St. Helier Schools

I went to Glastonbury Road Infants School from 1947 to 1950 and my cousins went to the Glastonbury Road Senior School. Both schools were mixed boys and girls during that time so I'm not sure who told you it was a boys only school (or maybe that was later).

Tweeddale School did have a primary department. My brother and I went there between 1946 and 1956.

We got our information about the schools from a book about Merton. It was dealing with the building of the estate, so perhaps Tweeddale got its primary unit during or after the war. Thanks for the comment. Can anyone else help on timing? (Editor)

Not all the schools were numbered. The Catholic school in Montacute Road was called The Holy Family School. Take a look at Nib West's page about it in our 'Places' section.

I spent all my School years at Tweeddale Road School, joining the then known 'Infants' in September 1937. The headmistress as I recall was a Mrs McClaren/Mrs MacClaren a stout woman with graying hair. The 'Infant' section was based in the building that was nearest to Winchcombe Road. In 1940 I was moved upstairs of said building to the 'Junior' section which was under the supervision of the Headmaster a Mr Bowman. After the 1943 Christmas Holidays I moved across the playing field to the Seniors as it was known, and left School in December 1946. My point being that a Primary or Infant Section of Tweeddale Road School existed pre-world war 2. John C Day

I went to school at number 7 Winchcombe Road- the headmistress being the redoubtable Miss Lloyd-Carter. A strict disciplinarian who commanded respect - I only found out when I looked at her log books -which she completed diligently every day from the opening of the school until her retirement many years later - just how very proud she was of her pupils - listing each and everyone who passed the 11+ exams individually - with her own comment. She was also very (surprisingly?) supportive of several male members of her staff who were conscientious objectors and recorded fully when one of them was killed undertaking medical orderly duties on the front line. I say surprisingly because I clearly remember her pride in her father who was a high-ranking army officer. It was whilst I was in the Junior School that the campaign was launched to collect waste paper to sell in order to raise funds to build a swimming pool on site. I believe this did happen but some years after we put in all the effort to collect the paper - the stage in the main hall was filled time after time with old newspapers - we were pretty lucky that an incident of internal combustion did not occur otherwise we would have been raising money for a new school.

I attended both Tweeddale and Glastonbury schools. Tweeddale Infants & primary were both mixed. I attended until I was eleven. I recall Mrs McClaren and Mr Smallman who may have been head of the Primary school. In 1948 we moved from Titchfield to Garendon Road and I changed school to Glastonbury Secondary, the boys head teacher being Mr Trim. This was a shared school being divided by locked doors in both the lower and upper corridors, the girls were thus separated from the boys. The playing field being shared in a similar way having breaks at different times and at lunch time the boys were on the field half the time then being called off and the girls took over. The infants and primary children had no such separation and could use the field all the time. We also had a major sports ground in Sutton Common Road. When I was thirteen I moved back to Tweeddale Secondary taking up the engineering stream established there. The Secondary School only a boys school with Mr Prosser as head. I believe this may have changed later, some years after I left, becoming a mixed school.

I loved reading all the above; thank you all. Born 1932 in Garendon Road, I began my journey 1937 through all the Glastonbury schools: Infants Mixed (Hexham Road), Junior Mixed (Hartland Road). Then Central Boys' and Central Girls' (seperated!) in Glastonbury Road. The "Central School" title was dropped and we became "Senior Schools". I left (age 14) just as we became "County Secondary" in 1946. A year later the leaving age was raised to 15. I told The Youth Empoyment Officer I wanted to be a fighter pilot (like my brother) but he scoffed and said that was out of the question, as my arithmetic was so poor! My first job was as a silk-screen printer's mate, at "Winsales" 8 Mulgrave Road, at 25 shillings a week! (£1.25). I gave Mum £1 and kept 5/- I bought my first 78 rpm record- at Landau's in Sutton High Street- Jimmy Shand and his Band "The Dashing White Sergeant"! Later on in my teens I became a sergeant in the 15th Mid-Surrey Company of The Boys' Brigade at the Green lane Congregational Church. Happy Days!

I attended Gaynes/Welbeck School in the early seventies and I remember the school never had an air raid shelter there but the toilets were wartime issue.Closed for us of course. You often thought  of who attended Welbeck School in the 1930s/40s.  There was an eerie feeling of lost souls in the school.

I was one of those lost souls that were at Welbeck school Number 8. They did have an air raid shelter. I remember going into it. I was about 5 years old that was about 1944. I was also in the junior choir at Welbeck Mixed school. Click here to see a photo pf the Green Wrythe Lane Girls Choir in 1953-4.

I went to Tweeddale 1956 to 1963 lived in Thornton road name was Fairhall.

I too attended Tweeddale and Glastonbury schools. At Glastonbury 1955 - 1959; a long time ago, can anybody remember the headmaster's name?

I do not know if he was the headmaster as in 1950  I left to return to Tweeddale. but then it was Mr Trim. He used to take us for mathematics. He was a mad keen gardener and we used to think of some garden question so that he would spend a lot of time answering such questions and less on teaching. One question I remember was taking in a leaf which was half bright green the other half very white. We had a good discussion about photosynthesis. Mind you I enjoyed mathematics which became my favourite subject.

The Head when John was at Glastonbury was Mr Twilley. Do you remember some of the other teachers? My father Mr Paddon taught woodwork and technical drawing, Mr Sanders P.E. There was Mr Crowhurst, Mr Pool, Mr Prentice, a lady teacher taught Maths (Mrs Baynes) I have several group photos taken over the years. Do any of you have memories of being evacuated to Middlesbrough in the war? My mother and I went too. I have a lot of info which I hope a local paper will publish. Has anybody got a suggested paper?

Very interested in the comments by Joan Todd. I went to Glastonbury from end 1939 till 1945 when I transferred to Welbeck for a Commercial course which lasted two years. I well remember Mr Paddon the woodwork master, the wood we used was deal which came from the benches in the shelters at the end of war. Mr Trim was the Headmaster during my time there. Apart from the others already mentioned I recall a Mr. Davis? who taught music? I hope you are able to get it published, I would certainly like a copy to read, especially being able see the photographs and refresh my memory.

My late mother told me she went to 'Girls County Secondary School, Central Road and before that Canterbury Road. Her maiden name was Anne Grace Bond (1931-1997) and she lived with her parents and sister in Crowland Walk. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers her.

The air raid shelter at Welbeck Road school was knocked down in the 50's to make way for the school canteen. If I remember correctly Miss Mumford was head mistress at the infants school at the time when I moved from the nursery to class 6 when I was 5 in 1950.

I went to Glastonbury Road School in the early 1960's. It was a school for boys at that time, after the building of Sutton Common Road School which became the school for girls. When Glastonbury closed some time later, Sutton Common became mixed. Mr Twilley was headmaster during my time at Glastonbury.

I went to Glastonbury High School from 1979 to 1984. The headmaster was Mr Ayliffe. Sad to say that it nose-dived in popularity and general standards by this time. Closed in the late 80's to nobody's surprise. They should have bulldozed it years ago and started again. What a dump!!!

It's been so good to read this page. I went to Tweedale School from 1946 until I then went across to the senior part. Our headmaster was Mr Prosser and our garden teacher was Mr Price. We had a small space to the right and used to grow veg. Mr Jones was the Maths teacher and we had a Scotsman for practical science. Mr Whittle was our english teacher and he was very strict. Some of the pupils names Jimmy Bevan, Billy Honeymoon, Wacker Pool so called because he was good at football. Terry Jenkins in the juniors. One of the teachers threw the Javelin at the 1948 Olympics. My fave teacher was Mr Price, we got on well. Pat Smith now 75 years young.

I spoke to my dad after reading Patricks comments about the 1948 Olympic Athlete, to see if he recalled the same teacher. My dad remembered the event as Discus rather than Javelin. I looked on the internet and found that it was in fact Discus, the teachers name was Ernest "Jack" Brewer who was a Geography and P E teacher.

I went to Glastonbury High School between 1964 and 1969 and lived on the council estate. I remember Joan Todd's father, Mr Paddon, well. He and Mr Plank (yes that is correct!) were the woodwork teachers. After Mr Twilley retired the head was Mr Oram, or Batman as we called him. He had the habit of wearing a flowing academic gown and was a strict disciplinarian. There were Mr Richard Stoker (English and PE), Mr Crowhurst (Maths), Mr Page-Ball (Music) and who could forget Wally Whitmore? Happy days.

I was one of twenty boys who went to Garth Secondary Modern in 1953. The Headmaster was a dynamic , inspirational teacher who was determined to identify and develop every boy's latent skills. In three years the boys of 3T, helped by their teachers Mr Harry Strutton, Mr Harden and the metalwork teacher built a brick workshop, complete with a tiled roof- a formidable achievement by any standard. Hugh Morris OBE was an outstanding Head, possessed of phenomal enthusiasm and drive, yet even the hardest of boys such as my pal Peter Angel had respect for him. More than that, he was an innovator, even staging a mock general election with two of the boys being asked to set up their own political party with a respective manifesto. Every morning, as we all trooped into assembly we were exposed to the stirring sounds of Handel's Largo or Water Music; no sooner had the music stopped, than the school was assailed with "7 x7 plus 9 minus 2 divide by eight...Answer!" Whatever people may say about the value of the technical secondary school, every boy in my class passed at least one GCE and several obtained six or seven passes. In every aspect our education was an outstanding success and the memory of Hugh Morris OBE will never fade in my lifetime. Hugh Morris was a vey rare and gifted individual ! Although I didn't have any ambitions in joining the construction industry, my education at Garth prepared me well, and my education ended in the mid sixties after passing my final examination en route to the award of Grad Royal Institute of Chemistry, and a very successful career at the Imperial College of Science & Technology, working in the Royal School of Mines.

Oops! That should read "Mr PANK" as the woodwork teacher. Sorry!

