Chingford

A Memory of South Harefield.

As I attended school at St. Egberts College on Ridgeway in North Chingford, we did on occasion get to go swimming at Larkswood Pool. Swimming in any pool was a treat for most of us as the only 'swimming' we usually did was at the sea-side on summer holidays. It wasn't till later in 1947 after we moved to Elm Park Essex, that I had the opportunity to go to Kennylands School, a summer school at Sonning Common near Reading. Here I met and fell for a young lady named Thelma. Later I moved to Scotland my first job.  When I got a free pass home every eight weeks, I took the train from Invreness to London then the Underground and a bus to Chingford. Thelms's parents made me very welcome and I stayed there most pass weekends. They wewre fine people Mrs. Loader worked on the sweet counter in Woolworths and we often went to see her on Saturdays.
We dated and finally got engaged. However after promising she would follow me to Canada, she changed her mind and returned the ring to my parents. Then she decided to marry another. During our courting days she lived with her parents in South Chingford at 33 St. Johns Road, right near Larkswood Pool.