Table of Contents
Chapter 1: In The Beginning
Chapter 2: St. Brendan's School
Chapter 3: Wartime, including Alcuin House School
Chapter 4: Epilogue
Chapter 1:
“...Charmed magic casements...”
I have established from records that my parents moved to Stanmore in 1932 when my father became manager of Barclays Bank at 1 The Broadway. At that time I was only just into my second year, so being realistic I believe that my earliest memories probably date from 1935.
Clearly in my memory are the views from the windows of the flat above the Bank. From the front of the building, immediately below me there was an interesting junction between The Broadway, Church Road and Stanmore Hill. Buses on Routes 114 and 142 crossed at this point, but to me the most interesting vehicles were the steam-powered lorries, trundling up and down Stanmore Hill to and from the Watford breweries.
Delivery vehicles were mainly horse-drawn but the light vans built around a motor cycle were coming into use. Bakers usually made deliveries by hand-cart, but Mr. Smith (originally at 23 Broadway, but later in the north side parade of shops), also had a cart drawn by a mule. Private cars were infrequent, in those days.
Another ‘horse and cart’ man was Mr. Trower, who lived on the north side of Church Road. As far as I can recall, he was a general carter and was popular with local children, because he would sit them on the back of his horse for short rides along the street. I recall seeing a muffin man with his muffins on a tray which he carried on his head. The other regular ‘walkers’ were the Lamp Lighters who used a hook on a pole to pull a chain which opened or closed the gas supply to the Street Lights. During mornings and evenings in term time, the pavements would be busy with children walking to and from the various schools. During the day women would be going to the shops. So an absorbing scene to keep a young child amused for hours.
From rear windows, the view was dominated by the Wembley Stadium Towers about 5 miles away. The overall scene was across lower Stanmore and beyond. On exceptionally clear days, aided by powerful binoculars, glints of light could be seen as the sun touched windscreens on cars travelling along a stretch of the Banstead By-pass road in Surrey 20 miles away. A memorable night was 30th. November 1936 when the Surrey landmark Chrystal Palace was burnt down. My father heard of it on the wireless, then roused us from our sleep to look at the distant red glow in the night sky. (Five years later, we were to see a great many more red glows in the southern sky!).
Another ‘Palace’ visible in exceptional weather conditions was the Alexandra Palace at Muswell Hill. That was about 10 miles away. To a dreamy boy, these viewpoints were a godsend. Just sit there to allow the changing scenes to fill the imagination.
Life in the flat was cozy. No central heating, but fireplaces in each room. Bedrooms were only heated in very cold weather with paraffin stoves. Accommodation was on three floors, although the third was built into the roof. No refrigerator, but milk was delivered three times a day.
Most days I would be taken to the local shops where my mother would buy food. She also took me to visit relations living at Wembley (later Kenton) and occasionally Wembley Park. My mother enjoyed visiting the big London Stores, in particular Whiteleys in Bayswater. These trips were a great treat because they involved train travel. For this we were ‘spoilt for choice’, with steam trains on the LMS branch to Wealdstone, (via Kenton) and the Bakerloo Line ‘London Underground’ trains via Wembley Park.
Naturally, the steam trains were the greatest thrill, I was fascinated by the way the telephone cables strung on poles alone the trackside viewed from the train, appeared to be performing a wave like motion. Just being on the LMS station itself was sheer joy, with chocolate bars obtainable from slot machines. The trains operated on the ‘push pull’ system with a driving cab at the back of the rear coach. From Stanmore to Wealdstone the train was driven from the engine on the front of the train, but coming into Stanmore from Wealdstone, the driver was in the rear coach. On one occasion, whilst the driver was walking back to the engine, he picked me up so that I could pull the whistle cord. That was sheer heaven!
A big change in my daily routine started in 1936, when at 5 years of age I was obliged to begin my school boy years.
Images:
This 2009 image from Google Earth of the upper part of the bank building is remarkably similar to how the flat appeared up to 1951.
Typical horse drawn wagon in 1930’s:
Chapter 2:
"..the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face..":
Schooling began at St. Brendan’s, a girls’ school which took boys into its kindergarten class. In retrospect it was idyllic.
Early lessons were writing, which involved copying the alphabet letter by letter. Mathematics was taught by reciting tables and basic tasks such as addition and subtraction. We read aloud from nursery rhyme books as an introduction to literature. History started with the Ancient Britons, but did not get much further during my time at St. Brendan’s. However, I do recall an annual ‘Parent’s Day’, when we all trouped off to the hall over the Telephone Exchange in Church Road for a display of ‘talents’ by pupils. My modest effort was to be one of several Ancient Britons sitting on the stage in sackcloth, chewing at large animal bones.