It is very interesting reading all these school memories. Welbeck Road was my school starting in the nursery and ending up in the senior school and leaving a few months before my sixteenth birthday in 1956. In the infants, Mrs Mumford was the senior teacher assisted by Miss Covely, Miss Rogers and sometimes Mrs Newton from the junior school above us. Mrs Ashton and Mrs Rogers helped out for dinners and in the playground and took us to the theatre, a grassed dip surrounded by shrubs and trees at the back of the playing field. Mrs Steel was head mistress of infants and Juniors and her teachers or some of them were Mrs Mumford, who occasionally taught the youngest class, Mrs Newton, Mr Wardlow, Mr Wallastine, Mr Harris, Mr Clark and Mr Mitchell. Miss or Mrs Smith was a bit of a dragon who whacked us with the edge of a ruler, but the only time I got the cane in the junior school was by Mr Mitchell, for something I didn't do. The infants and juniors were mixed and I recall all my friends, too many to list here, but your still alive and kicking guys.....Terry Johnson, Marlene Howe, George Simmonds, Benny Macardle, Ann Baxter, Geraldine Backhurst, Yvonne Helps, Terry Smith, Sheilah Lee, Esme Hancock, Bob Brent, Kenny Rashbrook and the rest of you? The senior school gave us Mr Price for french, Mr Dunwoody for art, who could point a finger at you for half an hour and say nothing and Mr Palmer (Slimey) for music. Mr Mathews was head when I joined the school but he died a few weeks later and Mr Moore took his place. Moore got the job over the deputy head, Mr Cook, who had a caveman's face and the two never really got on. Screwy Lewie (Mr Harwood) was the Science Master and very good too but he had a solid wooden dowel instead of a bamboo cane, and although you couldn't let him know it hurt, it stung like hell. Looney Larry Lorretto took liturature and also put on all the school plays until he retired; he was as mad as a hatter and would hurl excercise books at us and give us ten thousand lines, but to save paper and ink, he reduced the punishment to tidying the books up again. Mr Hopkins and Mr Rutt took games and history with (Hopeless) giving us a thump around the ear when it pleased him and Sid Rutt sometimes being so laid back as to forget to teaching us anything. Miss Breffit taught english and maths and was very nice in her tweeds and fancy white blouses unless you upset her. Mr Purton would lean back rubbing his stomach and licking his lips and talk about the war when he was supposed to be boring us with religion or divinity as it was called there. Miss Nichols had big breasts and teeth and taught the commercial class. I was ill when I started in her class so missed the first shorthand lessons and was forced to write in fast long hand either copying the notes of my friends or when she marked the transcriptions, persuaded her that she had lost my notes, it worked for two years. Mr Cook used to send me out to grab truants and tell them to go back to school. These boys usually worked in the shops or on the stalls 'Round The Circle' or just stayed at home. If they went back to see Cook, no cane, if not then six of the very best when they did return. I left in 56 when Rock'n'Roll was the thing and my pals at school then were among others...Mark Holford and Doug George who are still friends, Ronnie Parker, Micky Bowdrey, Mike Curzon and most of the lads from the junior school plus Stan and Phil Masters, the Hackets. John Smith, Tommy Irvine, Graham Goll and many more. Good memories in the main.

I guess that I rushed the above piece about my days at Welbeck Road School, so sorry for the odd error. I have not heard from most of my old pals for years and wonder how many are still alive and well. I am now 71 and in my day we had just the individual school photographs every year and not a class photo as children do now. Does anyone have any pics of Welbeck teachers or pupils? In about 1955/56 the school made a black and white film of a year in the life of the school, then in 1957, the year I left (not 1956) a bunch of us went to Switzerland and that was filmed in colour. Mr Moore the Headmaster had those films and although I tried to trace them, I had no luck.

I lived in Green Wrythe Lane from 1953 to 1968 and went to Winchcombe Junior School, which I don't remember much about, then went on to Tweeddale 1959 - 1963. Patrick Smith's comment above, reminded me of my time there. During my time @ Tweeddale, Mr. Prosser was still the Head Master. He seemed to love using the cane, which I had many times, which I believe was to make up for his lack of height & bald head. I also had Mr. Whittle for English & Mr. Jones for Maths as well & who gave me my love of numbers. I really enjoyed his classes. With age my memory is shot, but I believe we had a History teacher with a French sounding name and I believe a Mr. Peat for Geography. During my last year or two, the Senior School seconded a room on the top floor of the Junior School for occasional lessons in what I cannot remember, but whatever it was, we had a lady teacher, who at one time, brought her baby in? I also remember having football in a field opposite Winchcombe Rd. School. I was caught giving a friend a 'cross bar' to there and got caught by a teacher. For this I got 100 lines. We also went swimming once a week or so, to either Sutton Baths or sometimes Mitcham. Having moved out to Northamptonshire in the late 60's, I have lost contact with anybody I knew from that time, but I was very surprised a few years ago when I went down that way to show my wife the school, that there were houses there. My memories of Tweeddale, were that it was fairly strict, but I don't suppose that it did me any harm. I also remember the amount of freedom we seem to have then compared to kids nowadays. After school, we were either playing football or chasing girls, depending on the priorities at the time. Home for tea then straight out again. Maybe I am just getting old??? If anybody has any photos, from that '59-'63 period, I would like to see them.

I went to Tweeddale from1958 till 1962 the woodwork teacher was Mr Pooley, metal work was Mr Bulgin, PT Mr Johnson.The Headmaster was Mr Prosser. Does anyone remember Miss Gregory? She was like an evil witch and she had a silver snake bracelet wrapped round her arm .

I went to no 2 school infants mixed in 1951 the headmistress was Mrs Bedingfield a local JP, from there I went upstairs to middle school run by Mr Davis the cane king, luckily Surrey County Council sent me to Tilehurst school where I flourished. The estate was lovely, we could play outside till dark we had mobile bakers milkman and greengrocers alas no more.

I wrote about my time at Welbeck Road School and have realised since that in the Junior School it was Mrs Edwards, not Mrs Smith. How I forgot I don't know because I hated her lessons and when she was my class teacher I didn't want to go to school at all. She was quick with the edge of her ruler, had no patience with you if you didn't understand first time and could have taken the part of the wicked witch in the film of Wizard of Oz. "Ronnie is a polite boy" She would say to Mum and Dad on Open Day. "But he needs to try harder at arithmatic and spelling." I was at school when the air raid shelter was pulled down and was facinated by a strange bulldozer with four large, flexible plates rather than tracks. The food was just the same in the new canteen as it was in the hall where we had eaten previously but there was much more room and you still got told off if you left anything on your plate. In the senior school we had a gardening lesson every two weeks, and we grew veg in the school allotment which had started in wartime so I was told. We could buy our veg once it had grown, at much cheaper prices than those in the shops but if you messed about in the pond or threw clumps of dirt into the gardens at the back, you were forbidden to buy anything and got the cane for your efforts instead. Mr Bricknell ran the woodwork class and taught carpentry in the building at 'Night School' One day we found a turd in a desk in the Commercial Class and were interrogated by Mr Cook, the deputy head. "Was it fresh or several days old?" we were asked as he held his notebook and pencil. "Old Sir, because it was hard and cracked."....."How do you know that young man?" "Cos I stuck me pen in it, didn't I" was the answer from the class clown, so because we laughed, we all got the cane. Most unfair because we hadn't produced 'The Filth' as Cook called it, that was down to one of Bricknel's afterschool boys. Still it livened up the day and was a topic at school for weeks.

I started my school life in Tweeddale infants and ended it in the Tweeddale Senior School circa 1962. I remember my first day with all the mums taking their kids to school and one Harvest festival, but nothing in between. The Headmistress could have been a Miss Asprin or something similar. Miss Palmer in the Junior School, and the usual suspects Prosser Pooley Bulgin Johnson Peatie Jones Whittle Randall Goodsell DeBurgh I agree with Pat Pemberton Miss Gregory was pretty scary. I'm always amazed with the hundreds of kids that passed through Tweeddale over the years I have bumped into about 5 previous pupils. My in and out of school friends at the time were John Prior Tony Evans Tony Barber Terry Ray Keith Arscott Roy Holcombe and Bobby Gill. Other names that filter through the memory bank are David Young Colin Smith Arthur Pike Alan Cardew Paul Bates.

Hello again. After forwarding my comments, I realized I never said anything about Tweeddale Senior School. I thought it gave pupils a chance to take advantage of good sport facilities and fairly modern woodwork and science rooms. Although I was not the best of pupils I liked English and the sports lessons but not much else. Also Tweeddale gave me my first opportunity to have a holiday abroad. We went to Bad Aussee in Austria and we had a great time (well I thought so) my first aeroplane flight, my first time abroad and staying in a hotel. I remember Mr. Jones had an attractive wife and daughter (does my memory serve me well)?

I went to Green Wrythe Lane School from about 1947 to I went to the Senior side of things....I remember Mrs Evans who was quite strict and would use the cane a fair bit.....when I went to the Girls school I loved it there. I think the best classes were the cooking - we cooked raspberry buns,cheese and potato pie, doughnuts etc. I think our first home class teacher was Mr.King and there was a Headmistress or maybe Asst called Miss Hislop.Us girls always replied to her "Good morning girls" with a Morning Mrs Slop!! We then had to repeat this til we got it right! I remember Carol Smith, Shirley Bannister who I had contact with for a while in recent years. Also Heather Jay who was my neighbour. Harry Cunningham was a neighbour too and Peter Sibon.There was also a Pamela who I met out of the blue in about 1967 in Balham - she had a few children then and I had just one at that time aged abt 9 months...Would love to hear from some of the girls who remember me - my name would not be too hard to forget!! Never seemed to get teased about it tho which was nice. Oh - Alan Askey, my first boyfriend. Wonder how he got on thru the years - a really nice boy that I met going to ballroom dance classes.

It still puzzles me when I think back to my years at Glastonbury High School (1979-1984). Before going there, it was known as being strictly run where hooligans were kept in line with the threat of corporal punishment. It also had a good Head Teacher in the 70's, plus some good Teachers. Boys had to be smart when attending. This rapidly changed however just before I arrived in 1979 when former Elmwood Head Teacher Mr Ayliffe took charge. Boys started to run wild and teachers started to find jobs elsewhere or take early retirement. Windows were smashed daily and classrooms often wrecked and bullying became rife. Former Glastonbury PE Teacher Mr Sanders even protested to the Sutton Herald about it. To no avail though! Sutton Council decided to abandon the school to its fate by starving it of funds, preferring to spend huge amounts on Greenshaw and others. Teaching standards suffered because of all this. Hence its closure in the late 80,s, despite its solid reputation in previous decades. WHAT A SCANDAL!!

