Me and my lovely Mum I’m wearing  my designer gear.

No worries, no fears just very happy years .I went to Fairhouse school  1 year in the infants and the rest in primary.One of my happiest memories at school was playing cards (not poker that came later)Tea cards, cigarette cards and bubble gum cards.My son now has a small collection but he never had fun with them.I was very good and had a large biscuit tin full.

Games I remember were” Flicksey, and Knocksey downsey”The goriest cards and my favorites were the American civil war bubble gum cards which I used to buy at the Long Riding shops,the smell of the gum lives with me today.

The Head teacher was Mrs Green,other teachers I remember were Mr Beadle who loved playing rousing classical music .Mr Hyde ,and Mrs Thomas who cared about me and will always remember her fondly.I remember country dancing ,athletics ,football and bulldog.Fairhouse also helped me understand that education gave you an advantage in life,after I failed the 11+.

Typical primary school picture

You often read on peoples posts, when talking about their childhood,how they used to go out early in the morning and came back when it got dark.Its true.I  came home from school to play football,cricket, around the back of the garages,or under the arch where I used to live.We used chalk to mark the stumps and trees for goal posts.If you knocked the ball over in cricket you were out.If you kicked the football over you had to go around and ask for it back(no one in over the wall).After tea back out again ,no homework in those days for me.

I spent many hours playing sport but also cowboys and Indians and War,Guns were a toy we all had.We went bird nesting ,newting,and going to the local Swan Mead park.Many activities were seasonal.Street games were Tin Tan Tommy, a game similar to run outs (lost my front teeth playing this game)Sticky Glue ,Hopscotch and Bulldog.

Loved it when my cousins came down from Stepney they called Basildon the “country”.Again birds nesting newting ,conkering scrumping,blackberry picking,bike riding and go cart making.Always went back to London to visit family ,that too was filled with excitement and adventure.Stepney gave us access to the whole of London .Red Rover tickets were cheap and took us to London zoo ,Epping forest fishing for sticklebacks ,Millwall,and Greenwich .We swam in the cut and lied to the police about where we lived.If we were lucky we got taken swimming to Vicky park or Poplar baths.My favorite food was Pie and Mash or Lamb stew.

Never really liked Swimming

Always plenty of clubs to go to in Basildon and must have joined them all, cubs, scouts, Basildon boys club lifeboys , boys brigade,4th Basildon where we did gymnastics, football  ,first aid, drums, and bugle made some good friends that I took to secondary school.The green hill was very close and went fishing there many times.

Mum and Dad like everyone in Basildon worked tirelessly and despite the hard times never claimed benefits even when Dad was on Strike (Ford Worker)we never went without Christmas  birthdays and nearly always had a caravan holiday once a year in Clacton or Dovercourt.Happy days sports ,crabbing ,donkey derbys,doing the twist ,okey kokey,conga,GayGordons ,with mum .Dad brought coke and crisps with the blue bag.

We read the Beano and Dandy and the small war books where the “Hun” battled the Englander and read things like “achtung Englander”and”Banzai”We listened to the radio on Sunday mornings.Jimmy Clitheroe,and Billy Cottons band show.We won the World Cup or West Ham supporters think they did.This blog is very self indulgent and for my own amusement.

Pictures above My Dad ,my 1st dog,trying to swim,day out at Maldon and the boating lake on Southend seafront.

My next blog is the teenage years which will not be published to protect the innocent.LOL