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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Surrey => Topic started by: johncrowner on Friday 05 October 12 17:35 BST (UK)
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This school was also known as Maple Road Primary. Anyone at school there in period 1950-1955 and remember the teachers' names? I have Mr Morris, head; Miss prickett; miss Hazel, but still some blanks. Was Mr Ken Myers a teacher there, for example? any others? The School is no longer there, but would teachers records for this period be stored away anywhere? Any help appreciated
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Have you tried looking on Friends Reunited?
http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/whyteleafe-county-primary/g/1123320f-0781-473a-8667-d19a476aa8c9
There are some photos there
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Yes- some interesting photos on Friends Reunited. I joined that site a few weeks ago, but am disappointed that a majority of users seem to be in a different age group to me!! Is there an old codgers section which I have missed? It doesn't seem that easy to use either. The chance of anyone reading any comments I add seem extremely remote!
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Hello John ~ I was at Maple Road from 1944 until 1951.
The first headmaster I recall was Mr Stevenson. He was replaced by 'Daddy' Morris. Other teachers were Mrs Prickett, Miss Hazel, Miss Hunt and Mr Oakey (possibly temporary.)
In the infants section at the time I began were Miss Nichols and Miss Shury.
I have some group photos of the pupils taken around 1949/50 and can forward them if you are interested.
Yours
Martin Gosling
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Hi
My two elder brothers and myself went to Maple Road in the 1950s. I think my years were 1951-8 so my other brothers would have been 1949-1956 and 1947-53.
I remember Miss Pickett, Miss Hazel and Mr Morris. The latter was a Liberal councillor for a while. The only other teacher I can recall was Masani.
The school was divided into Infants and Juniors. Boys and Girls had separate playgrounds. Outside loos. Steam trains running on the embankment between the school and the Dobbin.
It was demolished in the 1980s for private housing.
A tuck shop immediately opposite Maple Road next to a Velocette (etc) showroom.
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hi martin/tichtaylor. I know its been a long time since you posted. Did you have a brother there named Ben? I was at the school from 1949 until 1955. I remember the teachers you name except mr Oakley. Do you remember teacher Ken Myers? Sorry for overdue thanks.Martin, I would love to see the group photos. My sister Jennifer should be in the 1944-49 ones.
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Hi, I went to Maple Road in 1964/65 only did the top two yrs as we'd moved to Hillbury Road in 1964. I remember, Mrs Pricket, she was lovely, she used to ask me to look after the infants at play times as I was good with younger children. I also remember Miss Hazel with her red hair, but I didn't like her. I had a fall outside school and badly grazed both knees which my mum dressed with Germolene and lint but they went septic. We were taken to Riddlesdown swimming pool and she told me to take my bandages off. I said I couldn't because they were stuck to my septic wounds. She made me rip them off and I was crying in pain. When she saw them she said, "well you can't get in the pool with legs like that can you, get dressed and sit out!" I was so upset, and when I told my mum she went to the school and complained to the head who was angry and told Miss Hazel off!! I remember Mr Bradbury who was young with glasses always wore a suit and strutted along fast with his little briefcase. He would pass me in our road sometimes and would always say very loudly "Morning Julia!". Funny little chap. My favourite teacher though was Mr Massani, an Indian or maybe Pakistani chap (I can't remember!) he was so lovely, he was kind, gentle and polite and a great teacher. I loved his classes. I used to catch shrews from the railway bank at playtime and put them in my pocket and smuggle them into class. He always knew I had them and asked me to "take it outside please". He was a dear man. I remember a few children, David Taylor, Elizabeth Fezackerly, Lesley Stone, Susan Early.
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Teachers Head Master AW (Pops) Morris, Mrs Prickett, Miss Hazel, Ms Taylor, Mr Masani, Mr Carpenter, Mr Bradburyand office Ms Daniels? Great teachers in days of integrity and care for all.
Mr Bradbury was a good runner so he would walk fast.
Mrs Prickett's husband died in the war RAF?
Miss Hazel was strict but fair and suprised about the swim pool bandage incident.
Miss Taylor was stricter and abrasively did not suffer fools.
Mr Masani always passionate about sport and a kind soul.
