Chislehurst & Sidcup School For Girls

A Memory of Sidcup.

My parents were so pleased when I won a scholarship to the Sidcup branch of the school and my father bought me the new-fangled biro (was there a propelling pencil the other end?) as a present. Mum could only afford one set of uniform and it had to be washed every other night. I can't now recall many names of my classmates but can see most of their faces in my mind's eye. I can't remember the teacher's name!). She taught shorthand and typing and was very tall and elegant. She used to sign the last letter of her surname with a capital "R" - so, as I was LockyeR, I too copied her. Very swish, I thought. There was Barbara Payne who lived in a flat at the bottom of Station Road; Joan West, Sheila Fagin, etc. The Headmistress was Miss Anderson and her deputy was Miss Wayeth. They were wonderful, as in 1951 my little brother was drowned and their kindness and consideration helped so much. The Chislehurst lot had a male Art teacher and we Sidcup girls envied them because we had all females. Luckily there was a boys' school almost next door for us. Having to wear the beret with stiff badge sticking up was thought "not cool" so we all squashed the badge under the brim and removed the beret a.s.a.p. Just before the Regal cinema was a lovely bakers (next to Barclays Bank) where you could buy a penny sticky bun. I wish I could remember a bit more, but unable to do so. Would be lovely if this memory (such as it is) jogs other minds. All we "girls" must be in our early seventies now. And I haven't been back to Sidcup since 1961.