Driving by Laindon this morning on the A127 towards London I remembered the cross country runs we had to do in the PE lessons, led by Mr Munday. The run usually had the same route cutting across the onion fields at the top of the school, then across some other land, emerging onto the A127 footpath/cycle track. I recall this is where some of us would slow down and loiter about, some of the lads opening some cigarettes if we were lucky. This was in about 1960 because I clearly recall some boys talking about Lady Chatterley's Lover, a book that was just available after its court case at the time. None of us had read it of course but rumours got around none the less. From this point the route gets hazy in my mind but certainly took in parts of other fields and a return along roads near the Old Fortune of War and back down the High Road, usually spattered in mud which we all loved. Then it was into the tin baths for a scrub down before returning to lessons. I doubt whether I could do the run these days but the fields did look nostalgic in the morning sun today. I wondered what all those lads are doing now, happy days never to return.

Thank you for that Georgina. The reason I ask is Firstly I never new where the store was. Secondly I read an article about Rose Nuth it said that she went to Germany in 1939 and was in a dance performance at the Wintergarten theatre in Berlin. In the audience was Adolf Hitler and when her act was over Hitler led a standing ovation to it. In the article it said that she lived at St. Nicholas stores it never said that she pursued dancing as a career.

Hello Barry Ellerby. St. Nicholas Stores was situated on what is now the playing field of the school. My mum and dad, George and Helen Ellingford, bought the shop from Mr Nuth in 1947 and ran it until 1962 when it was alas compulsory purchased. I was a brownie (St Peter's Church) and a girl guide (St Nicholas Church). I also helped with the cubs. I stayed on at LH to take RSAs and learn shorthand/typing spending the last two years in Mr Foreman's class. Other class members were Cynthia Jones, Coral Hewitt, Beryl Cross, Heather Tyler, Doris Attenborough, and Joy Shroder. I was a prefect and hope I was fair when I reprimanded the younger pupils.

Hello Georgina could you let me know where St nicholas stores was situated in the lane? Also was there a connection with a family named Nuth with the stores?

Ann Rugg do you remember me coming to your home where your mum would wash and set my hair for me? I came from the shop "St Nicholas Stores" in St Nicholas Lane. If I'm right you were a terrific artist - drawings of buildings, etc. With regard to Mr Foreman, I remember baby sitting for him, with Joy Shroder, and my mum being angry because he didn't get us home until nearly midnight.

Thank you everybody for the wonderful memories on here, and when I get more time, I will read them much more thoroughly. I remember you Sandy (Penson) and when you and Fred, plus your parents ran The Revellers. Oh what Lovely memories? I have been to see Mr. Poole since leaving LHR, and his lovely wife took a photo of us together. He was my favourite teacher there, and the one I had the most respect for. When in one geography class, I would sit next to the late Ian Horner, and Mr. Poole was teaching us about the delta of rivers, when Ian said 'Pitsea Creek!' and I had a job not to laugh, when Mr. Poole made me tell him why I was laughing.

Hi Everyone, I have just speed read ALL the above info with absolute fascination. I left school in July 1958 to work in London, so know very few of you, sadly, but would like to add my own memories. Well some of them anyway. 

My first year was with Miss Jollyman, and I concur with your comments. She was a first class teacher, very strict but fair. Don't recall the ciggies but the main attraction in her class was the bee hive, that took some getting used to, but was fascinating! 

My second year was with Alan Charles Bear (thats the way I always think of him!) we girls thought him a dreamboat. It was he that taught a few of us girls ballroom dancing during the lunch break twice a week, although he always had to get permission from whichever teacher was on corridor duty that day. Once a few of us girls could manage we then went on to help him teach more girls, occasionally boys as well. 

My third year was with Mr Wanstall who ran the science lab. Strangely I do not have too many memories of that year. 

The 4th year saw me in the wooden building with Mr Reese, he was an excellent english teacher. I stayed there for the 2 years special extended course learning shorthand/typing etc. I always felt we were very priviledged to have that course. Mr Reese was a lovely person with an extremely dry and wicked sense of humour. I thoroughly enjoyed those 2 years, and especially my classmates. As we were a small group of 24 or so we all became good friends, which didn't usually happen in the much larger classes. 

I have just kept to the salient facts of my time at LH, I'm sure I could go on and on now I have started but will save you from that. 