When I was at Tweeddale 63-68 the Headmaster was Mr Harris and I too remember Miss Gregory frightening woman...also Mrs Simon ( wife of Dr Simon in Waltham Road)

Hi, just came across this page. I have a book that my late dad, Ronald Leslie Eveling, was awarded as a prize in March 1937 and still bears a rubber stamp stating Carshalton St. Helier No 8, Welbeck Road Central Boys School. Looks like the school is now called Wandle Valley School. Cheers Barry Eveling

Found this wonderful site today,what memories!!! I lived at 246 Green Wrythe Lane from 1940 to about 1960, first went to Welbeck Road infants school. Miss Steele was the head mistress,very regal lady,she reminded me of the Old Queen Mary, I was sent by the school to Fairfield House & St Mary's in Broadstairs Kent,did anybody else go???  Also to Green Wrythe Lane,Mrs Lavery was the headmistress, Mrs Wheller took cookery. I left in 1955. Would love to hear from anyone that knew me & my brother Trevor Newton.

I was at Welbeck Road school in the late 1940s. I remember the class we were in and the teachers were Mr Purton and Larry Lorreto - he used to throw books at us! When we queued up to hand in our books he once shouted at Trevor Newton that is "Piffle and rubbish" and threw the book back at Trevor. My good friend Trevor was also in the school play, where he played the old colonel in the murder mystery.

I went to Winchcombe Primary school and then on to Tweedale Secondary Modern. I was at Tweedale from 1958 to 1963. Reading the above from John Cooper and Pat Pemberton has brought back a few memories.

Ah yes, Miss Gregory, a bad tempered Scottish lady with her serpent around her arm, sometimes used as a weapon. i remember getting a new exercise book and within minutes I had a blot on the cover from one of those old dip in pens.

Mr Johnson the PE and sometimes maths teacher. He was an ex rear tail gunner in the RAF. A really nice guy.

Mr Peat for geography. He also oversaw the D of E award scheme. Nice bloke but couldn't read a map when it counted. My friend Colin Hudson and I decided to do the D of E hike and overnight camp. It was only about a 30 mile walk, but to us it was a lot more. The idea was that Mr Peat would meet us at the campsite after our sleep and to show him that we had done that part. We gave him a map grid reference and was supposed to see him at 9-00am before striking camp. By 10-30 he hadn't shown. As we had another 15 miles to do we set off. About a mile up the road we came across Mr Peat walking out of a park gate. We checked our map ref. and it was correct. Anyway we completed the task and got home totally worn out and ready for some good home cooking.

Mr Bulgin the metal work teacher was very hard on you if you did the wrong thing, but in many ways I got on well with him. Basically I knew when to keep out of trouble. I did a paper round and at one house in Green Wrythe Lane where Miss Francis the school secretary lived the door opened  as I was about to deliver the paper, and Mr Bulgin walked out looking very sheepish. 

I think it was Mr Pipe who gave RI. He was probably the oldest teacher at the time. He was what you may describe as a gentle person. Ex. Japanise P.O.W. He had very thick fingers and nails where he had been through the works with his captors.

Mr Whittle who did English and hygiene. Which also covered sex education. Incidentally, we never seemed to get further than chickens and eggs.

Mr Goodsel I think was the art and design teacher. He seemed like a good character.

Mr Selwood science. He once accused me of copying some one elses homework. Actually they copied mine, it was my dad that showed me how to do it as I hadn't got a clue at the time. Now physics plays a large part in my work as an engineer, but most of that came from college.

How can I forget the head, Fred Prosser. A little bald man with a very lively cane.

I moved with my parents in 1964 to Kent and seemed to lose all contact with my old school friends. I have done various searches on the net and this is the nearest I have got.

Friends I remember are:- Raymond Ackers, Malcolm Weinford, Kenny Prince and brothers Colin and Leslie, Colin Hudson, John Catton, John Bagder, I am sure more names will come back to me. My older sister Diane, went to Carshalton girls and my next oldest sister Carol I can't recall what secondary school she went to.

I left Carshalton 50 years ago this month. Where has all that time gone to.

My Dad went to Welbeck School, his name was Cecil Puddephatt. He died in 2010. I don't think he was the school's star pupil but would be great to hear from anyone that remembers him or his many brothers and sisters. 

I recently came across a book presented to one Arthur Brown for "Progress" at St Helier No. 7 school in 1935.  Tucked insider the book was Arthur's school report from a year earlier.  I thought some you may be interested in a wee illustrated article I put together about the book at Arthur Brown at No 7 School (which thanks to this page I now know became  Winchcombe School).  http://wp.me/p4TkZc-8V

I went to Tweeddale infants, Juniors and then the Boy's Senior Secondary Modern and left in 1962 to start work as a Printer. I remember it as a very good school with good teachers who gave us all a good grounding in the 3 R's. I remember Dave Newbury,Tony Barber,  Tony Evans, Terry Ray, Roy Holcombe who were in my class. In the 60's we all got scooters and went around together as Mods and were regulars at the Wimbledon Palle Dance Hall. I now live in West Sussex and am in contact with Terry Ray. 

When my mum first arrived at the estate in 1934 aged 8, Tweeddale Juniors wasn't open so she went to Green Wrythe Lane school for a short while, she remembers crossing a buttercup field to get to it (she lived in Tavistock Road). She moved to Tweeddale Juniors when it opened and then moved on to Winchcombe Road girls school when she was old enough which would have been 1937. Her little brother who was 6 years younger than her went to the infants at Winchcombe Road School and because her mother worked she had to take him to school. She was always late because the seniors bell went before the infants, she couldn't leave her brother because he would run away so she had to wait for the infants bell. I'm guessing from what she's told me that Tweeddale juniors opened in 1935.

I was at Welbeck School till 1953 aged 11 when my family moved to Cornwall. Fascinating to read the comments as some of the names ring bells in my memory. Great to see the comment about the theatres, the grass hollow at the back of the school. Good times. I was born in Buckhurst Avenue and lived there till we left for Cornwall.

All the above schools were rubbish at football,they could not hold a candle to the Holy Family School in Montacute road.

My school was all in one building, Infants,Juniors Seniors,although because of the war and the bombing,school only went on to 2pm and a lot of that time was spent down the air raid shelters,but they were happy days,

I spent all my primary years at Tweeddale, until I left in 1969 and went to Greenshaw, which was the purpose-built comprehensive in Sutton.  Can't remember when I started, but I think I was about three, so it must have had a nursery.

The headmaster was Mr. Harris.  Some teachers I remember are: Miss Gee (strict), Mr Henderson (face used to go the colour of a plumb when he got cross), Mr Foster (used to get us to draw flags of the world in our exercise books once a week instead of maths) and Mr Parker, who I had in the final year.  A lovely gentleman who seemed quite elderly to me at the time.

I lived at 139 Thornton Road until I was five, then we moved into a prefab on Tweeddale Green, which was just across from the school.

I was interested in the comments of Ron Bird as I only knew him by sight but was in the same class as his younger sister Edna Bird. I also attended Glastonbury schools up till 1954 then transferred to Tweeddale school technical stream where I also took the engineering course until gaining an apprenticeship with a T.W.Palmers as a template maker. I remember At the age of about 8, Edna getting a much younger girl to pass a letter to me through the wire partition that separated the girls from the boys playground saying she would like me to be her regular boyfriend, my first encounter with women. But all I was interested in was football and playing conkers. During my first year at Glastonbury senior school the art teacher was a very nice but strict black man named Mr Young (Youngie) who left after my first year. The maths teacher was a Mr Saunders (Brumas) the RI teacher a Mr Sanders(Mousey) because he resembled one, the French teacher Mr Hawkins (Harry) a favourite of mine who also chose the school football team. The English teacher was a Miss Baines who lived in Ewell and every time our paths crossed after I moved to Tweeddale she would say in her deep menacing but friendly voice,"Hello Vail"

I moved to Tweeddale in 1954 and can honestly say they were three very happy years. Before leaving Glastonbury the head master a Mr Twilly (who was always praising the Germans) warned me and three others, to watch our backs as Tweeddale was a very rough school. Truth being that all the lads that I met were no different than Glastonbury and the teachers in my mind were more dedicated to teaching on a one to one basis. During my three years at Tweeddale the teachers were;= Mr Proser (a kindly man) headmaster, Mr Harris English who moved to Devon, Mr Peet geography, Mr Jones maths, Mr Johnson PT, Mr Bulgin metalwork,Mr Keen technical drawing, Mr Howe technical drawing,Mr Williams (Willy) history, Mr Selwood science, Mr Goodsall industrial design. All these teachers were very kindly people and made you feel good in yourself at what you were achieving.

I can still at 74 remember all my class mates and often wonder what became of them. Dave Warby, Peter Deamer, Ray Johnson, Peter Saunders, Dave Thomas, Dave Chalis, Richard Barwell, Graham Hay, Ernie Winters (We both went to T.W.Palmers), Clive Wallice, Bobby Gwilliam, Barry Jackson, and Peter Hotstone.

During those three years at Tweeddale I went on the School Easter trips where we went to Torquay (7 days) Milford (7 days) and finally Switzerland (10 days) in my final year. These were adventure holidays away from mum and dad with all the lads and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Sorry I made an error with teachers name.

The English teacher was Mr Price not Mr Harris.

Mr Harris was one of my teachers from Glastonbury junior school who lived in a bungalow in Sutton Common Road.

One thing that strikes me about this page is the excellent literacy of the subscribers.  This says a great deal about the State education of the time.  I went to No: 2 school Canterbury Road Juniors.  I can remember only Mr Adams (PT) and Mrs Wood (or Woods) (History) there.  In 1946 at the age of 11, I went to No:1 school Central Road, although, by this time it was being called The Willows County Secondary School for Girls (not "High School" then although it did have a Sixth Form).  I can remember almost all of the teachers names, especially Welsh Mrs Dennis, (Music) being my favourite. Miss Dighton, Head Mistress was a strong disciplinarian. We had no male teachers in those days.  I left there in December 1950 at the age of 15, the year when school leaving age had gone up from 14 to 15.  I didn't mind as I was happy there and would have stayed on, had I been clever enough and my parents were richer.

There were fifteen lads in my class at Tweeddale and one just escaped my mind until this morning whilst taking a shave.