Back to class-work, where we also studied Geography. A truly uplifting subject in those days, with tales of ‘The Empire On Which The Sun Never Set’. I suppose it was because St. Brendan’s was a Girls School, which took boys into the Kindergarten, we also had practical lessons. I can never forget that in my year it was raffia work because I still have a small wooden stool with raffia top to remind me. This was all too easy for a dreamy imaginative boy, who was not disciplined enough to fully absorb these vital early lessons.
Spring was the very best term when ‘Nature Walks’ and Gardening were added to the curriculum. Even before outdoor activity commenced, I would gaze through the window at the flowering cherry trees growing in the back garden, without chastisement, mores’ the pity! To add to the distractions, there was a jar of tadpoles on the window ledge.
Release into the open air was a true delight. We each had a small patch of garden in beds surrounding the back lawn for which I was given a few Chionodoxa (we called them Glory of the Snow) to grow in ‘my garden’. I have purchased such bulbs over the years to have a living reminder of halcyon days in the several gardens I have owned during my life.
Also in the back garden was a chicken – run and being invited to assist with feeding and egg collection was always a great treat. Something must have rubbed off because my daughter is a keeper of Bantams and her children are being ‘schooled’ into chicken management. Behind the chicken run was a vegetable patch, which was spread with quicklime at the appropriate season. Although ‘fenced off’, we were given dire warning of the danger of touching this dangerous product.
The other outdoor activities were Gymnastics, Sport and my favourite, Nature Walks. These activities were held in a meadow behind the school adjacent to a Golf Course. The Gym Mistress was a precursor of the character created by Joyce Grenfell in the ‘St. Trinian’s’ films. Marching and arm swinging were main exercises, to the accompaniment of Susa marches on a portable clockwork gramophone.
Nature Walks appealed strongly to me. Wandering along hedges, picking wild flowers, looking for birds, a perfect activity I do not recall sport starting until Sergeant Bannard joined the staff to teach boys cricket and boxing. ‘Dreamy Boy’ was useless at sport to the extent that he stood gazing into space whilst a well aimed cricket ball stuck him full on the chest. I still wince when thinking of it.
Miss. Hinchy started each school day with an assembly, where we prayed and sang hymns. Thus were The Lord's Prayer and 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' permanently grafted into my memory. One thing that did puzzle me was that a few pupils stayed in the cloakroom, only rejoining us as we proceeded to our classrooms. We were simply told that they were Roman Catholics, thus not allowed by their parents to attend assembly. It was all too new to me at that early age to enquire further into this mysterious segregation.
Religion was taught as a lesson called Divinity. The subject was enlivened occasionally when Miss. Hinchy persuaded a ‘guest’ speaker to talk to us. One such was her brother, who was a clergyman, but more usually it was the current curate from St. John’s Church. The first of these Mr. Lawrence became a missionary, I believe to the Soloman Islanders, so I hope he did not end up in a cooking pot. Presumably he told us how important it was to take the Good News to 'heathens'. The other was Mr. Binney, a more memorable character, who I think took up an appointment at Exeter Cathedral.
N.B. Reference to the subsequent fates of Messrs. Lawrence & Binney, are from 'hearsay', and have not been tested for accuracy.
The St Brendan’s ‘dream’ was shattered whilst I was on holiday with the rest of the family.
St. Brendan's Photo's 1937-1939
Chapter 3:
“I believe it is peace for our time . . . peace with honour.” - Neville Chamberlain 1938.
How wrong his prediction was to prove! On Sunday September 3rd. 1939, our family was enjoying a beautiful summer's holiday with grandparents, who had recently moved from Kenton to Goring-by Sea, Worthing in West Sussex. Chapter 1: In The Beginning
Chapter 2: St. Brendan's School
Chapter 3: Wartime, including Alcuin House School
Chapter 4: Epilogue
Chapter 1:
“...Charmed magic casements...”
I have established from records that my parents moved to Stanmore in 1932 when my father became manager of Barclays Bank at 1 The Broadway. At that time I was only just into my second year, so being realistic I believe that my earliest memories probably date from 1935.
Clearly in my memory are the views from the windows of the flat above the Bank. From the front of the building, immediately below me there was an interesting junction between The Broadway, Church Road and Stanmore Hill. Buses on Routes 114 and 142 crossed at this point, but to me the most interesting vehicles were the steam-powered lorries, trundling up and down Stanmore Hill to and from the Watford breweries.
