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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