Swimming at Reedham Deaf school
Sport in Whyteleafe Rec
Gardening at end of playground
Lower school was infants.
Buses serving Whyteleafe 197 and 453
Local barber / hairdressers Dick and the Bonwick family.
Have photo in 1959/60 of Mrs Prickett's class. (*) if wanted
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I was at Maple Road School from about 1955 until 1960, when I went to Purley Grammar School. I very narrowly passed the 11 plus exam! I remember Mrs Prickett, Miss Hazel, Miss Taylor, Miss Warmington, Mr Masani (a lovely man who gave me extra coaching in Maths for the 11+), Mr Morris and a music teacher, Mr Henderson. It was the last-named who made we want to take piano lessons, and after that I was eventually fortunate enough to become, and remain, a professional musician. Seeds sown unseen... Miss Taylor could be quite fierce. My father attended a parents evening when I was in her class and, while waiting his turn, started to look at the discredit book. Remember that!? Miss Taylor quickly removed it from him. Guilty conscience? I once had 2 discredits at once for throwing pieces of coal up at the trains. Houses were Darling, Nightingale and Livingstone - colonial heritage eh?
All in all, I think it was a happy place. We knew where we stood in terms of discipline and I think Mr Morris was a kind, fair man.
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I was at Whyteleafe Primary School from about 1952 - 1958. My younger sister and younger brother were also at the school. After I failed the 11+ everyone in my family moved to Redhill and I went to Radnor School there - now also closed just like Maple Road School.
As for teachers I don't recall many of them except for (I think it was) Mr. Masani. A tall gentleman who was a great maths teacher. Several years later I walked past him as I was coming down Snowdon and he was walking up. Unfortunately I didn't realize who it was until half an hour later when my mother told me. I have just retired as a maths teacher after 48 years.
My one very vivid memory is sports day on the rec. I helped (somewhat) get things set up that morning and got a terrible sunburn. It took me a very long time to recover. I also remember playing football on the rec several times. My mum frequently watched from the touchline even in the bad weather that we seemed to have every game.
Cricket at recess with chalk markings on the wall for the wicket. The outside loos, the bridge we had to walk under to get to the rec, steam trains on the railway alongside the school and the dobbin. Lots of fun memories.
Fun times
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I added a comment some 2-3 years ago. My brothers were Nick and Ron. It was interesting to see that David Carey posted recently .... he was in my form. I have a photo of him in the school cricket team of that year. He might remember other names : David Podd, who's family had a printing works in Whyteleafe (and still do), Roger Ward (I still see his elder brother Mike), David Hills (one of several Hills, David Slater, Donald Day (I used to help his dad on his milk round in Caterham-on-the-Hill, Geoff Harding (who's father was the City of London warden for Caterham Common), Chris Hannel (who was still going strong last Christmas, Alan Clarke and the beautiful Jennifer Longland. Barbara Linfood.
Many of the students were in 1st Whyteleafe Cubs and then Scouts.
I did get the 11 plus and a scholarship to the crap Caterham School. Along with Richard Willmot and David Millborough (son of the chimney cleaning dynasty) but still continued to mix with several of my former school mates at the Scouts and socially. Chris Hannell was a classic example of the 11 plus being a premature assessment; at 13 he transferred to Warlingham School and eventually came a director of Croudace. It sounds like David Carey also did well.
People have mentioned Mr Masani ... he was a kindly teacher but at Caterham I got to know his son Michael and I couldn't help being a bit miffed that he had paid for his son to go there rather than have confidence in the school system.
Its too late for me to ask my brothers about the people they mixed with but I remember Nick's friend Timothy Evans and my eldest brother Ron knew Mike Ward.
In my earlier post I mentioned the motorcycle shop opposite the bottom of Maple Road; there was an ex-government shop next door that sold things like aircraft compasses: the tuck shop, where you could get a frozen squash lolly instead of the 1d bus fare up Whyteleafe Hill (453). A fish and ship shop along the way between Maple Rd and the Whyteleafe Tavern ( useful after scouts). Rickmans which I think must have been a newsagent/confectioner. Opposite the junction with Hillbury Rd was a cobbler (in a wheelchair) and a butchers.
