We loved our sport at Garth School, Morden

My father David Jenkins taught at Garth Secondary Modern in the late 1950s. He died several years,ago but used to tell stories about being involved in introducing rugby to the school along with other Welsh teachers. Does anyone recall this? My son has become interested and wants to find out if the club they were involved in setting up so that the boys could vBulletin play outside school too survived. My information is scant as my mother's memory is fading but it would be amazing if anyone remembers any of this. 

Kate, I well remember your father teaching me at Garth. He taught us Religious Education, or RE as it was more popularly known, but generally RE was more associated with Rugby Education. I can still see him standing at the front of the classroom with a rugby ball sitting neatly in the wastepaper bin and woe betide anyone caught misbehaving. He was a deadly shot with that ball and you could guarantee when it hit you it was point first and boy didn't it sting!

Hi there, I am David Jenkins' grandson and have recently moved to London. Sadly  he passed away before I started playing so never got to hear about it but I was wondering if anyone knew that the club is still going? I'd love to go down and see it. Cheers

Jacob Jenkins Pepper 

I found this site by chance and was surprised to see the photos of the soccer teams.  Sport was a big part of school life for those of us who were sporty.  I could probably still name most of the boys.  I moved to Bournemouth 49 years ago and therefore lost touch with them all.  I think the last old friend I met was Roy Laming in about in about 1966. Often wondered what became of  him and others such as Colin Carol, Ted Horton, Paul Hopley and Ian Smith.

Hi David. What a surprise to see your response to the school photographs above.

I have to say that although I can remember a great deal about our school days, I'm not sure of the sequence of events during the following couple of years. I joined a firm of Architects in London and I seem to recall that you joined the Westminster Bank and then the police service??? I remember yourself, Colin Carroll and I going to the bank's sports club at Norbury a few times and I eventually ended up joining the bank and spending some 31 years there. As I say, my memories of that short period after leaving school remain somewhat vague and I'm not sure if I have got things back to front.

I lost touch with most of my school friends after I joined the bank in 1962 so I am not sure about the 1966 date you mention in that I can't recollect you ever coming out with the lads I was mixing with at the time. Were you not courting a girl from your church during your final year at school anyway?I do remember knocking around with some of the younger bank staff for a time but then having been contacted by Terry Boustead, I started playing soccer for a team made up of boys from the St. Helier Estate. The spirit and humour of these lads were in stark contrast to those in the bank and growing up on the estate was a wonderful experience. Given that we enjoyed a great deal of football at school it was inevitable that many of us later joined teams that were based in areas further afield. However, as many of these teams had members who had gone to Garth, Tweedale and Welbeck etc. it served to keep us connected. I remember Colin and I playing for a team called Raynes Park Rovers for a season and a bit but lost touch with him soon after.

Terry Boustead passed away 10 years ago but I still see Kenny Lowe and John Braddick on the odd occasion. I also meet up with a guy by the name of Terry Hart who you may have played football with at 'District' level. I don't know how much of this website you have looked at but if you type in 'Garth Secondary Technical School' you'll find the names of several of the boys that feature in the photographs above. Many of the teachers get a mention and there are some lovely comments relating to our headmaster Mr Morris. I know that you didn't actually live on the estate but there are a number of related articles on the site which might be of interest to you.

Having had a great time growing up on the estate during the 1960s I eventually got married in 1968 and have 4 children and a grandson. I currently live in Biggin Hill, Kent which leads me to ask what made you move to Bournemouth so many years ago. Although my three sisters and two of my three brothers have now passed away, I feel quite healthy at the moment. I trust that you are in good health also and look forward to hearing from you.    

Hi Roy, I often thought about you and others after those days at school. I left the Westminster Bank in about 1964 and joined the Commercial Bank of Australia. I continued to play football for the Minor Banks at their sports ground at Catford and also joined Mitcham AC which was based, as you know, near St Hillier Hospital. Yes, you are right about me courting this girl in my last year at Garth. We got married in 1967 ( 50 years later this coming September!) and a month later I joined the Dorset Police being stationed at Poole then Bournemouth. Got fed up with the bank and couldn't see myself pushing pens for the next 40 years, hence the major change. We have 2 children, one of each and now have 2 grand children.  Still continued to play football for the Police and a couple of other teams. Last played soccer at the age of 40, started to take longer to get over the knocks! Believe it or not, I became an ardent Chelsea fan in the late 60s and still treck up to the Bridge a few times a season. Of course we also have a reasonable team here in Bournemouth, but being a small ground it's almost impossible to get a ticket. I took up table tennis whilst at the CBA, which is about the only thing I can still do, being a bit over weight and with knackered knees (due to all the sport) playing in the Bournemouth league.

David Grant

It is with great regret that I learnt that another old Garth Boy has 'Gone on'. George Gulliver (left around 1953) has died. RIP Mate, miss you.

Oh my! Happened upon this site by chance.  Primary school folks, Colin Carrol, Terry Fiske, Roy Laming, etc.  David Grant lived about ten doors away from me on Wandle Road.  Thank you Roy for sharing memories...   

Hope you like me EM address!  Now live 50 or so miles NW of Las Vegas, Nevada

Hello Roy, remember you from 8th Mid Surrey boys Brigade and from inter school sports days, I went to Canterbury Rd school.

As i recall we were both 'leaders' and went on camps to Somerset and Cookham.

As for the sports, as we were the same age I always seemed to be against you in athletics and swimming and i recall you were quite tall and well built and I seem to recall you always won. Great memories from all these times and fond memories of all the Boys Brigade masters, Mr Oliver (skip), Mr carpenter (chips), Mr bell (ding dong),Mr Mack. 

Garth U15’s

Back row left to right: Tommy Maynard, ? , Keith Glass, Ray Bates, Colin Carol, John Hersey

Front row left to right: Mac, Ian Freeman, David Grant, Ian Suggers, ? 

Coach Mr Emmets