His name was Victor Bachelor (fancy forgetting a name like that) and Barry Jackson was actually Barry Russell not Jackson.

From my Glastonbury days my school mates were,

John Dunn (deceased) Kenny Pierce, Alan Cooper, Brian Burrows, Brian Trower, Ronny Harrow, Brimley Bavastock, Derick Wade, Howard Clay, Clive Anderson, Roy Saunders, Richard Barwell, Bobby Gwilliam, Greyham Hay, Terry Bowshire, a lad named Bobby ? who lived at the top end of Love Lane, Brian Howard and myself.

Howard Clay was only with our class for one term at the age of 13. He was the smallest in the class but also the brightest coming first in all subjects. He had a deep voice for his age and often wondered if he was older than he told the school. He was transferred from our school probably to a special private school as he was far more advanced for his years than any of us lads.

Had to smile at the comments of David Neale bumping into Mr Bulgin comimg out of "Miss" Francis front door when on his early morning paper round. My friend Roy Barnaby went back into the classroom one evening after school closing time and bumped into Mr Bulgin and Miss Francis in a tight clinch in the metal storing room. Roy ran out shouting "Guess what, Bulgins having it off with Miss Francis" Mr Bulgin was furious and slapped Roy around the face and told to keep his mouth shut.In those days lads didn't go running to their parents when getting told off or caned, they took it like men not like todays wimps and we all kept it to ourselves. All this happened nearly 60 years ago so unless both Mr Bulgin and Miss Francis are about 105 years old no lasting harm is done. Just hope they found happiness with each other as I don't think either were married even though they must have been in their late forties.

Can anyone help?

My mother in law went to Winchcombe County Girls School and recounts an English teacher (I think) who was the Great Grand Daughter of Charles Dickens but cannot remember her name.

I went to Glastonbury Road junior and senior schools from 1947 until 1953. I had a lovely time and enjoyed all my school days. I remember most of my teachers, Mrs Nowell our headmistress who took over from Miss Allen, Miss Green, Miss Milestone, not forgetting the lovely Miss Levens who married Mr Haybittle. She had a lovely soprano voice. I enjoyed singing very much and she gave me singing lessons when I left school. I remember being asked to sing solo at Christmas, which looking back, must have been very daunting singing in front of the whole school. However, it gave me a lot of confidence to carry on with singing and drama throughout the rest of my life. I also remember Miss Pilkington who took us for games and PE, I wasn't very good at either. I preferred music and loved english. I still have all my school reports! My friends were Jean Parker, Jill Croft and Eva Spencer. We lived in Love Lane. My future husband lived under the railway bridge in Morden Way, we have now been married for 55years.

I remember the Sholl family who lived in the third house down from the alleyway connecting Love Lane to Hartland Road and next door to the Maidment family. I lived at 119 Love Lane right next to the railway bridge. Many people often said how on earth do you cope with all that noise from the trains. The fact is that when you live there for quite a few years you hardly notice them. Apart that is when at 3.00am every Sunday morning a steam engine shunting trucks would very quietly park on the bridge hissing steam then let out a very loud toot to let then know at St Heliers station that he was about to shunt their way. This would wake me up as a seven year old with my heart pounding wondering what on earth it was

I was in the same class at Glastonbury junior school as your sister Margaret a pretty blond girl if I remember. Other girls in that class were Sylvia Low, (had a crush on her), Pamela Day, Barbara Walthow, Ann Hemper, Daphne Maidment, Edna Bird and Pat Maynard whose parents owned a shop at Stonecot Hill. She left that school at about ten years old when I believe her mother died. 

The name Talbot rings a bell but I can't put a face to it even though I had many friends in Morden Way, Roy Barnaby, Kenny Pierce, Deric and Geoffrey Wade, Irene Sinclair, Barry Brice, Rosemary Jackson, Barry Bedborough. But then if your husband was five years older than us boys we never mixed and went our different ways.

Ray Vail  

Hi Ray, although I don't know you, it is nice to know that someone has remembered the Sholl family. We did indeed live in Love Lane, but a bit farther up the road, at no 69. Our immediate neighbours were the Plumridges on one side and we shared a porch with the Kentletons. The Forth family lived nearby and the Lynches lived up the road from us next to Garendon Road. I remember the Maidments, the boy( I can't recall his name, taught me to bowl. We had some good games of cricket down the field under the railway bridge. Being awfully stage-struck, I used to gather all the kids, we put on shows in the shelter in the field. I was about fourteen years old at the time. Leslie Bedborough's name somehow rings a bell, I don't know if he could have been a brother of your friend. My husband lived at no 85 Morden Way. We had an old Austin seven, which we painted blue and yellow, you may remember it, it caused quite a stir when we went out in it! So many years have passed by, our family have all gone their separate ways except for my nearest brother David with whom I have almost daily contact. I would be most grateful if you would reply to my comments, as I see you have made lots of interesting comments on other pages.

Hello Beryl, I may know you by sight but the girl I remember was Margaret Shall who lived three houses down from the alleyway leading to Hartland Road. Your sir name Scholl through me I am sorry to say. But it is still nice to hear from someone who remembers my happy years in Morden. I went onto Street View and located your old house No 69 about six houses further up from that alleyway. Other folk you may remember are Silvia Low who lived in Hyde Walk almost opposite your old house. I can still remember her birthday 8th September, thirteen days older than me, so she will now be nearly 75 this month. As a twelve year old I was besotted with her but she was more interested in her lessons than me. John Dunn lived further up the hill in the first house pass Garendon Road. He had an elder sister who's name I cannot recollect who must have been about your age. When leaning out of a train window she struck her head on a bridge wall and spent some time in hospital. You may recall the incident. Directly opposite you were the Cox family, Denis who I played with and two elder brothers. My immediate neighbours were Lesley Wing, Billy Burrows and his brother Brian, Pat Reading, John Chapman, John Cutts, Judging by the years you were at school I would guess you are now 77? so would not be in my class. I played cricket under the railway bridge when we only had to stop for cars about every ten minutes or so and was always over the Daisey Field playing cricket and football. In those day the parks were full of kids playing something not like today when they are empty bar someone taking a dog for a walk. I can remember the Forth and Lynch family's. The Forth's were two dark haired girls and the Lynch's were a boy and a girl. As an adult the Lynch boy lived in Forest Road but I have not seen him for some years now and guess he must be in his 80s. The Maidment lad was named Dennis who had a mop of blond hair, his sister who was in my class was Daphne.

Our local shops you may remember were, Gerald's the sweet shop where they sold Walls ice cream, Smith and Stokes the newsagents and post office, Pop Lyons the cycle shop where I bought elastic for my catapult and slugs for my air rifle, Tates the green grocers, Trings where they sold Trings ice cream and balsawood aircraft kits. Other shops who's names I cannot recall were, a needlecraft shop near Gerald's, a shoe repair shop on the corner of Forest Road, a bakers, a chemist where I asked for perfume called "A Night in Paris" instead of "Evening" much to the amusement of the sales lady who told me to come back when I was a lot older and she might be interested, I was only about ten at the time. A butchers and another greengrocers. Alas all have now gone but the only remaining shop is the fish and chip shop at the far end of the parade and been there since before the war I guess. A mobile van called "Odds and Cods" would tour the street selling fish and chips and a bag of batter crackling for a penny. My mum would tell me not to tell people we had fish and chips for dinner as it makes us look poor, how times have changed.Then there was Leos the ice cream vendor who also came round every day selling the best ice cream I have ever tasted and displayed certificates in his widow showing top prizes he had won. But then he was an Italian so I am not surprised.

I am sure later I will think of other memories but hope this sounds of interest to you.

Regards  Ray Vail

Hello Ray, what interesting comments you have made. There was a typing error regarding my name. We were the SHOLL family, Margaret is my sister and to my knowledge there wasn't another family with a name similar to ours living in Love Lane, we didn't live down the road. My brother David is perhaps more your age, he remembers the Lowe family, the Beckwiths and quite a lot more. He is coming for a visit next week, I will try to get some more information from him which might be of interest to you. Did the name Leslie Bedborough mean anything to you? my sister quite liked him if I remember. But as I'm no longer in touch with her it would be difficult to find out for sure. She hated school!!

The Forth family who lived next door but one from us were Pat, Janet and Peter. The Lynches who lived next to Garendon Road were a large family, but can only remember Maureen. The Ambridges lived across the road to us as did Jean Collins, we were quite good friends at school. The only shops I remember were the sweetshop and the greengrocers, did they later become a grocers as well? I used to take my mum's grocery order down to one of the shops. On reflection, I do remember the wool shop,my mum was an avid knitter, right up until she died eight years ago

 My parents went to have another family, quite a shock, when you are about to get married. So ended up with two more brothers. Our two sons grew up with them, with only very few years between. PHEW! Incidently you are right about the age, fast approaching 78!!! Can't believe it where does the time go, but still it is still good to go down memory lane.

Regards Beryl Talbot

Hello Beryl, how time can distort your memory for accurate detail. The girl in my class was indeed Margaret SHOLL who would be my age (75 this month). She was a pretty fair haired girl from what I remember and no doubt is your younger sister. Yes I did know and play with Lesley Bedborough who lived in Forrest Road just under the bridge and on the corner with Morden Way. He had a very good looking elder sister with black hair who all the elder boys fancied. Do you remember Dr Fernandez who's surgery was just by the bridge. He had a piano in his surgery literally covered in dusty bottles and was more interested in how my football was progressing than what I was suffering from. He was a very fat kindly Italian man  who I was told by my late father played football himself with the local teams before the war.Just down the road from you was a blind man who lost his sight during the war when running to capture what he thought was a German pilot in his parachute. It turned out to be a land mine that exploded above ground damaging a lot of houses. On the corner of Glastonbury Road/Love Lane lived the Bristows two boys Keith and Roy. Their aunt flo who lived with them lost her partner on a day out to Brighton when he drowned just off the beach.

I do remember the Brian Beckwith who lived in Glastonbury Road. He was deaf and dumb and I was the only lad who tried to communicate with him. He would knock on my front door and swap playing cards and comics. I can still remember the day he explained to me with hand signs how he had met a deaf and dumb girl. He must have been five years older than me and I believe they eventually got married as I never ever saw him again. Believe it or not but I can still see in my minds eye your father who regularly walked passed my house no doubt on his way to and from work but I cannot say I actually remember seeing your mother. Being one of the local toe rags I was always playing out and about the estate from scrumping apples from back gardens to climbing over the school fences to play cricket in the play grounds. Its amazing what a seven to twelve year old takes on board memory wise yet cant remember what I was doing last week.