On the east side of Godstone Road was Rivers, a lawnmower sales place and up a side alley a church (United Free???) where Mr Rivers did his thing. He failed!
I will throw in a few other local memories. The scouts outdoor swimming at Warlingham. Standing on the bridge at Upper Warlingham to get a lung-full of steam engine. The adventure playground of Kenley Aerodrome ..... the challenge to sit in every aircraft used in the filming of Reach for the Sky .... the love affair with the Military Police. Playing football on the green at the top of Whyteleafe Hill. Being terrified of Polio, Typhoid, etc, especially when my mother was utterly against vaccinations.
(David Carey .... if you are wondering who the hell I am. I was one of 7 Davids in the class. My father had lost the battle to give me a normal first name but I was always know by my second name, David, at home. My brothers and Chris Hannel called me Tich because I was the youngest. My mother helped the school out by volunteering my first name......and it was truly character building. Thank you mother. That's as much as you are getting.)
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You could try http://bournesoc.org.uk/ they have lots of info on Whyeleafe and are very helpful.
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Hi Titch,
Good to hear about the old school. I was there maybe a year or so after you and remember your name. Were you head boy or prefect? My brother Chris was ahead of me.
Right in front of me is a photo of the cricke team with Mr Masani, Harding, Ward, Hills, Collins, Carey, Middleton, me, Green, Podd, Bird, Salter, Taylor, Wood Humhreys, Hills, ward, Wood, Day, Bates, et al
I only played cricket coz Dave Standen saw this quiet kid watching day after day and then asked if I wanted to bowl. 2 weeks later I was in the team. 40 years later I was coaching cricket in Australia.
Loved your 1d bus fare rort. I used to do the same and buy gob stoppers and black Jacks at that confectioners next to the station. Then beat the 453 up Whyteleafe Hill to get home kind of as normal. Wouldn't have thought then that all that running would pay dividends as an athlete later. Sometimes would hitch a lift off an Oliver taylors coach that occasionally cruised up the hill....
Yepp although I was top of the class failed 11 plus. In hindsight I was quiet and think maybe I would ahve been eaten at Caterham School. So I went to the Roundabout School, CVCSS and that was a good introduction to horizons. Our teachers were mostly almost red brick or ex military and we were made accountable for mucking up and encouraged to get some GCE's. CVCCS had no ego but was more like a family who kicked butt one minute or in their own time take you to a sports do.
I used to cheat my mum the dinner money and run at lunch times up to Westway fish shop and put bets on for "My mum" and then dash back to school to make 2nd sitting for great dinners and puddings. So with all thsi running I was a shock winner of the mile and the teachers got me and other kids to join a club or whatever a kid showed promise at to take it to the next stage.
Westy and I hadn't done French homework 3 weeks running and we were heading for detention one morning. Assembly was over and then Butch the headmaster at CVCSS made a notice that any kid who wants to go to PGS see him immediately after prayers..... it was French first lesson.
I still didnt have confidence and took the easy way out at PGS by electing to do Literature, art, history when I was a maths type. BUT what a holiday!!! Cross country blah chess...teachers not so stern and I got away with things .... but it was all fun. One day I skived off French and so when Mr Jewitt asked each kid to read a bit, Westy spoke upon my behal. The kids laughed and Mr J couln't understand what the joke was as Hall was speaking suprisingly very goodish French... "Well done Hall.. much much better!" and the kids laughed even more.
The teachers at Whyteleafe were Pops Morris, Head master, Mrs Prichard, Mr carpenter, Miss hazel, Mr Masani and Miss taylor. Rodney Rickman's mum ran that paper shop and we kids got our haircuts at Dick the Barbers opposite June Millers parents Wool shop.
Anyways after 2 decades of espectable trampmanship between UK, Oz and NZ I did have the whoomph to be a sports teacher and cricket was my thing. Catalysts have opened up doorways for me throughout life and often I'd roll the dice and have a go.....what if david Standen not ask me to bowl in 1958/9. What if I didn't rip off my oldies the bus fares or bet my CVCSS dinner money betting it at Westways fish shop and the 5 years of running before, at lunchtime and after school? I may have grown up respectable and proper....
All the best and I now it's your turn to earbash me with ditto experiences from your university of Life.
Cheers
Kevin
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