Georgie Wager and Claud Wager

Editor:

I have transfered this request from the message board as the it was only by chance that I found the last reply. As I have mentioned before I will as time permits move all the items from the message boards to our who, what and where sections so that it is easier to find them. I will endeavour to achieve this over this winter.

Anyone remember Georgie Wager, he used to work as a builder and had one of the first mini vans around Laindon. I worked with him at Hatters garage when he was doing some building work. His brother Claud was in the trade as well, drove a green mini-pick up truck. Two great tough little characters, Claud would swing a 5 gallon drum of oil onto his shoulder as if it was a bag of feathers.I was quite impressionable at 15 and always aspired after a donkey jacket and mini pick up to be like those guys.

I think George was going out with a girl at LHR but I can’t remember who, hopefully someone will remember all this.

By Richard Haines on 29/01/2012 at 18:22

I heard that George had died some years ago, he was a good friend of mine, at school his girl friend was Pat Brumell? By Brian Cordell on 01/02/2012 at 22:59

Hi Brian, thanks for posting this. I had no idea about George leaving us. Nice to know he was your buddy, he was a fantastic bloke, always ready to give advice. Yes his girl was Pat Brummell, she was in my year (1958-1963).

I wonder if Claud is still around. If you get a chance can you see if they are on the Laindon High Road photos thanks.

By Richard Haines on 02/02/2012 at 11:09

How weird – I was discussing old Laindon names with Roy Brummel only yeterday and one of the names we mentioned was George Wager so was surprised to see him mentioned on the website – George did date Roy’s sister Pat – they married in 1966 and moved to Mayland where George ran a garage but later they divorced. Pat later married Chris Barry and moved to Shropshire – George was a great guy and I was sadened to think that he may no longer be with us.

By Linda Mayes on 04/02/2012 at 15:27

Hello Linda, thank you so much for this. Its nice to know George and Pat were married, she was such a nice girl at school, very popular. George was a nice guy as you say, very helpful with loads of advice on girls and stuff when I was about 15/16. This was in the cold winter of 1962/63 when we were working at Trevor Hatters garage. Wish I had known he moved to Maylandsea, only a few miles from my house. I think I picked him out on the Laindon School 1958 photo page 13 but I am sometimes wrong on my choices!! If you remember anymore please let me know !!

By Richard Haines on 05/02/2012 at 10:28

I think the girl may have been Christine Brummel?

By Christine Hutchings on 28/04/2012 at 14:58

No, it was Pat Brummel who married George Wager – I used to be her sister-in-law, Christine was her younger sister.

By Linda Mayes on 12/06/2012 at 11:21

I am so pleased to be able to say that George is alive and well and living in Devon, unfortunately no contact details but at least we know he is doing ok.

By Linda Mayes on 30/07/2013 at 16:08

Comments about this page

Add your own comment

  • Hi all. I remember Brian Brummel, (lived in Church Road, Laindon, near the “Prince of Wales”). I was an apprentice “Motorbody Builder” at “Coles of Laindon”and Brian was an apprentice Black Smith. This was way back in 1955/6. I only very vaguely remember his sister though.
    Reading through all the previous posts I recognize lots of names, but sadly cannot put names to them (except Brian Cordell who I am still in contact with) perhaps because I am just that bit older? (78 at time of going to press). J.B.

    By Mr.J.W.Birch (06/12/2018)
  • I went to school (St Nicholas) with George. It must have been in the early 50s.
    Dave Pritchard.

    Editor: At that time the school’s correct name was Laindon Park Junior School.

    By David Pritchard (28/11/2018)
  • Hello.  I came across this page by chance whilst diving into my family history. Derek is my Grandfather. He had a butchers shop in Wickham Bishops where his sons Trevor (my father) and Tony worked. He also had two Daughters Kim and Mandy. I have many fond memores of my Grandad, especially ones over the yard helping him with the animals and watching him ride his Ford Dexta. Sadly he had a stroke and he passed away after several weeks in 2005.

    My nanny Jo is still in Wickham Bishops looking after the animals and is very well.

    Thank you all for a little look into his past.

    By Rosie Sizer (28/02/2016)
  • Hello Rosie,  I knew your grandmother Jo’s family well. Jim, Jean, Jo, Fred, Alan, Mack, and their always welcoming mother. Jim is an old friend and we spent some time together in Laindon last summer when I was back in the UK. The family lived in Douglas Road. As you may know, Jean (who married Tom Monk of Railway Cottages and lived in Witham) died many years ago as has Alan. Jim and wife June live in Lancashire, Fred somewhere in the west country and Mack in Norfolk (I think).