Your brother might remember my two sisters, Linda who is now 73 and Christine now 68. You are right, where does the time go and brings back memories of what my grandfather said to me when I was ten years old when he said, "Enjoy yourself whilst you are young son because before you know where you are you will be my age" He was about 70 then, I am now 75 and doesn't bear thinking about.

No doubt I will think of other moments during my St Helier days, usually the moment I sign out.

Regards      Ray Vail 

Just remembered something that no one I know can remember. At the Reigate Avenue end of Glastonbury Road was all open park land with a little stream running through. One day round about 1950 an aeroplane made a crash landing in the open field almost landing on a postage stamp. No one was hurt and can still remember playing near the plane until about three days later a crew arrived to dismantle the wings and cart it away on a huge lorry. When viewing the area today I still marvel at how that pilot managed to land in such a small space.

You being three years older than me we were probably at Glastonbury Junior School at the same time. Mr Davis was the head master taking a lesson near my classroom.  I was asked by my own teacher to go next door and ask for some chalk. Seeing all the "big girls" I started to blush like a ripe tomato much to the amusement of the whole class. If you were in that classroom and this rings a bell, that kid was me. 

As with most schools, Glastonbury Girls was divided into four houses. Avalon red which was mine Dunstan blue and I cannot remember the names of yellow and green. So I hoping that there will be some of the old girls out there that that might. We were taken one year down to Glastonbury in Somerset I think probably in about 1953/4 to see what our houses were named after. The Isle of Avalon and Dunstan I believe after a priest. Does anyone recall that visit? Then going on to Wookey Hole, I have never liked caves since! We were very competitive and if my memory serves me right, Avalon did pretty well in quizzes etc.

We also had a sports day, shared with the boys school next to ours. Very exciting for a group of young ladies. I don't know if the boys thought so! going by the dances we had together, I think they would have probably liked to have done something else.

Here's hoping that someone might have a better memory than I.

Glastonbury Junior School;

Does anyone remember their teachers during the period of 1948 -1952. There was a Miss Pidgeon a very pretty lady and a Mr Fletcher a very tall good looking guy. They always seemed to keep together during school day trips  which was not surprising as all the other teachers were either middle aged or near retiring. Mr Harris a very nice man who lived in Sutton Common Road near the Plough pub. "Miss" Greenfield a very old fashioned lady with whiskers who would read each day a passage from "The Coral Island" a story of three boys ship wrecked on an island. To this day I still remember the thrill of listening to the progress of the story and still remember her to this day 65 years later. I even bought the book and still have it on my bookshelf, much to my wife's amusement. Mrs Crouch, a Miss Marples look alike who to me always look grumpy. The first time I met Miss Francis the school secretary, the same Miss Francis that I have mentioned before in one of my earlier memories. She always had a cheerful smile every time our paths crossed and would always say hello Raymond. Mr Davis the head master a very strict disciplinarian who ruled with a slipper if you got out of line. He was a Labour candidate for the local area and lived I believe at Rose Hill somewhere. A Mr Beesly the school care taker who lived in Hexham Road at the rear end of the infant section. During school holidays he would chase me and other friends from the playgrounds where we were playing cricket.

I can also remember the delivery of the school's coke for the school's heating where it was piled ten feet sky high at one end of the playground and that is where it stayed until the next delivery three or four months later. Can you imagine that today, it would not be there after a few days before someone stole it let alone three or four months. There are other teachers faces I can bring to mind but cannot remember their names, maybe someone out there could remind me.

I went to Tweeddale from about 1976 to 1979 after moving from Deptford.  We originally came from Mitcham.  It was an interesting school back then.  After that I went to Carshalton High School for Boys until 1984.  Back then I was known as Paul Bull, name change later.  I get back to the area from time to time as my family still lives there and I'm in the States now.  Things have changed a great deal.

It was great to read the comments on Welbeck Road (No 8) school. I left in1949, and at that time the head master was Mr Matthews, others I remember were Mr Purton (D1), Mr Cook (D2) Mr Gardener (Carpentry). I have not seen a mention of the football team, which were the strongest in the area. The colours were black and red quartered. I well remember waiting outside Mr Matthews office for the cane, which could be a one or two hander. At times when sent for the cane we would rub our hand on the brick wall in the toilet to make it red, as the teacher, usually Mr Wild, would check our hand to ensure that we had in fact had the cane. My best friends were Brian Hill, and Bobby Smith, and I wonder if they read this site. 

Hi Ray, I remember the aircraft landing in the field by Reigate Avenue on a Sunday morning, I was playing football with some mates including a boy named Terry Knight and we all had to scatter when it came. If I remember it came down in one field and bounced over a hedge into the next coming to stop between the goal posts. We were told it had run out of fuel.

Hi Eric, You were certainly closer to that aircraft coming down than me as i only found out the following day when with my mates we rushed to see the "wreckage". I do not recognise your name but may know you by sight but certainly remember Terry Knight who lived in Glastonbury Road and had a lovely looking sister. I think she married a chap in Morden Way if my memory serves me right. Terry Knight would have been about five years older than me so we never actually mixed with the same age groups and guess you and him are about eighty years old now. If this is so you will probably remember Billy Burrows, the Wing family, Roy Radford, the Hartford boys, John Chapman, The Lill family, Joyce Reader, Hilda Harding all of which would be in your age group. Leo's the ice cream van would park every evening on the corner of Hartland Road and Glastonbury selling the greatest ice-cream you ever tasted and won many awards. There was also "Odds and Cods" a mobile fish and chip van parked at the bottom of Love Lane. My mother instructed me not to tell our relations that we had fish and chips for dinner as they would think we were hard up. How times have changed as it is no longer a meal for the impoverished but still one of the best by my reckoning.

Hi Harry, pleased to see Matthews was Head of No8 in your day. I attended from 1934 until 1938 when I left for employment as a Boy Messenger with the G.P.O. subsequently serving on a Flower Class Corvette during WW11.I remember Cook as Geography teacher, Purtan as my class teacher, Ahar who taught German, Hutchinson Games, Birchall Music with a love of Charlie Kunz. Mr.Matthews an ex Major in the First World War and a prisoner, was a real gent who on the early death of my young brother brought flowers to the house and walked behind the cortage on behalf of the school friends. I have never forgotten this man.

I was very pleased to see the post from Lucy Paddephatt as Colin Paddephatt was a good friend of mine but we lost touch when the family moved to Crawley in the 1960s? My brother,  Dennis, knew your Dad Cecil and also mentions John and Freddie. I went to Welbeck School from about 1949 to 1955 and recently found my badge when I was knight to the may queen in 1952! Are there any other Welbeck knights out there? 

Memories of Welbeck from around 1949 to 1955 - I don't recall an air raid shelter but the canteen looked quite new and I remember the bright cream paint. I think there was another  building beside it but don't know what it was - I always went home for lunch and only went into the canteen on one or two occasions. I remember walking home at lunch time on the day King George died and there was such a heavy doom-laden atmosphere with solemn music being played on the radio so I knew something awful had happened.

I'm glad somebody mentioned the 'Theatre' which seemed like another, almost magical world and a haven from the hubbub of school life and it was such a treat to be taken there for a lesson - perhaps by Miss Mumford, the headmistress of the infant school. I think the head of the juniors was Mr Davis who tried to convince me that being a 'Goalie' was not a good career aspiration as I think he was previously a professional footballer and told me how easily a footballing career can end through injury with nothing to fall-back on ( a marked difference to our current high earners!).

I remember the flame-haired Miss Davies who taught in the juniors and classmates John and Janet Gillet, Jean Robinson, Alan Marlowe, Dicky Bird, Janet Morgan and Carol Tavender who was the May Queen I referred to in my previous post. Also David (Stinker) Hughes who had a pet jackdaw.

I went to Welbeck Road school, infants through juniors then on to Greenwrythe Lane Secondary girls school. Ron, I seem to know many of the same people as you do, so we must have known each other, probably in the same class. I lived on Peterborough Road also.

Hello Ray,sorry I have not relied to your letter before but I have not been on the site since  March,how time flies.Yes I did know Terry Knight,he was mate of mine,infact I did go to his sisters wedding,Shelia Knight,there were two younger sisters also,they were twins,I also knew some of the other boys you mentioned ,John Chapman,Roy Radford and Billy Burrows,infact if I remember rightly Billy was born on the same day as me,and yes you are right I was eighty earlier this year.I think Terry moved to Dagenham when he married.I lived further down the road nearly opposite the school,other boys that come to mind down that end of the road were the Smiths,Alan Pembroke,the Coopers,Billy Wills or Wheels and Donald Shand and a younger brother.Like you say Leos ice cream was the best,never tasted better.

All the best Eric Plummer

PS I had an older brother John, he is 85 this yearQ

I went to Green Wrythe Lane girls school from juniors to seniors and remember the snow and the slides we made and the teachers would come out with buckets of hot water to melt the ice. Miss Donegal was the headmistress then, she was Scottish and had red hair. I remember the rounders we played and the beautiful willow trees along the fence. Every year the council would take us on a coach trip to Littlehampton where we were given a box with a piece of fruit a sausage and some discount tickets for the rides at Butlins amusement park we all had a good day but in those days it took all day to travel there and back. I was in the school choir and we used to sing at the town in Carshalton also at the local church. Mr King the music teacher was very talented and composed his own music. We went to assembly every morning and the teachers sat against the wall whilst us kids on the floor which was a wood floor and became very hard after a while. Every year they had a big fun fair manned by gypsies in their caravans, I looked forward to this as it was a bit of fun. Hope I can refresh some memories.

Joan, I was in your class & in the choir with dear Mr. King. I have photo's of the choir on stage, in the Musical "Merry England" and one of all the school Choirs of Carshalton and surrounding area. 

I would love to hear from someone who as a child "lost" a pedal car in Canterbury Road in 1950/1.