As a footnote, 2 of the lads organised a reunion some years ago, called the class of 58. It was so wonderful to meet up after 30 years. As you can imagine one evening was not nearly enough time. Looking back the next day I realised that in the main we had all been reminiscing rather than enquiring about the intervening years. Gluttons for punishment they organised another reunion 5 years later. Sadly there were not so many attendees that time, but it did give us all a chance to more or less catch up. I send you all my very best wishes. 

I remember a girl called Daphne Thomas who lived in Bulphan and used the bus to get to Laindon High Road School she would be in her late sixties now. Are you there Daphne?

In my day at the school we used to catch the Dunton Bulphan bus to Laindon High Road, only the people from Bulphan would remember it. Here are some names: Linda Hanneman, Brian Batchford, Michael White, Robert Whiting, Jenny Brown, Richard Gnome, John Gnome, John Preston, Michael Brown, Ian Stott, Anton Vidler(my brother) and me!

The coach company was the Happy Wanderers and Mr Cluff was in overall charge. We had fun on the bus.

Editor: If there are any memories of life in the Bulphan area we would be more than happy to include them in the archive. Bulphan was in the catchment area for LHS and the village policeman for Dunton worked out of the Police house / station in Bulphan so the communities were interlinked. 

Many thanks for all the wonderful comments. 

I remember Ann Bullimore and all the teachers named in these reports, as a matter of interest I qualified as a teacher myself and worked with Mr Poole after being his pupil in school and I was in Mr Angels class for my yr 2. 

Anton is my brother who also attended Laindon regards to all

Hi Pearl, I remember you we were in same year at LHR. I followed your Dancing career on TV with Rolf Harris? 

I remember your family used to put shows on in the old community hall. I went there on Saturdays for tap classes.

Hi I think these pictures about Laindon High Road School 1958 are great, my name is now Sandy Craig I used to be Pearl Penson (no 61 on the pic) it was great to take a trip down memory lane.

I will keep watching the site and I think it's a great job, every time I look at the pic I see other people that I went to School with, I wish all involved well. Very best wishes

Hi Eric; I passed your message on to John, no more birds. John married Barbara Stevens from Langdon Hills I think she was a Woodlands school pupil.

I recall some time at LHR we all had the opportunity to have a dig prior to contractors machines creating our swimming pool and the fun we all had.

Charlie Sowden was my swim mentor prior to him entering the Army (junior leaders) what a change in Charlie after that. Poor Charlie got blamed for everything but in truth he was to blame for most incidents anyway.

Ann Rugg recently handed me a school text book for the year 1931, found amongst the possesions of Janet Duke in respect of my sister Ivy. 

Janet obviously expected great things from her pupils as it contained a list of "Books to be read", detailed as under. Alice in Wonderland, Little Women, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Peter Pan, Gullivers Travels, The Water Babies, Treasure Island, Black Beauty, Coral Island, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Uncle Remus, Aesops Fables, Hans Anderson and Grimms Fairy Tales, Arabian Nights, The Wind in the willows, Just so stories, Jungle Book, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nicklebury, Barnaby Rudge, The Old Curiosity Shop, The Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, Pickwick Papers and Dombey and Sons. 

Another interesting part that one part of the text book was more carefully written when I noticed that it was headed "Neatness Week". I wonder how they fitted the rest of the academic subjects into such an agenda. But at least no one could claim to have left the High Rd. as illiterate although would numeracy have suffered.

I remember you David and your twin John in fact John and I were constant companions for a while with 2 certain young ladies. I actually married mine !! 

I also recall you as the 2 full backs in the School football team. We also live in your part of the world...Perth, Australia. Send my regards to John...does he stiil keep pigeons?

Hi all above, my what a collection of well known names. Brings back great memories. David and John McNally we were twins that lived in The Mead, first right of King Edward Rd, we went to Laindon Park Primary before Laindon High Sch. 

My thoughts going back to school always include Mr Poole, happy times and the first time the school split us up for our education, can’t remember which class John went into I will have to ask him.

I (David) migrated to New Zealand in 1986 and now live on a modest farm in Karapiro near the town of Cambridge. My wife is Janet who hails from Romford. I mention this as she was also a friend of Lenny Cranfield of King Edward Rd, some 4 or 5 years my senior. John still lives local in Langdon Hills. To many class mate names coming to mind now.