    Your grandfather Derek’s family I only knew slightly. Prior to Wickham Bishops, Derek’s father had a butcher’s shop on the corner of Nichol Road and the High Road. I walked by that location last summer. All gone. Completely changed although the District Nurse’s house opposite still stands. Derek had a sister but I cannot remember her name.

    We lived a few yards down at 2 King Edward Terrace on the then new housing estate.

    By Alan Davies (28/02/2016)
  • Eric, Gillian sends her best wishes, and remembers you and the others well. she mentioned Sandra Goodchild!. Gill`s cousin Graham Bull moved to Australia around 25-30 years ago, I’m not sure where he is now.

    By William Anderson (31/03/2014)
  • Hi, the Bull family had several branches, in Nichol Road on the north side above Claremont Road were cousins Christine and Joan Ross, In Railway Approach cousin Valerie Lovell, among many others.

    On the corner of Nichol Road with Tavistock Road, North side,were the Beetwell family, Charlie and his brother whose name escapes me. I lost touch with them a long time ago

    By William Anderson (30/03/2014)
  • I remember the Ross family,  they lived in Diston Lodge.  I was in the same class as Christine – she is on the 1958 long school photograph.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (30/03/2014)
  • Hi William.  Just last year when Arnie Frost was visiting me in Australia we were reminiscing on our old classmates and wondering where they are nowadays and Gillian’s name came up.

    She may not remember us but say hello anyway.  I left Laindon in 1966.

    Regards.  Eric Pasco

    By Eric Pasco (30/03/2014)
  • Hi, Yes I do remember the Cot. Rosemary married the chap with the car and lived in Little Burstead, she still lives in Little Burstead. Behind Sizers on the South side of Nichol road there was a bungalow was where the Barnes family lived. As for Gillian Bull she is sitting beside me. we were married in 1968.

    By William Anderson (29/03/2014)
  • Well, I had already figured that one out Bill, when you said your wife was Baden’s cousin !! By 1968 we had been moved away from Laindon five years. I hope you are both well. I sometimes drive up Nichol Road if I am passing the area. Our old house looks the same. Lynview has been rendered and painted so it looks different to the rest of the terrace. I don’t like the way Claremont Road curls around to the south and ends in a blind turning now and the old folks home on the field doesn’t do much for the area – but that’s progress. It’s best to remember things as they were !

    By Richard Haines (29/03/2014)
  • No Derek Grainger, from Claremont Road, had two sisters Doreen and Rosemary. Their mother Alice was one of four family members of the Bull clan,  the other members were Reg, Harry and Fred.  They were all talented musicians, although only Harry continued playing and had his own group ‘The Lambourne Dance Band’ and played regularly at the Romford YMCA. Anybody know what happened to Derek Sizer? 

    By William Anderson (28/03/2014)
  • I’m unaware of who owned the spare pieces of ground and therefore can offer no help.  That area of research is a little out of my league – sorry. 

    Derek Sizer married Josephine Grindle in 1955.  He died in June 2005 and is buried at Herongate Wood Cemetery.   

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (28/03/2014)
  • Further to Nina’s comment on Derek Sizer. He and Josie lived in Wickham Bishops where Derek had his own butcher’s shop. Josie continues to reside in the same house. I saw Josie three or four years ago when a visit to the UK coincided with a Grindle family reunion somewhere in Cheshire. Derek had a sister, Beryl, Brenda, or Barbara perhaps, but I have no idea what happened to her.

    By Alan Davies (28/03/2014)
  • No1 Nichol Road was constructed in 1957. There were two sets of semi-detached built and one terraced row of three on the High Road, the end one of those being Lynview. Opposite Lynview on the other side of Nichol Road was the shop, S R Sizer Butcher, a white painted single storey building which was boarded up when we moved to Laindon in the August of 1957. Sizer’s shop did not back directly onto the field as stated by Alan Taylor as there was a bungalow, Amara in between.

    Alan is right about the football games. Usually our games would involve myself, Stan Mortlock who lived in Lynview, Derek Grainger, Jimmy King from further up Nichol Road and anyone who turned up from the King Edward Estate. We also flew model aeroplanes on the field and had bonfires there in November. My guess is the field was either unregistered or was common land.

    Yes Derek had the two sisters mentioned above. Doreen I recall had a copy of the hit record Peggy Sue which Derek put on the radiogram once. That had me hooked on Buddy Holly for life. Derek’s cousin Gillian Bull was one of the first children I spoke to in Laindon. We were in Mr Stones class at Laindon Park School.