I and two friends were in that area when we came across this pedal car left on the side of the road. Not thinking it belonged to another child who probably went indoors for his tea and left it there like kids do. I jumped in and pedalled home to show my dad of my lucky find. My dad was furious and instructed me in no uncertain terms to return it to the exact spot where I found it as some child is probably  brokenhearted thinking he has lost his pride and joy. I pedalled the mile or so back to where I found it and left it in the curb where it could easily be seen. I have often wondered if it was found by the original owner or did some other scallywag pedal off and didn't have such an honest father as I had. That was sixty six years ago so I doubt if I will ever know, but you never can tell.

I went to Willows Infants in the 1960s. My name is also Ray Vail, not to be confused with the other bloke on here of the same name!

I remember a rather spiteful teacher by the name of Miss Bunt. She inspired us to learn by saying we were the in the Divvy Class! Would pull our hair and grab us around our necks.

I could not see any memories from No3 school , Lilleshall Road School as it was known when I joined it but it changed its name to Garth while I was there. I was on the staff of the junior school from 1954 to 1959.  I came straight from college and was given one of the youngest classes, the Headmaster saying I have given you just 49 children, the other year teacher can have 51.  He retired soon after and Mr. Price became the new head.  We all spent a lot of time and energy building the shallow swimming pool in the grounds.  I wonder how long it lasted.

My stepdad was Dennis Alfred Cave Miller, born in 1924, and he attended one of the junior schools near his home at 116 Westminster Rd, Sutton. He had a sister Pam. He told me that Eric Porter attended the school but I don't know if he knew him or just heard about that. Can anyone enlighten me on the school he attended?

Well used site and good to hear of the good old days. I attended Canterbury boys from 1949 untill end of 1952 and these were some of the best few years i ever had. Teachers without exception were briliant. I played football for St Heliers district schools and it was a good team to be part of. Canterbury rd had a very strong team through these years and the team photo is the only photo i have of my time at the school. Mr Cross was headmaster, Tricket english and Pt /sport. We had a good grassed sports area and cricket nets. Mr Fletcher may have been our English teacher and he was a relative of thr Fletcher cricket family. Our school captain Ray Swallow played cricket for England schoolboys and on leaving school went to Arsenal FC.   George Hurley now living Sydney Australia. 24/2/2017

Hi Ray, reading your reminisces on the times spent at Glastonbury school was very interesting and nostalgic I remember all the names you mentioned but the years have flown. Just like to thank you for bringing back so many happy memories of times past you may remember me I'm Jim Hills used to live in Glastonbury road. 

My Brother Ronald Jackson attended Welbeck School.  I found a German / English dictionary awarded to him for art at camp. 

I attended Garth from 1958 to 1963 under the headship of H C Morris who was years ahead in providing for non grammar students. Although I only got three GCEs I ended up with a BEd (horns), MA (Ed) and Doctorate plus ordination for the baptist ministry. I spent 25 years teaching RE and Careers in two Norfolk High Schools. I still keep in touch with Geoff Bannister who came to Garth as a scientist but changed to German and stayed for 30 years. He is now 80. I remember Crocker, Hayden, Mrs Shelley, Whitmore Amongst others. I have some photos of student groups.

I owe much to this other Ray H Vail in directing me in finding my family tree. Unfortunately I whipped all contact details from my PC and would love more info from him.

Ray Vail (the North Cheam one)

Hello James, you may not believe me but I do remember you. The lad with the mop of ginger hair who lived next door to another Jimmy named Jimmy Hamilton. Bonfire day unlike today was a very exciting night when everybody added their contribution of firewood to a growing mountain at the bottom of Love Lane on the central green. Another neighbour was a lad named Martin Smith who's father I believe was a greengrocer judging by the many timber boxes he loaded onto this bonfire. I guess you would be about my age, 77 young next month but cannot remember you at Glastonbury School I just remember that shock of thick ginger hair.

Just opposite your house on the green was a very large rectangular brick enclosure for storing water for the fire services during the war years so I was told.

I believe you must have moved in the 1950s as I cannot recollect seeing you around after that period.

I lived next to the railway bridge at 119 Love Lane which was very exciting for a seven year old when we first moved there from New Addington. People often remarked who on earth do you cope with all the noise when the trains travel over the bridge. Truth is that after you have lived there for a few years you just do not notice when a train passes as you probably know yourself having a rear garden next to the railway bank.

The only real terror for me was being woken up at about 3.0am when a steam engine shunting trucks let out a long loud toot before shunting towards St Helier Station without a care for the sleeping residents.

I was a pupil at Glastonbury Secondary Modern School for Boys from 1963 to 1968. Bessie Baynes was my first form teacher and also our maths teacher. How I remember having to recite times tables etc on a Monday morning. She also was not adverse to giving the slipper either if you mis-behaved. Mr Twilley was the headmaster with Mr Saunders his deputy. Later there was Mr Oram (Batman) headmaster who could be heard coming down the corridors as he had "Blackleys" on heels of his shoes. I dont expect there were many schools where the music teacher (Mr Whitmore) drove a Bentley motor car. How many remember PE with Mr Sanders wielding a piece of rubber as punishment. Also having to run the Four Pubs. Happy days  

Hello John C Day,

I know it was ten years ago when you last submitted to this site but speaking to a friend recently it transpires that you were a neighbour of his in Tintern Road and must have know John Reeves who lived just up the road from you. My friend was Johns younger brother Bob who lived at No 4 behind the grassed area. Your younger brother Terry was our goalkeeper in the Tweedale Old Boys football team and also went on the Tweedale school Switzerland Easter trip in 1958.

Unfortunately my friend Bob does not keep in touch with his brother John other than Christmas cards so no news there.

Ray Vail

hi guys I lived in love lane top end near the park, went to Garth in late 69 early 70's, remember Morris the head

Brilliant school, remember brickwork lessons, good mates there,  Gary Hills Warren Hastings. We all getting old now great times on the estate, football cricket after school jump jimmy knacker another game throwing a tin while everybody hides to release people, say all released 123

Great times, great friends, climbing trees we lived up them and fell out of them. I lived at 37, I remember Lambert and Brown family. 

Fantastic days 

I went to Tweeddale school from 1946 to 1956 lived at 70 Tweeddale road and have lived in Australia from 1964 I came over to Australia with Cyril Arnold who also was at Tweeddale.It was good to see this page and hope that all in my old class have had a great life. 

Peter Hotston

I went to Camden road primary school, the only persons I remember is Mr Shuler the math teacher and Mrs Barty music teacher. The only other thing I remember is the headmaster used to come into the class and discuss what was on television the night before with the only student that had a TV! How things have changed. I then went to Carshalton West where the headmaster was WW Wakefield, William Walter I believe. Classmates, friends Jack Sandal, Roger Whitmore, John Prince, Malcom Mobsby, Michael Rapley, Chris Slater. Teachers Podsy Lawrence, Mr Dawson, Mr Riley, Mr Nichols. I only remember one girl from the school upstairs Ann Franklin my first love! Lived on Muschamp road. With a little help I expect I could remember more, but at 79 it is difficult to remember the day of the week!!

Are you the Nick Keeling who had two Mates :- Terry Smith and Jack Goodchild? Known to have frequented the Cottage of Content now and then?

Hello Peter Hotston,

This may surprise you but I do remember you during your time at Tweeddale. You may not remember me as I came from Glastonbury and was in your class from 1955 to 1957. We both were on the schools Easter trip to Torquay I think it was where we stayed at Brunel Manor. I think you were closer to Ernie Winters and other lads who came up from the junior school than me but I do have a memory like an elephants and remember all my school mates. I must be one of the lucky ones who even at 77 remember what I had for dinner yesterday, fish and chips I think it was, no it wasn't it was lamb chops or something but who cares.

When watching Tony Robinson on TV presenting WW1 pictures in 3D, something brought back a long forgotten memory. He revealed how the British came up with a secret weapon that revolutionised transportation of the British troops, a huge looking cumbersome bicycle. After the war there must have been a surplus of these and Pop Lyons our local cycle must have bought up a batch and sold them off to the public. From what I remember as a ten year old was that they were not in good roadworthy condition. My father would buy some for half a crown (12 1/2 pence), do them up even spraying them to look new and sell them off for five bob (25 pence) a princely profit. Does anyone out there remember buying one or is Pop Lyons son still around to add to this. 

Ray Vail

Hi Peter Hotston, it has just occurred to me that you were part of Tweeddale cricket team of which I submitted a photograph including you in the back row. I am the one on the far right in the front row.

Ray Vail

I left Welbeck in 1938 I received a two hander from him but he was a just and thoughtful man, insisting that the German language be taught under the supervision of Mr Agar. He also organised a flower collection and followed my younger brother's funeral.I was sorry to read he died a few years afterwards for he was a youngish fellow. Others I remember with warmth were Mr Purtain(My particular class mentor), Mr Hutchinson, Mr Woodward, and Mr Birchall who played like Charlie Kunz after school to  awaken interest in the ;classics I also with a bunch of boys contracted the outdoor theatre in the school grounds and played one of Robin Hood's Merry Men when the actress Evelyn Laye came to open the project. Years, later,1990 or there about I met a lady on the Meols (Wirral) sea-shore    who actually taught at No.8 when it turned into a co-ed. At 94 I find these reminisces highly enjoyable.

Greetings all,

I find myself chasing the past by searching for schools and past residences in Carshalton and Sutton areas where I lived from 1969 -1974. Unfortunately, it appears that Glastonbury High School is gone. I believe my jacket crest was The House of David. We could not get in the door without our tie in place and groomed nicely. I only got the smack on the back of the thigh once with a shoe sole for disobedience. I witnessed our French teacher hurl chalk at talking students with stellar accuracy. The female teacher in the home room next to ours would leap into the air and strike with the cane upon re-entry. Every Monday during P.E. I did the road running, and we did the 4 pub route. In ‘74 I moved to Canada and in ‘86 I moved to Florida, but I feel that I can retrace all my old stomping grounds without hesitation. 

I attended Green Wrythe Lane primary school and Mrs. Killick was the Headmaster. I still have some of the awards from assembly ceremonies. We did our times table every morning as a group.

Does anyone have a yearbook from those schools or years?

I used a different name then, due to a stepfather situation, but reverted to my legal name later.

Jay B.

