Blogscrape

……..for organising a very well attended public meeting at the Corner House on Monday.

The meeting was attended by several members and also non-members, notably from Ditton Road and Dennan Road, Neighbourhood Officer Christina Gardner, Highways Officer Karen Heslop, Neighbourhood Chair and Vice-Chair Yogan Yoganathan and Bob Steed, a PCSO, Cllr. Umesh Parekh and former cllr. myself.

Issues around the Triangle were aired at length, not only the yellow lines question but the potential siting of a bench for the convenience of residents. We have referred to this in earlier posts. There are real fears among Ditton Road residents that ASB incidents, already a problem, it seems, will be exacerbated if the bench if sited under the willow tree.

The thorny questions of junction treatment at the Ellerton Rd./Bond Rd, Ellerton Rd,/Dennan Rd., Bond Rd./Tolworth park Rd. and Ellerton Rd./ Thorhill Rd. were discussed.

The discussion was often lively but the important thing was that it happened at all and was so well supported by RBK. EBRRA is doing a fantastic job!

I can’t help feeling that it’s a pity that only one of the new ward councillors thought it worth his while to attend.

Filed under: Health and wellbeing, Highways, Neighbourhood, Ward info Tagged: Cornerhouse, Council, Lib Dems, Oakhill, roads, safety, Transport

A ‘for sale’ notice has appeared outside no. 3 Langley Avenue and a letting agency notice is outside no. 1. Both properties feature in the Sunrise development site that was the cause of a very long Planning Appeal last year. We are mystified as to what is going on.

Does anyone know?

Filed under: Housing, Planning, Ward info Tagged: Southborough, Sunrise, surgery

So, it’s probably about time that I busted the lid on a few things that may help to explain my cryptic posts and ever-changing moods recently! There’s quite a lot of stuff going on here, so you may wanna pull up a coffee and a chocolate hobnob!

* Work people – please remember to show some discretion with the work related info below! No intention of leaving TM at this time, and I do very much enjoy my job! x*

Back in May, I decided that I wanted to move back to Manchester on a permanent basis. I mean, London is great an’ all (and I love all my friends to pieces here), but I’ve just not been happy – the dirt, the tourists, the expense, did I mention those fckn tourists?!

However, this plan hinged on my ability to transfer my job back up North with me, as otherwise I’d have no viable way to finance this relocation. Unfortunately my employers have recently got back to me after a few casual and exploratory questions and it’s been decided that it’s not going to be possible for me to transfer my existing role back home, leaving that plan pretty high and dry at the moment. I’m currently assessing my options on a back-up plan.

As I see it, I have a few options:

• Move to Manchester anyway, and to hell with the expense! (which means I’ll probably be in a cardboard box by Christmas, as I’ll be without gainful employment).

• Stay in London and see if my outlook improves.

If I move to Manchester, I’m going to need a job (does anyone in Manchester know of anyone looking for a Finance guy and who are paying a decent salary?!) and if I stay in London, I am going to need a new flatmate!

At this point, I should announce that Greg and I have (very amicably) decided to go our seperate ways.

We’re both in mutual agreement that we’ve simply drifted apart over the last few months, and we both feel that this is for the best. There’s no underlying factors or malice to this, and obviously we’re still going to remain very good friends (so continue to invite us BOTH to things please heh!). The plan is for Greg and I to remain living together as pals until our lease expires at the end of September (well, someone has to cook and clean for me, right?!).

Therefore, I rather desperately need to find someone who is interested in house-sharing at the end of September / start of October, preferably in the Surbiton area – if this is you, please contact me ASAP!

As you can see, things are very much up in the air at the moment, and have been for several months now, which has been doing my head in. I’ve not been able to discuss with anyone (bar a small number of unassociated people – thanks guys x!) and it’s nearly caused my brain to implode with all the implications wizzing around in my little noggin!

It’s good to finally be able to openly discuss these things with you all, and am sure that my/our fab friends will be there to help and support me/us every step of the way!

As a side note, we’d both very much like to thank Facebook for their heart-warming sympathy and sense of occasion at this delicate time!

Thanks for reading x

51.500152 -0.126236

Gradually working my way through all the back blog.

Good to see some other namrs I recognise – Pat Morris, who I bump into from time to time. I know he and Derek Yalden are still very much in touch.

