Blacksmith's Lane Post War

Yes Alan it is a shame as South Hornchurch does not seem to be included in Rainham memories (mostly Rainham Village) nor in Hornchurch memories. I too went to Blacksmith Lane School (started in 1954) and then on to Brittons in 1960. Many memories of Blacksmith Lane, Mr Davis, headmaster who used to wait at the school gates to catch late arrivals (he terrified me). Mr Porter who used to throw the blackboard rubber at talkers!! Mr & Mrs Custard whose daughter was in my class. The garden around the back with the pond. May Day and the crowning of the May Queen. Fond memories of the Corner Shop. I also used to go to dancing classes at the hall at the junction of Southend Road and Blacksmiths Lane. As for Brittons, I could write a novel. Teachers, Mrs Prendegast, Mr Webb, Mrs Owen, Mr & Mrs Plum, Mr Hewett, Mr Shaw, Ms Medcraft, Mr Prescott, Mr Tucker, Mr Goddard (Headmaster), Miss Jones (Deputy Head) to name but a few. Yearly school operas, Pirates of Penzance. Piano lessons in the music room up the stairs near the stage. Rainy days in the corridor leading to the gyms, listening to transistor radios (first time I heard The Beatles). Smoking behind the bike sheds (literally). One shilling diinner money spent at the Cherry Tree on 6d bag of chips and iced buns. Friday nights at the Nelson Road Youth Club. Great memories.

Hello Eugenie
Great to hear we share similar memories.
If you started school in 1954 you must have been a couple of years behind me and I recall all of the teachers whose names you mentioned, particularly Mr.Davies, headmaster at Blacksmiths Lane, Mr Custard (famous for the notorious stinging “leg slap”) and “rubber chucker” Mr.Porter who was actually my class teacher in my final year at Blacksmiths Lane. How times have changed. Those same teachers we remember so fondly would probably find themselves being investigated for serious child abuse these days. I don’t think I have suffered any mental scars (though some might dispute it!)
Your mention of the music room up the stairs behind the stage made me chuckle as this was to become my form class during my final year at Brittons. My guess is that it was chosen for its remote location and soundproof construction to house such an unruly bunch! Also, if you were one of those gathering in the gym corridor when it rained, I was probably one of the prefects posted at the double doors into the foyer trying to stop you bunking in! You didn’t mention Mr. Ring. Leonard Victor Ring was a brilliant English teacher. Usually dressed in a crumpled grubby linen suit jacket, wearing sandals with socks and horn rim glasses sliding down his nose he was a true character and inspired my love of poetry but he may have been before your time. Miss Jones the Welsh deputy head occasionally took lessons to cover sickness. I recall her becoming quite angry and failing to understand why a boy in his mid-teens could not be captivated by the works of Jane Austin. I blame her for my dropping French (my favourite subject) from my GCE options when I heard she would be the tutor.
It is possible your buns or bags of chips may have been served to you by my mum Win, who worked in both the chip shop and the bakers at different times. Coincidentally Win later became a “dinner lady” at Brittons school and was very popular with staff and pupils.
With an unusual name like Eugenie I ought to remember you but I confess I do not. Perhaps you were known by a different name in those days? Which road did you live in?
It would be great to hear some more memories.
Alan

Hello there. My dad lived in Sunningdale Road from a baby in 1937, we have been talking recently & I've been hearing some wonderful stories about him growing up.
He went to Blacksmiths Lane school in 1943, the Headmaster was a Mr Marks. He then went to Suttons Secondary school in 1948 until Brittons was built which is where he spent his final year of senior school. He talks about how, after the war, the planes used to take off for training from the Hornchurch Aerodrome adjacent to Suttons school. He says that the pilots in the Tiger Moths used to wave at the kids in the playground as they took off over the school.
He used to go swimming at Bentmarshalls Pit, Sandworks Pit & I have an uncle who used to live in Avelon Road nearby.
My dad is older than you both & doesn't recognise any of the teachers you have mentioned, but it's lovely to read your memories and relay them onto him.

Hello Lynda,
It's good to hear that your Dad has been telling you about his early days living in South Hornchurch.
I'm glad someone still remembers Bent Marshalls pit! As a teenager my paper round included Avelon Road, where at the end of the road I had to ride my bike along a narrow muddy track to deliver papers and magazines to Thorogood's Farm (Albyns?).
I recall Sunningdale Road being just off Ford Lane. Your Dad might remember Ford Lodge at the far end of Ford Lane which was destroyed by a V2 rocket towards the end of the war, although he would only have been about five years old at the time.
Where did your Dad work? There are some good memories of Fords and May & Baker under the "Dagenham" memories.
.

Hello Alan, yes, my dad remembers Ford Lodge, but not that it was destroyed as he remembers it still being there when he went to Brittons.
My dad worked at R&H Green & Silley Weir, then joined the Navy. On his return, he worked at Fords river plant, before then going to Fords, Dunton where he worked for nearly 40 years.
I'll take a look at the 'Dagenham' memories too, thank you.