Lilleshall Road School -1938 -1945 - anyone remember Mr White the Gentlemanly Headmaster of Infant School, and Miss Chart one of the pleasant, energetic teachers, and our evacuation to Worcester Cathedral, then Wednesbury Staffordshire to escape the V1's  and Rockets in 1944, and times in the school shelters - happy days! 

I went to Glastonbury Road boy’s school from 1955 to 1962. I had been borderline at the 11+ exam and given a second chance where I was again borderline. I then had to attend an interview after which I was given a place in the grammar stream at Glastonbury Road. I remember Mr Twilley as Headmaster and Messrs Sanders, Saunders, Boyce as teachers. And there was the infamous Harry Hawkins who taught English and could be so severe if he took a dislike to you.
Our expectation was that we would progress to O levels and if our number and grades were good enough, we could take A levels by transferring to one of the ‘proper’ grammar schools such as Sutton County for another two years. As it happened, Glastonbury Road started its own Sixth Form in 1960 so those of us who wanted were able to stay in situ for A levels. It also meant that we were prefects and House captains for 3 years rather than just the last year in school. I remember the names of the four Houses…. Hatfield, Fry, Finch and Knight .. I was House Captain of Knight.
I also remember that on the Arts side of the Sixth Form, there were only four of us in the class – it was like having individual tuition for two years. The annoying thing is that with only 3 others to remember, I can only recall Brian Carter and Peter Diprose (hope that’s right). I also remember a Darby (surname) who produced a stylised signature for me which I use to this day. I left school in 1962 with 8 O levels and 2 A levels after what had in the main been an enjoyable time.
Most of the years I was at the school, I lived in Wallington and travelled by bus to St Helier. Other boys got on at different points as well as a number of girls on their way to The Willows with whom we got friendly.
It is fascinating to read the other comments on here, particularly as I also had a bit of a connection with Tweeddale. The Mr Price, English teacher there, was my uncle and my cousins, Robert and Tim Price went there. Indeed, Robert who is roughly the same age as me was also due to start at Glastonbury Road in 1955, but, as noted in a previous comment, the Prices left Surrey (and Tweeddale) at that time, though not for Devon but for Dorset. My uncle had a very happy career until retirement as the head of the English Dept. of Swanage grammar school in the lovely Isle of Purbeck.

I remember Mr Price at Tweeddale School as a very cheerful man who could also rule with authority if required. He taught me English and also ran the schools vegetable garden. I did not realise he moved to Dorset as it was generally thought it was Devon but i was close. In 1954 he must have been at a guess in his 30s so unless he is now in his late 90s he is not around with us anymore.

Hi Ray.  I stumbled upon this site by chance and couldn't stop reading about teachers I'd long ago forgotten.  I went to Glastonbury and then Tweeddale and well remember Mr. Bulgin who had a glass eye and Mr. Sanders who took us for PE.  It was rumoured that he had a metal plate in his head from a war wound, this to explain his erratic mood swings.

But back to your contribution, Ray - 22/11/2016.  The dates seem to fit.  I lived in Chalgrove Avenue (It runs between London Road and Central Avenue.)  The young kid next door mislaid his pedal car and was most distraught.  About a week later, I happened to see what looked like the same car in a house somewhere off Green Lane.  I reported this to my father and he in turn told our next door neighbour who went to investigate.  The new owner's father sheepishly explained that his son had discovered the 'abandoned' vehicle and he'd allowed him to keep it.

It's a long time ago, but at last you can sleep easily at night knowing that your actions did not result in the permanent loss of someone else's pride and joy.  I seem to remember that the car was red.

I wonder if anyone remembers John Brunwin from Tweedale.  He was generally considered to be mad, bad and dangerous to know and as a result was very popular with the other kids.  He would have been about 15 when he died in a house fire, commonly supposed to have been caused by his smoking in bed.

Hello Barry, i was overjoyed to hear what happened to the child's pedal car that i found in Canterbury Road all those years ago. It had always crossed my mind that some other vagabond had taken and kept it leaving a young lad distraught. I cannot remember what colour it was but at least i know my dad was right in giving me an ear bashing before returning it to the spot where i found it. To think nearly seventy years later ( I am now 78 )i find this out.

I do remember John Brunwin at Tweeddale school even though he was only there for a year or so. He also went on the Switzerland Easter trip with the school and was always a live wire, full of beans from what i remember. I did hear a few years later from a friend, Roy Barnaby, that he died in a fire supposedly caused by him smoking in bed, a shocking waste.

It seems a long time ago now, but my memories of attending Canterbury Road School from 1961 to 1966 are all good. This was an exciting time to be young with the Beatles generating a new era of popular music and the general up-beat feeling of the 60's promising better times after the austerity periods of my very young days in the early 50's when the effects of the war were still very real.

Canterbury Road was a Technical School which was fine for me as I was not particularly academic, but I did enjoy the practical skills that it specialised in. When I first arrived, the Headmaster was Mr Cross who had a mission to encourage pupils to try and move on to University, something that was practically unheard of in those days for a state secondary school. I believe he did succeed with this and was very proud of his first University pupil.

It is ironic that after spending my early working life in the heating and ventilating industry, I ended up as a qualified Accountant and have been doing this for the last 47 years, something that I think Mr Cross would have been very pleased to know. I know that others in my year also progressed to the professions but it is many years since I have seen any of them apart from one friend who I still see regularly.

The school was good and despite the messy move to a comprehensive system (joined with Glastonbury) in my last year of school education, I think it worked well as a school with a technical bias, something that is lost these days with the need to treat every child the same when in fact individual skills should be recognised and encouraged.

It was handy having a girls school over the road, (Malmesbury) as this was a great place to go at lunch times (later years) to chat through the railings.

I can remember carrying out a survey of the school playing field as a project to discover a bit more about how St Helier Estate was built. With some research we found the location of a railway line that ran across the field which was part of a temporary railway system to take building materials to various parts of what was a very large building project.

I also remember the 5 day trek along the Pilgrims Way from Reigate to Canterbury Cathedral, camping on the way. It does not seem that far these days but it was quite an achievement a the time. I think it was Mr West that headed up the trek and filmed us on the way. It would be interesting to see that film again.

It seemed a bit rebellious at the time to wear cuban heeled shoes and tight trousers but the reality was that the floors of the school were made of terrazzo which was very hard and slippery, and it was often the case that I would end up in a heap on the floor.

There were only about 200 pupils at the school which helped to create a feeling that this was small community with a relatively small number of teachers. I am sure that the large schools of today can be a bit daunting for children at times.

Thanks to Herr Furst who came over from Germany to try and teach us German. He was not that successful but was honest with his assessment of the war which had only ended a relatively short time before. At that time the effects of the war were still very much evident in London with bomb sites being cleared and used as NCP car parks until new buildings gradually started to shape the London skyline again.

There have been few mentions of Canterbury Road School on this site as yet but perhaps others have a few memories as well.

I remember my time at Tweeddale 1957-1961. Names I remember  Kenny Brookman,Colin Smith, Chris Cooper, Les Cope, Ray Ackers, Mik Baker.

Chris Cooper, I lived in Wigmore rd near the church I moved to a place called Geelong  in Australia in 1963

I have a copy of a class magazine from 1934 of Form 1a in a girls' school which played against the following schools in netball matches, and would be interested to know which school this magazine came from, if anyone can help? 

The schools played against are:  Cheam, Fortescue Road, St Helier no 1, St Helier no 6, Rowan Road.

The names of the girls in Form 1a are: Olive Baldock, Olive Danes, Marion Luck, Iris Drake, Doris Moulder, Snowdrop Barton, Doris Basson, Joan Shaw, Doris Bates, Joan Hazel, Ruby Martin, Thelma Holland, Winifred Cook, Betty Buckle, Agnes Chambers, Kathleen Bennetts, Elsie Corbett, Joan Wilkinson, Rose Weller, Marie Shorten, Marjorie Jacobs, Joan Dixon, Josephine Ferguson, Mary Savill, Violet Janes, Joyce Coombes, Eileen Dadd, Doris Garner, M Shorten, D Fry, D Duncum, G Bowlet, J Nicholas, J Gordon, I Malthouse, M Scott.

It is a beautiful piece of work, all hand done.

I was at Canterbury road school between 1958-1964 approximately. Teachers I remember are Joseph Cross, Head, Robin Rawlins, Deputy Head and Pauline Rutter. I enjoyed my time there very much But my subsequent career was non technical. I am now 73. 

Hi Jack, I am indeed the Nick Keeling who had two friends Terry Smith and Jack Goodchild! As you can see I do not get on this website too frequently, if you are still around please respond and maybe we can email one another. I have been living in the USA since 1981 but travel to the UK to see my son who lives in Putney

I went to Glastonbury Road Infants School from 1947 to 1950. My name was Lois Carpenter. I remember Kathryn and Morag Mears (twins) and Alan Good.

I went to Welbeck school after returning from evacuation in 1945, and left in 1949. The teachers I can remember are Mr Purton(D1), Mr Cook (D2) Mr Wild (D4) Mr Gardener (Carpentry). The Headmaster was Mr Matthews. Remember that we had the best football team in the area, our colours were red and black squares. Lucy Puddephatt asked if anyone remembers Cecil Puddephat, I recall that there was a boy in our class named Charlie Puddephat, does that help?

I just came across this site and page while thinking back to my old school days and I must say that I have enjoyed reading all the comments made . My own interest was in Glastonbury boys school in the 60s where I spent a short and enjoyable a time . A comment by James Spencer on the 5/9/2017 brought back some nice memories . I well remember  Bessie Baynes  who could be quite strict at times and her long equations that I always struggled with. And also Mr Saunders  and the headmaster in his flowing black gown as he entered the hall at morning assembly. And then Mr Sanders with his length of black rubber in hand which  I thought was a piece of a bicycle tyre ? I well remember being crushed in a game of murder ball in the gym and quickly learning not to get to the medicine ball first. I Also remember a Mr Kettleman a history teacher who on the wall in the corner behind him had 3 plimsoles, a long one, a medium one and a short  one, and he kindly would allow you to choose the one for him to give you 6 of the best. I never did work out which one stung the least. I was only at the school for a short time in the mid 60s but I did enjoy it there. Knight was the house I was in with a blue ribbon stitched on my blazer and the other houses were Finch / Hatfield and Fry  Sadly we moved away to Norbury and I went to Pollards High school, a mixed school, the girls were okay, but I did not think much of the school itself.It seemed a bit soft and chaotic after Glastonbury. Where has the time gone since then, and the world felt a better place back then. 