Trev Birmingham who I knew quite well at the time although he was a couple of years my junior.

Do any of the older contributors remember Ron Cuthew who my have been some 5-6 years my senior. He was a neighbour of mine but had left before I joined in Sep 52.
Also Alan Paine who was at least one year ahead of me. His twin brother Ken went to Tiffin. I knew both of them from my years in the choir of St. Andrew’s, Ham Common.
Has anyone any knowledge of Dave Lacey? He was in my year and I first met him when I was moved out of primary school (lack of accommodation) to Richmond Road School for the Summer term before going to Surbiton.
Dave & I used to go to Air Britain meetings at Caxton Hall, St. James’s once a month. must have been in the Winters of 56-7 & 57-8.

Hope something turns up

Ian

Dave
email me at idcollins at uwclub.net

put the usual @ in for the ‘at’

We can continue the Latchmere thread there.

Ian

Just seen the date of this blog. Sorry Nick thought this was something new

Newent House as a residetial home and day centre are very close to my heart. My mother spent the last two + years of her life there and the day centre was for her a joy. The staff at Newent were wonderful and under extreamly difficult circumstnces made her last years more than bearable. I am sure that many many people over the years have come to rely on the day centre for company and care so please do everything you can to keep this very important place open. If you need any help please contact me as I would be willing to do anything I can.

Thanks Ian-did Miss Aldridge affect a hair style with earphone like buns on each ear? If you look at my class of ’56 list you will see there are 8 from Latchmere-you are right -it’s an SCGS blog.

Dave – I am amazed that the Scout Hut is still there…Must have been rebuilt. It always gave the impression that it was near its life end when we were there. I was a 1st Kingston Hill Cub and the Canbury Residents Association used to hold social evenings there.
The snowballing incident was in the winter of ’51-2; I was part of it. Branson was undoubtedly the best teacher in the school. Pearson, the headmaster, was strict but very fair and quite kind. The school secretaries were the Misses Crowe; the elder sister for the juniors and the younger for the infants (she was very manly, all brogues and tweeds and a baritone voice). Other teachers in the juniors – Miss Bayliss, Miss Simon, Miss Wills & Mrs Pearson who was not connected to the HM.
In the Infants I remember Miss Mayall very well. She had what would now be called the reception class and always wore a floral overall and carried a long bamboo pointer. She also lived in Wolsey Drive as did Mrs Pearson. I remember Mr Price well. He specialized in Geography and his daughter, Elaine (a very pretty girl) was a classmate of mine. We only had Mr. Edmonds for handicraft; not a strong point for me. Miss Bayliss had Form 1A which became 1 when the three streams were renamed. Apparently the C stream was considered too demeaning. Miss Simon had Form 2. She was a little white haired lady who, I think hailed, from Germany or somewhere in c. Europe and had quite a pronounced accent. She read us ‘Emil & the Detectives’. Miss Wills had Form 3; a senior lady, very proper and well spoken. She was strict but also extremely kind; a first rate teacher. Miss Evans came to the school when I was in Form 3. She initially mostly taught Art. She must have transferred to the infants after I left. The infant teachers, other than Miss Mayall, when I was there were Miss Peppard year two and Miss Foster year 3. There was also Mrs Aldridge, I think but I never was in her class and can’t think how she fitted in to the organisation.
Back in the juniors, Miss Audrich held the music sway. If you showed any musical talent you were ordered to report to her house (a rather large one in Upper King’s Road) where you were ushered into the studio, for extra practice! Wouldn’t be allowed these days.
Oh well mustn’t turn this into a Latchmere blog but I must say that the lad I sat next to on my first day at school, in Miss Mayall’s class – Chris Wightman – is still a friend with whom I am back in touch after losing touch for about twenty years. Oh and there is a Latchmere website, by the way.

Ian

Ian-Scout hut is still there and is HQ for 1st Kingston Hill Scouts. I remember Mr Branson telling us about when he was there with Form 4-how during the snow the whole class ganged up on him. I seemed to spend 2 years writing out tables because I kept getting on his wrong side-then I finished up in his class! He kept a piece of wood called the “home rule” which was applied to my backside on a number of occasions-once when trying to stop him coming into the classroom.
From Latchmere I remember Mr Pearson,Miss Audric,Mr Edmonds, Mr Price, Miss Madley ,Mrs Alexander.
Miss Stanbridge was Infants head-with her assistant Miss Crow-teachers were Miss Ridout,Miss Mayall, Miss Farhall, Miss Evans-caretaker was Mr Bushnell.