You couple of old smoothies, yes you were both one for the ladies. Being the sporty type myself back in those days (you would not think so now) played in the school net ball team for 2 /3 years. Took part in a lot of racing flat and relay. Liked tennis but they did not play much of it. John always says he watched on to see the navy knickers, but don't forget the little navy skirt as well. Ahh such sunny days. I shall try and organise a get together boys have done it in the past. The venue will always be a problem though. We would have to pay to have the Community Centre on Somerset Road. Maybe the hall near me on Pound Lane would be sympathetic to our cause, I shall have to ask. In the past we have met either at the rugby club or the Crown Pub. I'll have a scout around maybe sometime in August / September?

Richard as I said earlier my memory is not the greatest, I do remember we were very lucky to have such a wealth of beautiful ladies in our year. But being heavily into sport and not being the most confident with the ladies I missed out. It is wonderful talking about school years, I am sure there are many people that could restore my memory.

Jeff (Footer) you'r number 57 on page ten.

Some really nice comments on here from Barry Herridge and this goes to show that some of the people we went to school with stay in the memory forever. I was at Laindon Park with Val and we sat together for a while due to the classroom being overcrowded. We didnt go into the same class at LHR but we were in the same year up to 5X (me) and 5X2 (Val). However the girls sticking in my mind from LHR and being particularly pretty are so numerous it would fill a long list. Anyway, here goes, some of our LHR favourites not necessarily in my year; Coral Hewitt, Pat Roper, Anne Edwards, Jean Ives, Jacqui Sheppard, Mary Baker, Penny Oliver, Vanessa Crew, Carol Hudson. I might study the photo and come back to top my list up (sorry if I missed anyone out).

It is wonderful to hear from you Valerie. A reunion would be wonderful, my memory is not the greatest but you never forget beauty .

Hello Val, yes its time we met up again, it would be really great to get everyone back together again from the 58-63 LHR years. Last time I saw you John and Joe was about 2002/3 so thats another 10 years on the clock. This time though, with this website available and the faces from the school photo largely identified it could be done through the site inviting anyone who is on the picture. What do others think? 

It would sure take some organising but with something semi-permanent on the Homepage it could be advertised. Over to you guys and gals.

Hello Barry, what a lovely thing for you to say, thank you very much. I do remember you at school. I did marry Joe Borowski in 1967 it lasted 18 years until he played around, divorced in 1984. Now I am married to another school friend John Kingsley. He used to sit next to Joe in our class room. Hows that for coincidence. 

I met John at the very last school reunion 12 years ago and married him 2 years later. I have kept in touch with a few guys and gals over the years, we should arrange a reunion Richard how about it ?

Valerie Boatwright what a beautiful young lady you were. I always thought Joe Borofski (maybe not the correct spelling) was a lucky guy to have you as his girlfriend. But I was glad when I played along side of him at rugby. I hope you are well and I am sure still very beautiful.

Editor: Could the name be Borowski he was identified in the 1958 school photograph page 13 No 59

Thank you Ann, it was Mrs Verling, thank goodness your memory is better than mine, and I also had the initials LV on my report book.

In answer to Joan Baterip's question regarding another needle work teacher other than Mrs Gay that in report book was L.V.(initials) I was taught needlework by Miss or Mrs Verling so think this may be who Joan is thinking of. Sorry if anyone else has pointed this out already but I have not had time to read all the comments yet.

Loved reading all your comments. Laindon High Road School was a great school. Made many friends there, and have managed to catch up with a few, who are still nice people. Good memories. Would love to go back, just for a week, a day would not be long enough.

Memories, memories. I have enjoyed reading the comments. 

Editor: Follow this link to read Ann's memories of her days at Laindon High Road.

Hi to all, I've been looking at the 1958 school photo of LHR over the last few weeks.

I'm not good on faces, but I cannot find guys like George Knight, Derrick Dyer, Dave Edwards, and Tony Hamblyn these are just some and I hope this may jog the old grey matter, for the life of me I cannot see my self either.

And yet there are guys in the photos that where in my class. Thank you.

