Various contributors to the site have mentioned their schools on the estate, favourite or wholly disliked teachers and other memories. Does anyone think that it might be a good idea to assemble memories under one "topic roof" perhaps for present and future generations of pupils to get a flavour of Downham education during the middle years of the last century?
Perhaps I could start the ball rolling with Rangefield Road School during the middle 1950s. It was under the headmastership of Harry Gell whose sadism and copious nostril hair was something to be believed. He was also a war hero of sorts and, I believe, commemorated on a plaque in Catford. I was summoned to be caned on numerous occasions for such heinous crimes as booing at a player in a school football match who had committed a foul, being half an hour late for school (at this time I was staying with an aunt in Catford while my mother was in hospital) as there was simply no buses arriving, and for a fight in which I took no part and was totally innocent. People who say "caning did me no harm" are simply idiots. After all these years I still wrangle at the injustice of my treatment and the humiliation it caused.
Things were not all bad at Rangefield Road despite the outside toilets, draughty classrooms, poor lighting, and scratchy pens which left ink blots all over your work. Miss Costello was the prize of the teaching staff - best described an ancient crone had I known the meaning of the two words at that time. She had warts and hair growing from them. Having said that she embued a love of language in her pupils, laughed with them and encouraged their imaginations. Mr and Mrs Rees were both teachers at the school. She would arrive on her bicycle each morning while Mr Rees more lavishly reached the school gates on his motor assisted cycle, a bicycle with an engine encased in the rear wheel. His son - who was a pupil in the infants school - rode a on a small saddle fixed onto the crossbar. Either in 1955 or 1956 Mr Rees committed suicide.
During the school year various seasonal activities took place in the school playground. For example May 1st (or the nearest school day) saw maypole dancing in which my good friend Eric Oxburgh always managed to get his ribbon entangled. Empire Day was always celebrated as was harvest festival, Battle of Britain day, etc etc.
During break time there was dinky car racing, marbles, cigarette card flicking, conkers and, of course, burning holes in the wooden fence using plastic magnifying glasses given away with the Hotspur.