    Rosemary Grainger was a lot older than us and had a boyfriend who would pick her up in a Ford car, quite brave considering the state of the then unmade Nichol and Claremont Roads. Everyone was so friendly then, how times have changed.

    By the way, if Bill Anderson is reading this, do you remember the plot of land called The Cot at the top of Nichol Road/Tavistock Road ?

    By Richard Haines (28/03/2014)
  • Miss Marple at work again:  The Anderson family lived in “Claremont”, Claremont Road.  The Woodley family lived opposite in “Ennerdale”.

    “Claremont” stood on the west side of Claremont Road, about half way between Nichol Road and Bramley Gardens.  It’s still there and looks to have been extended at some time with a dormer roof.

    In recent years it’s been the home of the current Revd of St Nicholas Church, hence being referred to as Laindon Vicarage.  It now has a number rather than a name.

    “Ennerdale” appears to have been replaced by new houses.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (27/03/2014)
  • Its funny how the roads in Laindon were laid out, only partly made up, if at all. Certainly Claremont Road to the north was quite well accessed by car from the steeply rising Nichol Road. Then after proceeding past Baden Bull’s bungalow Chase Royal on the left, then one or two others including Claremont and Dunoon, the road suddenly narrowed into just a footpath, wide enough for a bike and completely blocked for the rest of its width by hawthorn bushes. If you went south from Nichol Road on Claremont Road you would pass firstly a small rough field on the right, a bungalow set back on its own plot on the left, then Derek Grainger’s bungalow which had a long garden backing onto other plots in Tavistock Road, one of which was home to Gillian Bull’s family. Proceeding down Claremont southwards you would pass Peter and Michael Tandy’s house again on the left before reaching St Nicholas lane. In summary, these roads were wet, muddy and virtually impassable in the winter but dry, dusty and full of wildlife in the summer. A wonderful place.

    By Richard Haines (27/03/2014)
  • The propery which is now the vicarage, was actually called “Claremont House”, it was a large Victorian property when we moved there in 1948. My father reduced it to a single storey building which was also extended, it was then renamed “Claremont”,  I removed the existing roof and added four bedrooms under a new complete roof, with a great deal of help from my friend Derek Grainger. this took place in 1976/8 after my father passed away. I am a very good friend of Nihal Paul,the Vicar at that time, he spend a lot of time with me at the house which resulted in the Church buying it. As you stated it is now known as The Vicarage 38, Claremont Road

    By William Anderson (27/03/2014)
  • The bungalow ‘Chase Royal’ is also still there in Claremont Road.  Of course there’s no need to take a walk or ride to see the area today, just take a trip on Google Earth via a computer.

    By Nina Humphrey(née Burton) (27/03/2014)
  • Was Derek Grainger any relative to the drop dead gorgeous June Grainger who was secretary to the headmaster, Mr Radford, at LHR around this time?

    Richard, if you lived at 1, Nichol Road, had Sizer’s butchers shop been demolished by this time? If so then 1, Nichol Road presumably stood on that same piece of ground. The Sizers lived next door to the shop. Next to the Sizers were the Lamberts.

    The rough field  on the right as one went up Nichol Road, immediately behind the butchers shop, was referred to as Sizer’s field. Whether Sizer actually owned the field I do not know. Two or three of us lads would wander on to Sizer’s field and start kicking a football around. Before long other lads, drawn almost like bees to a flower, would appear. Before long there was a regular game underway with goal posts marked by coats placed on the ground. How other lads knew a game was underway is a mystery.

    Laindon was riddled with these pieces of rough and unimproved ground, often covered with hawthorne and virtually impassable. Who owned these pieces of land I wonder? Presumably someone was obliged to pay taxes on the property. Were some owned by the former land speculators, perhaps some were still owned by the original farmers. Surely a piece of land has to be owned by someone or some entity. It cannot be simply not owned. Perhaps Miss Marple can a little light on the darkness.

    By Alan Davies (27/03/2014)
  • Hi Bill, I can’t place exactly where your house was in Claremont Road, there was a big detached house called Dunoon, don’t know if its still there. Certainly I used to come home lunchtime that way from LHR, to vary the route a bit, then home the normal way in the evenings down the High Road.

    I recall Baden’s cousin was Gillian Bull who lived up in Tavistock Road. Peter Tandy and his brother used to make some big balsa wood gliders from Keil Kraft kits when I was about 12. I can’t remember them at LHR though and they are not named in the photo.

    There was a hall in St Nicholas Lane at the end of Claremont Road, where we got to chat up the Girl Guides outside in the evening in the summer. I remember Dave Woodley being there once and they all seemed to know him.

