charlie Chaplain was sent as a boy had a gothic and slightly spooky appearance. Many a child would be told that if you looked up at the high windows you would see the plaintive face of a child's ghost peering out. I believe we all convinced ourselves that yes, we had seen the ghost and that it walked the upper coridoors of the old school building. Surrounding the school were mainly playing fields at the upper level, which backed onto Westcott Crescent along one side, and a small playground with swings, slide and roundabout (not sure if it ever had a witches hat one). I was actually forbidden by my parents to come here alone to play - my mother and I would often cut up through the park to get home. I am not sure if there had been problems here, it was a pretty strange place and youths did hang out there. However, what child listens to the words "No"? My friend and I came here to play one day and were going up and down the slide together, sitting one in front of the other. As we climbed to the top, my friend got her foot caught in my dress and as I turned to tell her, I pitched over the top of the slide and fell to the ground below. No safety surfaces in those days. Not sure how I didnt do more damage, but I did cut my chin open quite spectacularly. Fortunately, my Dad had been sent out to find me and he turned up just in time. A neighbour had to drive me to King Edward's Hospital to have my chin stitched as we did not own a car.
As I moved into teenage years, I used to go to a Youth Club held in Cuckoo School. It was the place to hang out in those strange in-between years before I was old enough to go into a pub. I seem to remember there was still a fair bit of "snogging" went on there. I then joined an Amateur Dramatic group who used to put on plays at the school. Their rooms were way up in the attic of the school and yes, it was spooky and I was always aware of the fact I might meet "the ghost" when I was up there painting scenery on my own - I never did...... At the same time I was using the basement area - far more intriguing. There was a pottery workshop down there, and I would sometimes make props for the Drama group down there. There was also a garage workshop I recall. But it was all very "Mr Bond" down there with a hint of Dr Frankenstein as well!

---

---