It's a very small world Lynda. My Dad also worked for Silley Weir at Tilbury as a pipefitter/welder during the war doing ship repair. His younger brother served in the Royal Navy on destroyers escorting Arctic Convoys. This was so traumatic that his hair turned white in just a few weeks although he was only in his early twenties. My Dad later joined M&B at Dagenham.

It is indeed, my dad was @ Silley Weir at Royal Albert dry docks but served as an engineer in the merchant navy. He continued to work as an engineer whilst at Ford.
Wow, it must've been very traumatic for that to happen. I know my dad had a couple of close shaves on the ships, boiler room fires etc.
I'm doing a memory book for him for Christmas, I initially wanted to find places of significance for him growing up & find photos of them then & get pictures of them now. Sadly most of the places are long since gone and are now roundabouts, B&Q's, Lidl's etc...you get the picture. I'm still going to do it anyway, just minus the 'what's there now' photos. If nothing else, it's been a joy finding out more about my mum and dad, listening to them both reminiscing and seeing my dads face light up whilst doing so.

That's nice thing to do for your Dad Lynda.
I did start to put together a history of growing up in South Hornchurch, which I intended to pass on to my children and grandchildren but sadly, like many of their generation, they are more concerned with the "here and now" and the eyes glaze over listening to grandad reminiscing.
Good luck with your research and if there is anything I can help you with regarding the local area don't hesitate to contact me.

That's sad to hear, though I'm ashamed to admit that it's taken this long for me to do it. I so wish I had found out all these things about them both long before now, but... better late than never.
Thank you for your offer of help with my research, it's very kind of you. I had initially bought just a small memory book to put everything in, but it's completely snowballed into more than I could have expected, so I've now bought a rather large photo album instead. As mentioned before, I'm loving finding out about it all & I just hope the end result will be a nice present for my dad. Thanks again Alan

Hi Alan

Thanks for your response to my message re Deri Stephens

I DO have an unusual name - I am JOHN Perthen - son of Bill Perthen who was the 'Man from the Pru' . My parents and I together with my sister, Avis, lived in Pettits Lane, Romford.
My father ( William (Bill) Horace Perthen) died in 1994 (Age 79) after suffering from dementia for a couple of years. My mother, Olive, lived alone in Pettits Lane until her death at age 91 in 2008.

My sister was the first to move out from Pettits Lane. She became a professional Cellist and worked with many well-known Orchestras before retiring (into the teaching world) a few years ago.
Avis married Anthony Stark. They lived in Forest Hill (Avis still lives there) and had two sons, who both became professional musicians.

The elder is Christopher who now lives in Gypsy Hill. He was also a Cellist but changed to become a (Music) Conductor. He has been heavily involved with the Peckham (open-air) Car Park Orchestra.
David is a Double-Bassist in the Welsh National Orchestra. He lives with his partner, Rhonwen in Cardiff - and they have recently produced a daughter, Mali.
Unfortunately their father, Anthony Stark, died from a heart-attack at age 52 when the boys were young teenagers.

I moved out from Pettits Lane when I married Margaret in 1975 - we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary on 28th June. We lived in Brentwood for 47+ years but were forced to move because of the undesirable activities of the next-door neighbours and their vitriolic language (See EXOTIC EXPLORERS on the Internet).

We had two daughters, both now married. Helen (born 1980) is married to Jim and has three children living in Odiham (Hants) next door to RAF Odiham where the Chinook Helicopters live.

Our younger daughter Claire is married to Anton Campbell, living in Yatton Keynell near Chippenham, Wilts. Anton is one of three Superintendents of Gloucester Police. He is also an ordained minister of the Church of England ! They have two children.

With our domestic problems, both daughters were of the opinion that we should move to be near to one or other of them - not half-way between.
We looked at properties in both areas - but Anton found the ideal property that we have now lived in for two years. We have down-sized from three-bed semi to 5-bed detached !!!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

John Perthen, Chippenham, Wilts

Hello John,
So my hunch was correct, your Dad was indeed Bill Perthen (sorry I forgot his Christian name but in those days at the Pru everyone was Mr. Mrs. or Miss - your Dad was Mr. Perthen and I was Mr. Wilson at least in the office and with customers.
Bill obviously did a good job of balancing the demands of work with his family life, having had a long spell of employment with the Prudential and a thriving and successful family.
Unfortunately I was less successful and after the birth of Ruth our first child I opted to leave the job and do something with fixed hours and steady pay - which is when I joined May & Baker (Dagenham) in 1975.
After moving out to Thundersley in 1977, my wife Vi and I went on to have 3 children and 3 grandchildren will soon be celebrating our 54th wedding anniversary.

I wonder if any other folk in South Hornchurch and Dagenham remember your Dad or me as their Man from the Pru Insurance company?

Alan Wilson