Theres one name keeps coming into my head from the first year 1958-59 when I was in Mr Rosens class. This was Nick Logan who lived in one of the newer houses in Basildon Drive near the junction with Kathleen Ferrier Crescent. He was only in the school for one year then moved on with his family into London. I remember we rode on our bicycles to see his nan who lived in or around Benfleet one day in summer 1959. He was a good schoolfriend (always talking about pop music) and a very clever student. The next I heard he was a reporter on the New Musical Express (NME) in the late sixties and living in Leyton with his wife Julie. Nick went on to create his own style magazine called The Face (some of you may have heard of it- it was on every bookstall and papershop in the country). Then he had a magazine called Arena which was also popular. The Face is no longer published but I thought I would mention Nick here as being one of LHRs creative people. I cant see Nick in the LHR photo but he must be in there somewhere at the end where I am. His photos on the internet and the wikipedia entry are not helpful. I know Nick lives somewhere in Essex/NE London, hopefully one day we will track him down !

Two more names have popped up in my mind: Victor Saunderson and Valerie White. Wonder if they are in the school photos and where they are now.

Yes, Joan you are right I too remember Mrs Badger's class in the old wooden building. We made so many different things back then, my daughter years later, did not seem to make so much. She made delicious short bread biscuits and we had them after playing net ball or football. Mrs Gay, I found to be quite a good needle work teacher, I made the apron you have spoken about and a blouse, a skirt and a few more items. I do have several certificates from both of these teachers. Ian - please change the lady in the white uniform infront of me her name was Mrs Badger I was wrong, had forgotten it, many thanks

Editor: Valerie can I assume from your comment that you are No 31 on page 7. If I have got this correct I am informed that the member of staff in white was the Head Cook and that Mrs Badger is on page on page 4.

Hi Andrea, In my time at Laindon High Road Mrs Badger took the cookery classes over near the woodwork room. I did have Mrs Gay for needlework at times but think the main needlework teacher was Miss Verling ? Mrs. 

Glad to see I got into your autograph book and will try and retrieve mine from a box in the loft and see who I collected. I left in 1958 from 5x having decided not to complete the full 2 year extended course. Look forward to more memories coming on site.

Yes, Richard I do remember all you have written about. Cramped was we, well, a few more years on and we would all have been glad to be cramped (ha ha). Yes, I shall perhaps put the pictures on this site for approval, if the editor chooses to use them it might be nice.

Miss Jolyman had a favouriet saying I believe it was 'du see' (I have not miss spelt it that is how it came out). I do remember you with the naughty jokes and songs / ditties.

Editor: The site is intended to be the archive of the social history of the Community and in order to collect this we need you to provide your memories and by publish in them and any photographs it sparks off the memories of others. So I will publish as soon as I can any material that gets the communities brain cells working.

Hope you dont mind me coming in Joan, I'm sure I am right in saying Mrs Badger was the cookery teacher and Mrs Gay took needlework, I still remember using a sewing machine in her class and making gingham aprons for cookery, which we also had to embroider them with little crosses keeping them in the little check squares. 

I have a confession to make, on the last day at school before we left to go out in the big wide world we saved (can't recall who was in on it with me) the Yorkshire pudding from lunch and put it into Mrs Badgers bike bell.

PS to my last message, I have been having a think about the needlework teacher and have looked in my old blue school report book. Her initials it looks like are LV and I think it was either Miss or Mrs Vernon, I wonder if I am right?

Hi Andrea, Mrs Badger was our cookery teacher, and although I have read comments about Mrs Gay taking needlework, it definately wasn't her that I had, I will recognise the name when I see it. She was an older lady with short grey curly hair.

Editor: I have been instructed to confirm that Mrs Gay was the needlework teacher. Patsy née Tyler has the certificates for needlework to prove it.

Sitting reading all these coments brings back so many memories. I'm trying to remember my teachers in order but I can't so I will list them:

Miss Harris, I hated her, she used to drag us girls under the light and make you take the remains of the night befores mascara off.

Mr Poole, I had him for a few years, loved him. He was a very nice teacher I still have loads of honour certificates he used to give us. I also remember he always used to say to the naughty boys, come on now.

Mr Cluff I remember was my last teacher there in the science room I left in 1962.

Other teachers I remember are Mr Reece, Mr and Mrs Gay. I made so many friends there sad how you loose touch, it would be nice if we had a reunion for my year leavers. My maiden name was Roper. Does any one on here remember me I wonder?

Editor: I am sure that our readers will be prepared for a lot of memories to be sparked.

Hi Joan, did Mrs Badger take Needlework classes?