It suddenly crossed my mind when reading how honest most folk were in by-gone days of when my mother asked me to cycle up to the butchers in Sutton Common Road. On buying sausages I bumped into a friend and then walked back home with him. Two days later on a Sunday morning I thought I would cycle over to visit my grand parents in Morden. To my horror i found my bike was not in the shed and only then did it occur  to me that I had left it in the curb outside the butchers. Before letting my dad know who would have cuffed my ear I ran all the way back to the butchers. There to my relief was my bike still parked in the curb where I had left it. Can you imagine that happening today when some rough would have stolen it within two minutes and sold it to buy his next fix.

The pupils I remember are, Gash Cooper, John ( Ted ) Allen, Mike Davison, Knobby Clark, Mac Macknamara (The Prof ), The Macarthy ( Twins ) & Ronnie David.

Teacher's, Jack Cross Headmaster, Stan Upton Metalwork, Ebi Roiser Woodwork, Bob Beagle History, Mr Brand Art, Mr Cameron English, Mr Morse French, Mr Davies PE & Games, Miss Slan Music, Mr Pescod & Mrs Barnes School Secretary.

General. Mike Davidson & I lived in Cheam & went to Canterbury because we wanted to go into engineering. I remember lathes, milling machines & a furnace for foundry work. We, the pupils saved milk bottle tops to melt for castings as metal was in short supply. 

Ebi the wood work master was very hot on safety and if he saw anyone with any part of their body in front of the cutting edge of a chisel he went balistic.I also made a piano stool for my mother ( she had to pay for the wood ), which she kept until her death aged 95.

Sport. I remember playing rugby against the Royal Nautical College which was usually a rough house. Hurstpierpoint was a posh residential school in Sussex. I think this was Jack Cross giving us a wider experience of life that we would not normally have seen.

The school gave me a lot including me obtaining an apprenticeship.Good staff & a visionary Headmaster. 

On my previous page I omitted to say I attended Canterbury School from 1955 to 1959. 

I remember at the top of our playing field was the central kitchen which provided school dinners for Canterbury & other schools in the area. The head cook was Mrs Angers and I remember helping by lifting the heavy insulated metal containers containing dinners for transport to other schools. All the ladies were very caring & made sure all us growing lads never went short on food. My favourite meal was steak pie, potatoes & cabbage and a lovely gravy. I can taste that steak pie now !

My other memories include a school trip to Holland & Germany. We travelled by coach & ferry. On the ferry over we encountered a man (harmless) who had a good deal to drink, but was good fun. Later, Ted Allen's impersonation of him had the rest of us in stitches. We stayed at a hotel near Arnheim. There were large grounds with a man made lake & a swimming pool with a wave making system, great fun. I remember visiting Amsterdam with all it's canals & we had a boat trip. A beautiful city. We also went into Germany but my memories are mostly of the aftermath of WW2 and the amount of destruction. In the evenings we played cards with the teacher's. I think Mr Rawlings Mr Cameron & Stan Upton. Happy times.

About 200 meters down the road from our school was an illegal bookmakers run from one of the houses. There was a couple of chaps on the green who were lookouts in case the police came by.

Lunch times we sometimes walked down near the Willows School & met some girls near a parade of shop's. I remember a lovely girl called Gillian Neville & her friend who lived in Abbots Road Cheam but cannot recall her name.

Just found this page while reflecting on my time at Carshalton High School for Boys [now a sports college], between 1968 to 1975. I'm living in Australia so rely on the internet for information. Can anyone provide any details about the headmaster KJ Grace? His successor was Mr Prosser and he was succeeded by Gareth Bevan, who I recall as the Geography teacher when I was there. With thanks John 

I was at school between 1951 and 1962, first of all at Muschamp Road Primary and then Winchcombe Sec Mod for girls.  I know for a fact that Winchcombe began life as a mixed school as both my mother and her brother went to the school.  Between the time of taking my 11+ and receiving the results my parents moved from 271 Green Wrythe Lane to 198 Green Wrythe Lane but Winchcombe was in the catchment area for 271 so I was able to go there because of our address at the time of taking the exam.  My sister, Janice, went to Carshalton High, as it had become by the time she sat her 11+, because 198 was in that catchment area. I can't recall much of my school days, life was much more interesting once I had left school.

We went to school at five and attended No. 10 School, Tweeddale Road, Headmaster Mr. Smallman. I’m guessing that it was given an identification number because of the war. Again, we walked there at a very young age, up the road and across the top of The Field and down Tweeddale Road. There was a brook that ran along the road and us kids used to jump across it taking ever more daring leaps. We also used to summersault on the railings by the school. I loved school from the moment I walked through the door and competed to be teacher’s pet in every class. Our Class One Teacher was Miss Salmon. She seemed immensely tall in her flowered overall. I can remember covering milk bottle tops – they were cardboard with a hole for the straw – with coloured raffia and sewing them together to make table mats. One wintry morning I went up to tell Miss Salmon about a dream I had had and coming back to my desk, slipped on some ice on the classroom floor and knocking out some teeth on the corner of a desk. I was sent home with only Dot to accompany me, with blood running down my chin. Again, we went home unattended. Mummy was always at home in the early days but earned a pittance sewing buttons on to cards. Dot and I played with the buttons, sorting them in to colours or making patterns with them.

I don’t remember much about the “academic side” of Number 10, Mixed Infants, but I do remember the plays we did every Christmas. One was about Father Christmas’s workshop and Dot and I were fairy dolls in stiff white dresses sewn with crepe paper bows. That year Dot got chicken pox and could not appear. I got it immediately afterwards and remember sitting on my dad’s lap on Christmas Day, scratching while he played cards. I also “starred” in Amelia Anne and the Green Umbrella. Mum had to put my hair in rags and I sat in them all day at school until my “mother” in the play took them out in the first scene to leave me with ringlets. Dot was The Greedy Boy’s Sister.

I attended Glastonbury School for Boys from 1955 to 1957, and I remember learning to play the “Sky Boat Song” on a recorder along with the rest of my class, which we then performed at a concert for the parent. But a far less enjoyable memory was of the French lessons taught by Mr Crowhurst who would clout you round the head shouting “think boy, think” if you were mis pronounced some French word or phrase. Consequently I have never learnt French. 
Fortunately I escaped French lessons and Mr Crowhurst, when in late 1957 I transferred to Welbeck Road School to join the Building Course which I enjoyed, to the extent that in 1960 after taking my O Levels and being encouraged by our teacher Mr Bushnel I went to Ewell Technical College to do a 2 year National  Diploma in Building, which I attained in 1962. I am now retired after a 58 year career in construction working on major projects in Britain and around the World, for which I thank Welbeck Road School, and especially Mr Bushnel. 

I was at Welbeck Road Boys School from 1958 to 1960 in their 13+ Building Subjects course, after which thanks to encouragement from Mr Bushnel I went to Ewell Technical College where I successfully completed a 2 year Ordinary National Diploma in Building course.
I am now retired after spending an enjoyable 58 years working in the construction industry in many parts of the world.

I am now 82 3/4 years old and have yet to see any comments from my days at Tweeddale senior school in the 1955 to 1958 period. I can only assume there are not many of us left or they have moved abroad. My memories of the teachers were Mr Prosser(head master) Mr Jones(maths) Mr Peet(geography) Mr Price(English) Mr Bulgin(metalwork) Mr Williams(history) Mr Selwood(Industrial Design) Mr Goodsall(Science) Mr Keen(Technical Drawing) Mr How(Technical Drawing) Mr Johnson(physical Education) Mrs Francis(School Secretary) and a Jim Thompson who ran the Old Boys Club in a domed club house on the school premises.. No doubt they are all gone by now but I can still see them in my minds eye as if it was yesterday. A great school to attend where the teachers treated you with respect and kindness. Would love to hear from anyone out there who remembers these days at a great school.

Hi Ray Vail! You still there? Love your multiple comment re Glastonbury & Elm Parade (where Smith & Stokes was: I was paper boy for them in Morden Way). I was at Glastonbury infants/ juniors '52-58. Mrs Crouch was still there. Also Mr Harris (music). Then Mrs Hughes & Mr Doyle. Head was Mrs Scott. Used to love the swings in Daisy Field, Forest Rd. When the shunting steam train crossed the bridge, we'd throw stones at it!

I started at Glastonbury Road School in 1960 having not passed my 11 Plus but had the middle "Interview" result. The first year was the key academic year as the first year's exams determined whether you were going into the Grammar stream or the Secondary Modern stream. Luckily I did well in the exams and went into the Grammar stream, though a good friend of mine, Tony Perkins (now living in NZ) went into the Sec.Mod stream.

Many of the above comments have mentioned teachers, and I too remember Mr Twilley, then Mr Oram as Headteachers - yes Mr Oram was "batman" with his flowing academic gown. My parents always though he was pretentious and trying to be superior to lowly parents. Deputy Head was Mr Saunders, not to be confused with Mr Sanders (PE). English Lang. Lit. and Latin was Mr Sharp (known as Sid) and Chemistry was taken by Mr Boyle (I think) but known affectionately as "Slug". Why I have no idea. He taught me tennis too and was in charge of the tennis team.

Mr Blackman took metalwork and if you crossed him, one whack of his slipper sent you the length of the metalwork room! One of the favourite practical jokes by teachers was to ask a boy to go and see Mr Blackman for some "elbow grease".

We had Mr Ketterman for History at A Level and for music Mr Page-Ball who sadly died during my time at the school, to be replaced by Miss Cannon, whom we all lusted after.

Other friends I recall were Brian Brice who rode a motorbike to school dressed in his leathers. This was at a time when you were either a Mod or a Rocker. Brian and I were on different sides. Mick Girdler was also a friend. He was clever and went to University, as did two others Pete Nash and his Polish friend who's name I've forgotten. Another friend Ray Parkhouse and I went fishing at weekends quite a lot.

Other memories include the long trek up Glastonbury Road to the lunch canteen situated near the shops, the Tuck Shop in the playground (wagon wheels!!) and on Wednesday afternoons the cycle ride to Sutton or Cheam baths for swimming.

Looking back there were good times, but I suspect some of the bad times have been filed away in memory never to resurface!