Delivery vehicles were mainly horse-drawn but the light vans built around a motor cycle were coming into use. Bakers usually made deliveries by hand-cart, but Mr. Smith (originally at 23 Broadway, but later in the north side parade of shops), also had a cart drawn by a mule. Private cars were infrequent, in those days.
Another ‘horse and cart’ man was Mr. Trower, who lived on the north side of Church Road. As far as I can recall, he was a general carter and was popular with local children, because he would sit them on the back of his horse for short rides along the street. I recall seeing a muffin man with his muffins on a tray which he carried on his head. The other regular ‘walkers’ were the Lamp Lighters who used a hook on a pole to pull a chain which opened or closed the gas supply to the Street Lights. During mornings and evenings in term time, the pavements would be busy with children walking to and from the various schools. During the day women would be going to the shops. So an absorbing scene to keep a young child amused for hours.
From rear windows, the view was dominated by the Wembley Stadium Towers about 5 miles away. The overall scene was across lower Stanmore and beyond. On exceptionally clear days, aided by powerful binoculars, glints of light could be seen as the sun touched windscreens on cars travelling along a stretch of the Banstead By-pass road in Surrey 20 miles away. A memorable night was 30th. November 1936 when the Surrey landmark Chrystal Palace was burnt down. My father heard of it on the wireless, then roused us from our sleep to look at the distant red glow in the night sky. (Five years later, we were to see a great many more red glows in the southern sky!).
Another ‘Palace’ visible in exceptional weather conditions was the Alexandra Palace at Muswell Hill. That was about 10 miles away. To a dreamy boy, these viewpoints were a godsend. Just sit there to allow the changing scenes to fill the imagination.
Life in the flat was cozy. No central heating, but fireplaces in each room. Bedrooms were only heated in very cold weather with paraffin stoves. Accommodation was on three floors, although the third was built into the roof. No refrigerator, but milk was delivered three times a day.
Most days I would be taken to the local shops where my mother would buy food. She also took me to visit relations living at Wembley (later Kenton) and occasionally Wembley Park. My mother enjoyed visiting the big London Stores, in particular Whiteleys in Bayswater. These trips were a great treat because they involved train travel. For this we were ‘spoilt for choice’, with steam trains on the LMS branch to Wealdstone, (via Kenton) and the Bakerloo Line ‘London Underground’ trains via Wembley Park.
Naturally, the steam trains were the greatest thrill, I was fascinated by the way the telephone cables strung on poles alone the trackside viewed from the train, appeared to be performing a wave like motion. Just being on the LMS station itself was sheer joy, with chocolate bars obtainable from slot machines. The trains operated on the ‘push pull’ system with a driving cab at the back of the rear coach. From Stanmore to Wealdstone the train was driven from the engine on the front of the train, but coming into Stanmore from Wealdstone, the driver was in the rear coach. On one occasion, whilst the driver was walking back to the engine, he picked me up so that I could pull the whistle cord. That was sheer heaven!
A big change in my daily routine started in 1936, when at 5 years of age I was obliged to begin my school boy years.
Images:
This 2009 image from Google Earth of the upper part of the bank building is remarkably similar to how the flat appeared up to 1951.
Motorcycle Light Van:
Typical horse drawn wagon in 1930’s:
Muffin Man still around in 1930’s:
Chapter 2:
"..the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face..":
Schooling began at St. Brendan’s, a girls’ school which took boys into its kindergarten class. In retrospect it was idyllic.
Early lessons were writing, which involved copying the alphabet letter by letter. Mathematics was taught by reciting tables and basic tasks such as addition and subtraction. We read aloud from nursery rhyme books as an introduction to literature. History started with the Ancient Britons, but did not get much further during my time at St. Brendan’s. However, I do recall an annual ‘Parent’s Day’, when we all trouped off to the hall over the Telephone Exchange in Church Road for a display of ‘talents’ by pupils. My modest effort was to be one of several Ancient Britons sitting on the stage in sackcloth, chewing at large animal bones.
Back to class-work, where we also studied Geography. A truly uplifting subject in those days, with tales of ‘The Empire On Which The Sun Never Set’. I suppose it was because St. Brendan’s was a Girls School, which took boys into the Kindergarten, we also had practical lessons. I can never forget that in my year it was raffia work because I still have a small wooden stool with raffia top to remind me. This was all too easy for a dreamy imaginative boy, who was not disciplined enough to fully absorb these vital early lessons.