Val thanks for your comments, it was a brilliant time at Laindon Park school, I didnt mind sitting with you, we were so cramped in that classroom, my report tells me that we had 46 children in Mrs Hodgsons class so thats why they were short of space. I guess you got embarrassed with my rude jokes but at least we had a laugh didnt we. As for the netball matches, I can't remember the short skirts and blue knickers at all (lies). We had Miss Jollyman for Biology, so interesting growing Anenomes (is that how you spell it?) in glass jars and watching the roots growing down. Such a one -off wasnt she with her grey suits, glasses and old fashioned hairstyle and always with a cigarette going on. I liked her actually, she was one of the old school in discipline, a bit like Mr Rees in that respect. Yes I remember the fund they set up to get the money to build the swimming pool and how cold the water was and all the cork floats we had. Better than going to Hutton every Monday like you did back in Laindon Park. Some day you should put some of your LHR pics on this site especially the ones of you, Joe and Terry Stolworthy and the others lounging around in the fifth year. Or taking the road cones from the High Road and putting them in the photo. Happy days indeed.

Sorry mis-spelt graph paper and I get my ladies mixed up it was Mrs Gay a rather large lady for needle work not Mrs Hughes.

Editor: I have made the corrections, sorry I missed the spelling of graphs. I should have read it in more detail.

Yes Richard, I too remember the youth club and it was held in Mr Woods classroom in the old wooden building. Remember Denise and I dancing half the night away when others were in evening class. In those days I played netball and was quite an athlete, though you would not belive it to look at me now. 

My memories were of you lads on the school playing field being very rowdy, when you were aloud to watch the netball matches and made us girls feel very conscious of our navy knickers and short skirts.

I was also in the school chior in the second year and we did very well. The keep fit lady who was on the TV at the time, i cannot recall her name, was very generous in her praise of the singing. I still remember some of the songs 'Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring' was one of them and the Straus waltzes. 

Mr Miniken was a lovely man and I still have 2 of the pots / ash tray I made with him. I do not know why I made them as non of my family smoked. 

John, my husband, has a sort of horse come giraffe sitting on a radiator cover at home. Mr Bear was also my form teacher for 2/3 years he was so nice. I too drew a lot of graphs at this time and he was impressed with the different ink colours I used for the concave lines that he asked to keep my books when I eventually left. 

Does anybody remember a BBQ (new in from the states) about 1960 / 61, I do not remember if I dreamt it or not?? 

We had Mrs Gay for needlework, she was quite strick, and was is Miss Maitland for typing and short hand. I gained a few RSA certificates basic and elementary, and yes there was a maths certificate as I have two of them. I loved the domestic science (cookery) lessons they were in the 'new building' but I do not remember the teacher. I think we started of in the wooden building for those lessons and the new building was really the new building then. My dad and many others were asked to come and give a hand to dig out the foundations for the brand new swimming pool. He was disabled in the war but he still went to help and in those days there was not a roof on it, that came along several years later. 

Miss Jollyman was my form tutor in the first year and her favourite saying was 'do you see' what a lady with her fag in her hand. We also had a few school dances and one of the teachers, I think it was Mr Smith always asked me to dance as i could do ballroom and that was great doing the waltz or quick step. 

I think i also remember a cinema club and watching Pal Joey. Does anybody else remember that? 

Richard you were a pain at school but you are a lovely fella now - ha ha. How embarrassed i was having to sit next to you in junior school, they really were the days.

What lovely memories of the old school especially Mr Minikin. When I left school I used to go to the evening class that he ran on pottery. When I told him I was moving from Laindon he made a small pot and got me to decorate it with the little stick people that I liked to do. We put our initials on it and it stood on his desk with his pencils in it. I was so chuffed about that. I also remember one day in his art class, he showed us how to fall, he just went down full length up the aisle between the desks and up again before we'd realised what he'd done, an amazing teacher. Mind you I had my hair cut quite short at one time, and he jokingly said he had a new boy in the class, I wasn't so pleased with him then, but I forgave him !! Does anyone remember Mr Allen, he was really quite young for a teacher, he was the brother of Avril Allen who Was in the same class as I was, we used to drool over him, he was smashing !! I can't remember the teacher who took us for needlework,(maybe someone will remember her) but for some reason we never took to each other, my exam marks for that subject were dreadful yet I went on to make most of my three daughters dresses when they were little, so I couldn't have been that bad (mind you maybe I was and my daughter's didn't like to tell me!!!)