    As for Derek Grainger how amazing that he still lives there. I remember playing in his garden with his airgun – my parents wouldn’t let me have one. Happy times – cheers Richard.

    By Richard Haines (26/03/2014)
  • Richard the house I lived in is now the Vicarage of Laindon, I had lived there since 1948, having moved there from our house in Walthamstow, apart from a few years living in Tillingham,  I moved away in 1986 to Ramsdon Bellhouse and still live there now.

    David Woodley lived opposite me in Laindon, he moved around the country a bit after he left school but finally set up home in Tolleshunt Darcy where he became the local Milkman for a very long time.  I think he still lives there. Mike Tandy, a very good friend of mine, moved to Bodin Cornwall 30 years ago and still lives there, he restored a very large wooden sailing boat and I often go down to see him.  Last year I went down there with Alan Caulfield to see him and we went camping for two weeks.  His brother Peter also lives very close to Mike.

    Derek Grainger still lives in Claremont Road next to his old dad’s place, he has never moved.  Baden Bull, my wife’s cousin, lives in Essex Way, Benfleet.

    Just a bit more information, the area of land from Nicholas Lane to A127 and Pound lane to the High Road was called The Great Cowes Estate.  The road layout was the same as it is today and was divided into twenty foot plots. That’s enough for now.

    By William Anderson (25/03/2014)
  • Good to see Bill Anderson’s comments about George. I can just imagine how he would have helped during that accident. It probably wouldnt happen these days, its difficult to fall from a computer stool or off a sofa. Great also to see that George was also a Laindon Park boy, just a few years ahead of my time there. So Bill, where did you live in Claremont Road? I knew David Woodley, Peter Tandy, Derek Grainger and Baden Bull. I lived at 1, Nichol Road, houses constructed in 1957.

    By Richard Haines (24/03/2014)
  • I was at Laindon Park Junior School with George Wager and later at LHR. George lived next to the SX tool factory in pound lane, around the age of 11, I was out playing with George in his back garden on top of some chicken sheds. During this play I fell from the top of a shed onto a Butler sink which was being used as a water butt. I  suffered a very bad cut to my head. George ran home and came back with his sister Marie who carried me into the SX factory medical room.  After some first aid from the factories medic, he took me to Billericay Hospital in the company ambulance. At the Hospital I had 5 stitches and was taken home in Claremont Road Laindon. I still have the scar to prove it. Bill

    By Bill Anderson (23/03/2014)
  • How amazing that Georgie Wager’s niece should contact this site and confirm that he is ok . I do not have that many stories about George as most of my memories of him and Claude are based around working with them, while I was still officially at school I might add. However, Claude was not to be messed with and had some good stories of his life on building sites and coming up against stroppy foremen during his work. George wouldnt remember me now as I was only a skinny blond kid aged 16 working in Hatters Garage when they were doing all the building work. On the pumps was Kathy Hymas and another girl Susan King who was in my class at LHR. Down the road in the BP garage was Carol Craft and in the stores was Ian Soul. It was so difficult for me at the time, studying for my GCEs and - at weekends and evenings, working with all these seemingly older people and learning about life from them – brilliant happy times.

    By Richard Haines (25/02/2014)
  • It was wonderful to read about George and Claude, I am their niece their older brother David’s daughter.   I have been searching for years from the other side of the globe.  Yes George is in Devon, but sadly Claude is no longer with us, he made a new life in Australia and passed away in 2012.  I am desperately trying to obtain any information regarding my ancestors.  If anybody has any memories it would be great.  Gillian Kendall nee Wager

    By Gillian Kendall (19/02/2014)
  • Hi Richard, I think George was older than me, about a year so I think. He would be about 70, I do not know how old Claud would be.

    By Alan Taylor (26/10/2013)
  • Yes, thanks Alan I already named George on the Laindon High Road School photo back in 2012. You say he is living in Laindon, whereabouts exactly? regards Richard.

    By Richard Haines (25/10/2013)
  • Hi Richard, George Wager is number 22 page 13 on the 1958 photos of Laindon High Road.  Heard he still lives in Laindon.

    By Alan Taylor (24/10/2013)
  • So all’s well that ends well with Georgie Wager. I’m so glad that he is reported well, living in Devon too – lucky for some. 

    However, no-one has mentioned his brother Claud presumably he is still doing well, I guess he is around 70 by now. Brian Cordell mentioned George on here, remembering that the two of them smoked roll-ups after school, similar to some of us who did the same at Pelhams Alley back in the day (the shop was handy for us 14 year olds buying 5 Players Weights).

    By Richard Haines (09/09/2013)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.