Spring was the very best term when ‘Nature Walks’ and Gardening were added to the curriculum. Even before outdoor activity commenced, I would gaze through the window at the flowering cherry trees growing in the back garden, without chastisement, mores’ the pity! To add to the distractions, there was a jar of tadpoles on the window ledge.
Release into the open air was a true delight. We each had a small patch of garden in beds surrounding the back lawn for which I was given a few Chionodoxa (we called them Glory of the Snow) to grow in ‘my garden’. I have purchased such bulbs over the years to have a living reminder of halcyon days in the several gardens I have owned during my life.
Also in the back garden was a chicken – run and being invited to assist with feeding and egg collection was always a great treat. Something must have rubbed off because my daughter is a keeper of Bantams and her children are being ‘schooled’ into chicken management. Behind the chicken run was a vegetable patch, which was spread with quicklime at the appropriate season. Although ‘fenced off’, we were given dire warning of the danger of touching this dangerous product.
The other outdoor activities were Gymnastics, Sport and my favourite, Nature Walks. These activities were held in a meadow behind the school adjacent to a Golf Course. The Gym Mistress was a precursor of the character created by Joyce Grenfell in the ‘St. Trinian’s’ films. Marching and arm swinging were main exercises, to the accompaniment of Susa marches on a portable clockwork gramophone.
Nature Walks appealed strongly to me. Wandering along hedges, picking wild flowers, looking for birds, a perfect activity I do not recall sport starting until Sergeant Bannard joined the staff to teach boys cricket and boxing. ‘Dreamy Boy’ was useless at sport to the extent that he stood gazing into space whilst a well aimed cricket ball stuck him full on the chest. I still wince when thinking of it.
Miss. Hinchy started each school day with an assembly, where we prayed and sang hymns. Thus were The Lord's Prayer and 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' permanently grafted into my memory. One thing that did puzzle me was that a few pupils stayed in the cloakroom, only rejoining us as we proceeded to our classrooms. We were simply told that they were Roman Catholics, thus not allowed by their parents to attend assembly. It was all too new to me at that early age to enquire further into this mysterious segregation.
Religion was taught as a lesson called Divinity. The subject was enlivened occasionally when Miss. Hinchy persuaded a ‘guest’ speaker to talk to us. One such was her brother, who was a clergyman, but more usually it was the current curate from St. John’s Church. The first of these Mr. Lawrence became a missionary, I believe to the Soloman Islanders, so I hope he did not end up in a cooking pot. Presumably he told us how important it was to take the Good News to 'heathens'. The other was Mr. Binney, a more memorable character, who I think took up an appointment at Exeter Cathedral.
N.B. Reference to the subsequent fates of Messrs. Lawrence & Binney, are from 'hearsay', and have not been tested for accuracy.
The St Brendan’s ‘dream’ was shattered whilst I was on holiday with the rest of the family.
St. Brendan's Photo's 1937-1939
View of St. Brendan's from Marsh Lane
Healthy outdoor exercises
This is probably my first year; I am sitting on
left of second row from front
Miss Hinchy centre back row (in gown);
Gym Mistress is third left from Miss. Hinchy.
Blog author is on left of third row from front,
with his brother in front of him staring at the ground.
Chionodoxa
Chapter 3:
“I believe it is peace for our time . . . peace with honour.” - Neville Chamberlain 1938.
It was decided that the family would stay in Worthing, with my father commuting most weekends to and from Stanmore. This temporary arrangement continued until late summer 1940, when we made a permanent return to Stanmore.
Now too old to return to St. Brendan’s, my brother and I joined Alcuin House School in Old Church Lane. This school prepared boys for the Common Entrance exam. to gain entry to a Public School. Discipline was strict, punishment for misdemeanours sudden and effective. Well aimed chalk and twisting of ears, quickly brought any stupid behaviour or lack of attention to a close. Vigorous games on the grass sports field and mini- warfare in the playground, proved a successful means to drain off surplus energy from lively boys.
The school’s Principal, Mr. T. Darcy Yeo had developed the application of ‘stick and carrot’ to a fine art. He took the top class himself, with assistant teachers looked after kindergarten and junior classes. Study in the top class concentrated on obtaining success in the exams. As light relief, he usually completed each day with readings from books such as Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe and delightful little essays by the Canadian writer Stephen Leacock.