Nina, your memories of LHR are very sharp. I like your 'Tales of Miniken' he didnt tell us any stories that I can recall, I do remember though that in the first year his art room was in the old school at the girls side, where we used to come out near the canteen end. This must mean that the new block was opened 1959/60 which is when we were with him making the figurines. He lived quite near to us, in a detached new house on the High Road, I think he had two daughters, as I recall they looked a bit like him and had thick curly hair. Fantastic teacher, my mum still has one of my pots which didnt stand correctly before firing until Mr Miniken put correct shaped feet on it. You can see where his experienced hand had placed these perfect feet, then twisted off to complete so professionally-brilliant. It is basically brown clay with a black and blue slip glaze applied - we all did them didnt we? As for Mr Lane, his subject for us was Rural Science (as you know, any kind of science was a bad one) which meant -how to look after your garden. Fine if you were that way inclined but my concentration soon drifted to other things teenage boys think about, leaving far behind the talk of loam and other clay type soils. I cant remember him being scary though, it was just his subject I didnt like. Who is the other old guy in the photo, a Mr Richardson, cant say I remember him I wonder if he was Mr Lane's buddy? Mr Frank Foreman you mentioned - superb teacher, I recall he was friends with Mr Rosen. One day in the 59 summer holidays I was walking into Basildon with my mum and young brothers. There was a ringing of bicycle bells and into view came Mr Rosen and Mr Foreman on bikes, flying past down to that funny subway ramp thing at Roundacre. Mr Rosen spotted me and called out good morning as they flashed by, mum was so pleased! About prizes, I only ever got one. Ist in Technical Drawing in 1961. By the time the others had chosen their prizes (head boy/girl, top in English, Maths etc) there were very few books left. My Observers Book Of Aircraft was so small they had to fold in the special prize attachment before gluing it in. I've still got it in perfect condition. Your youth club experience is not suprising. That room you talked of was in the wooden building I think. I could tell you some tales of goings on in there, entirely different from the day times!! Oh and RSA's there was a maths RSA, guess who didnt take it.

Hi Richard It’s still good to be able to share some of those old school stories even after all this time. You might just be able to finish an untold story of Mr Miniken’s for me (if he told you the same one). While he was turning pots on the wheel, he told us stories from Africa, an instalment in each lesson. One was about an African native who could mysteriously cure people who had been bitten by the deadly Black Mamba snake. That was a good one. Then he started telling us about the elephant with a boil behind her ear. However, the term ended before he had told us the final instalment, so I never did get to know how it ended. Oh, please tell me you know the ending. 50 years is a long time to wait!! Turning to the subject of maths. I was in the ‘upper’ stream at school but was rubbish at maths, mainly because in the first and second year, we had Mr Lane and I was terrified of him. He always appeared to be in a bad mood, didn’t like kids that weren’t good at maths, so sat them at the back of the class and threw things at them. He was only interested in those who were good at maths, so sat them at the front. I managed to sit about halfway, kept my head low and wasn’t in the main firing line. I was never relaxed in his presence and came very near the bottom of the class in the end of terms exams in both years. However, in the third year, we had the wonderful Mr Foreman for maths. He was a breath of fresh air and very much in tune with us 13 year olds. He started each lesson by saying “What I’m going to teach you today is probably the easiest thing you will ever have to learn”. I believed him. He was 'cool', kind, patient, understanding, interesting, likeable and fun while remaining professional and taught in a way that we could understand. I relaxed, enjoyed his lessons and amazed myself by coming fourth overall in the class in the end of term exams. In the fourth year, we had Mr Durrant for maths and I plummeted to the bottom of the class again. It just shows what a difference a good teacher can make to a youngster. Turning to Science. We had Mr Cluff in the first and second year. (I can remember doing things with magnets and iron filings). They weren’t sure what to do with us girls for Science in the third year as they didn’t think we were as capable as the boys in that subject, so they separated us from them. We had Mr Mort as our teacher who gave us girly things to do like “making bath crystals and burning certain food stuffs on the Bunson Burner to see what changes took place. I scored the highest mark in the end of year exams (56 out of 100) and “Third Year Prize?” was written in my report book. However, it was decided that the prize should go to the overall top mark, which included the boys. Therefore, one of the boys was awarded the prize and I didn’t get anything. How unfair was that? We had been separated and were doing totally different things. It wasn’t a case of sour grapes on my part but I thought it was so wrong. There should have been separate prizes awarded, one for the boys and one for the girls. However, it was 1960 and pre-women’s lib. Perhaps I should have been precocious, gone into the quad and burnt my bra in protest! Thanks to equality, that sort of thing doesn’t happen anymore. Mr Hawkins was my form teacher in the third year. The desks in his classroom housed the typewriters beneath. On arriving at school one morning, Mr Hawkins asked me to accompany him to Mr Woodward’s office. Apparently, my desk had been completely wrecked. It was news to me and I knew absolutely nothing about it. Somebody had dropped the typewriter from a height and it had crashed through the desk and broken the hinged mechanism. I didn’t have to say much as Mr Woodward and Mr Hawkins did all the talking, defending me all the time. They later discovered a member of the youth club in an evening class had done the damage the night before! Well done with your ‘O’ levels. We took RSA and Pitmans exams at the end of our commercial course and I left school with a handful of those. I’m sure there are many more school stories to come. I look forward to them.

Nina, yes it comes back to me now, Tom Durrant started new in about Jan 1959. He was stationed in the wooden building where the library was. All through school I hated maths and science. Mr Durrant made it a bit more likeable but then I went up to the A class and from then it got worse, we had Mr Bear who was very nice, but maths- I didnt get it. Did you do graphs? I didnt understand them at all. On one of my graphs Mr Bear wrote in red 'whats this, the Taj Mahal?' All the others were so good at it, I knew I wouldnt get O level and I was right for once. I did get three others (English, Technical Drawing and Metalwork) so not so bad. Anyway about your Mr Munday incident, typical of him wasnt it. He used to bowl cricket balls down at us at about 100mph, put us through gruelling cross country runs and showed us how to play rugby. This was the best one because you could kick lumps out of him without anyone noticing. I remember Art classes as well in that new building, Mr Miniken let us mould some nude figurines from clay, I used my imagination but casting sideways glances at classmate Veronica Bridges to get inspiration. He told me my lady figure was quite lifelike, what a nice compliment. I didnt take that one home though, too embarrasing. Lovely times!!

Arh yes. Mr. Poole. (I always thought his name was Mr Paul). I enjoyed his Geography lessons very much. I saw him at LHR in the early eighties when I accompanied my children on their induction there. I was told he was only on a visit as he had since moved on to teach at Nicholas School - a very pleasant chap. And Mr Durrant. I was in his class while in 4X. Our group were taking the commercial course, concentrating on Shorthand/Typing, English and Office studies but unfortunately, as Mr Durrant’s main subject was maths, he monopolised our lessons with it (mainly ratios). There were a few protests from our group about that so he had to back off and give us more English. He was also a very good dancer and gave us lessons in the Gym at lunch times. (The girls anyway – the boys used to hide behind the curtains – we could see their feet sticking out from underneath). Perhaps he was a relatively newcomer to the school who joined after the 1958 photo had been taken. There are a number of people who didn’t appear in the photo. At least two of my own classmates were ‘absent’ on that day in October and no doubt a few others throughout the school. I recently remembered an incident involving Mr Munday, the boy’s PE teacher. We were in an art class in the new buildings on a very hot day. Our teacher said we could go and sit outside on the field with our sketchpads. We did, and settled ourselves on the grass just outside the building. Mr Munday was at the far end of the playing field doing football practice with some boys. When he turned round and saw us, he flew into a fury. He shouted. “What are you doing in my ‘class room’?” Get out immediately”. He started marching towards us, red faced, ranting and raving and waving his arms about. We got up quickly and went back inside. Our slightly bemused art teacher told us: “You weren’t exactly interfering with what he was doing, but in the circumstances perhaps it would be best to keep out of his way”. Very strange!

I met up with Evelyn Hollington at the last Plotlands Reunion in summer this year. I hope she is reading this site because she was very interested in our past.

Just a few remarks here, Mr Poole was the first black teacher I had encountered, a very gentle speaking guy who taught Geography to us in our first year (why is he not on the photo?). Tom Durrant, a brilliant maths teacher who was reputed to have been in the RAF (again not on the photo). He later went to teach at Hylands School in Chelmsford. Mr Angel, his form 3CA was the first one I had to look after as a prefect, meeting a nice girl in there called Linda Callow. Also in 3CA was a girl called Dorothy Hollington, Lin's friend. She may be the sister of Evelyn Hollington in the list. One day I will write up my complete memories of LHR including all these names and more. I wasnt always the sweet child in picture 14 for very long.