Two events stick out in my memory. The first was during my first year in the junior class. To close each day our teacher Miss. M.Keast, made us stand up whilst she gave us a few parting words. At the back of the class an unfortunate lad was desperate to go to the toilet. He continued standing there as long as he could, but the waterfall started whilst Miss. Keast was still talking. Realising what had happened, the rest of us were bursting to break into laughter, so we were trying to contain our guffaws until we were allowed to leave. The effect on us once outside was almost hysterical.
The other event was in Mr. Yeo’s senior class. During a mid-morning break we streamed out into the playground. Two of the largest chaps started wrestling, then rushed to the French Doors, which stuck. Their combined weight and momentum pulled the door-frame apart, but luckily, the glass stayed intact. Feeble We were all called back into class and told that we were all guilty of rough behaviour so the whole class would have to stay late in detention.
Air Raids were a feature of life in Stanmore during the early 1940’s, but I do not recall that they seriously affected school life. Raids were usually at night, when the family would descend to our night-shelter, which was one the strong-rooms below the bank.
When raids started early evening we would watch the increasing glow of fires in central and east London. Even more dramatic was the sound of anti-aircraft gunfire. But best of all, for excited young boys was the firing of rockets from Hyde Park (10 miles south of us). Although noisy and spectacular, I doubt whether they shot down many bombers.
One summer evening we were standing on the backdoor step during heavy gunfire, when we heard eerie whistling sounds. father quickly pulled us back and closed the door, just before shrapnel from anti-Aircraft shells clattered onto the garden path.
Another feature of life in wartime which did not cause us distress was rationing. I suspect this was because it came in gradually so that we got use to it.
Films were a popular entertainment at this time, but night raids deterred people from travelling to nearby towns for cinemas, The Institute Club, of which my father was a member, obtained a projector to show films in the Institute. At first, these were silent films; Charlie Chaplin and the like, but later a loudspeaker was obtained, so that more interesting films could be shown.
Fire Watching was carried out on a rota of people living in the village and occasionally, training exercises when a bonfire would be lit on waste ground where Stirrup Pumps were used to douse it with water. Young boys endeavouring to join in were told to stand back out of the way.
As the threat of Air Raids lessened children were allowed to wander off to places such as Stanmore Common. Being on the northern edge of London suburbia, we were in walking and cycling distance of other rural areas.
With RAF Fighter Command at Bentley Priory, airmen and WAFs were everywhere. Later Polish, then American personnel filled the streets. This also affected the road traffic, military vehicles of many types came through Stanmore. Some very strange vehicles came through, in particular a chassis with four wheels, engine gearbox, steering wheel, brakes and transmission. A temporary seat enabled these ‘frames’ to be driven to another factory where the vehicle body would be fitted. Drivers had no protection from the weather.
When 1,000 or more bombers were assembled to raid Germany, they seemed like enormous flocks of birds slowly circulating in the sky, before moving out to their targets. Later with the preparations for D-Day, convoys of vehicles would trundle through for hours on end and military police would arrive by motorbike to direct these convoys through the Broadway, Church Road, Stanmore Hill junction.
During the final year of the war, I gained entry to Merchant Taylors’ School at Moor Park, some eight miles from Stanmore. Daily travel was by bus and train, except in summer when I cycled between home and school. This move into secondary education, making new friends who lived some miles away and becoming more adventurous with travel, was the start of the loosening of the strings attaching me to Stanmore.
The winter of 1947 was one of the most severe of the 20th. Century. It was the only occasion I recall seeing a thermometer register 0º Fahrenheit (-18º Celsius as measured in the 21st Century). Transport was severely disrupted, causing long delays during the commute between home and school. Power Stations ran out of fuel which resulted in loss of electricity supply for hours at a time. Candles and oil lamps were used for lighting and to maintain heat at home, we had to collect solid fuels by car direct from the LMS Station Goods Yard in Old Church Lane. Food shortages were also a problem. The harshness of these conditions was more severe than anything we had experienced during the war.
Chapter 4:Epilogue
In 1948, I left school to work in the City of London, then nine months later was called up for National Service. Within a few weeks of completing National Service in 1951, we all moved to the South Coast which broke our connection with Stanmore.
I was fortunate to be able to travel from time to time within The British Isles and abroad during my working life. On two business trips in the 1970’s and 1980’s I selected routes to enable me to make brief stops Stanmore.
Walking around my old haunts, I was horrified to see the extent to which the place had changed. So many of the properties had been replaced by soulless modern buildings that the village atmosphere had gone completely. People walking the streets were so different from those I remembered from the 1940’s, that I felt I was in a foreign land.
So now I only recall my happy times in Stanmore and have to accept that all that is left of the place I once new is what I retain in my memory.
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