Hi Dave

Lived (& was born) in Wolsey Drive on the Tudor Estate. Left in Oct 1956 and went to live in Worcester Park. Was at Latchmere from 1946-1952. We got thrown out of the Scout Hut on the corner of Tudor Drive & Park Road, where Form 4 was situated, at Easter. So I and some others were shipped out to Richmond Road School for the Summer Term before going to Surbiton.

Ian -hi-if you went to Latchmere where did you live – I was in Cross Road near the barracks. Very sorry to hear about Keats -upon reflection -a nice man. I recognise many of the names you mention.
General call — any one know what happened to John Oborn, I guess 1950 -1958 . Decent bloke who ran the Christian Union and read great stories at his lunchtime meetings.

Well hello fellow Old Surbs! I did find this site some years ago but few of my fellow pupils had then taken up the challenge. My term of endurance was Sep 1952 – Dec 1957. AG Willis was the head until Christmas 1952, after which we had to endure the ministrations of the disasterous Doig. However I do look back on my 5+ years at SCGS quite fondly and, despite the efforts of a few of the masters, consider I had a very good education; especially by today’s standards.

Gaffer, you old so & so, how on earth did they ever let you into USA. Good to see Ray Cawthorne’s name again. I’m still in fairly regular contact with Derek Yalden & Alan Church (whose older brother, Murray has posted here) and have only recently lost touch with Cliff Potter, who was my best man and I his. Must re-establish that contact.
I am living in Wiltshire, next door to an Old Surbitonian, who will be 93 in a couple of weeks. His name is Harry Broadbridge and he was at the school in the 1930s, a couple of years senior to Alan Boult. Strangely Alan was my first form master (2C in the smallest form room in the school). Last heard, Alan was well, living in the Lake District and had not long retired as MFH of his local hunt. If I remember correctly the form list was: Cawthorne, R. (Chuff), Collins, I., Dillow. I., Donne Davis, P., Eggleston, L (Humpty). Froude, J., Gill, R., Harrington, P. (Harrry), Herbert, G.(Polly), Highley, S., Inwood, L. Layzell, A., Munday, C.(Gaffer), Pickering, P., Potter, C., Poulton,?(Granny), Rumsey, C., Smith, G., Sutton, M., Vimpany, J., Wicker, A. (Twick), Woollard, P.
Who can forget Pete Harrington’s immortal lyrics addressed to Len Eggleston:

Ha, ha, ha!
Hee, hee, hee!
Humpty’s nest in a rhubarb tree!

I don’t quite remember Len’s reaction but even with his usual mild character, I suspect it was fairly violent.

I’m sure that there were 23 in the class so I must have forgotten someone. Sorry whoever you are. If anyone remembers, I‘d like to know.
Apart from Cliff, the only one I have bumped into in the intervening years is Tony Wicker, who was working in Basingstoke some 30 odd years ago.
A lot of the names above are quite familiar. It was good to see that Colin remembered ‘Fanny’ Price, who sadly took his own life whilst depressed. It was his sad demise that was the trigger for the formation of “The Braemar Club”, mentioned earlier by Ray Cawthorne.
Quite a lot of my year, were at junior school (St. Paul’s, Hook) with my wife of some 48 years, Pat Nash. I don’t suppose ‘Tig’ Herridge remembers being floored by her. She also remembers Fanny, Michael Herbert & Alan Howells as well as Dave Wade, who also lived in Somerset Avenue close to Pat. The youngsters of that road used to “invade” our school field in the evenings, week-ends & holidays.

I notice that most remember Maurice (MMC) Cocks, better known as Keats for his frequent quoting of same. I learned some time ago that he also took his own life.
I had some contact with Eric Waller, Doig’s successor, in the mid 80s, after I found out that the Marjorie Waller who I saw at a conference every year, was his wife. Then retired as principal of Esher College, he was still meeting Ted Hillier & Geoff Harris Ide for a weekly pint. A couple of years later he passed on and the following year Marjorie told me that Ted had gone as well. For all his terrorising of the lower school, I found him very amusing when he was my form master in the 5th. I also knew him as an ACF instructor a few years after leaving school and he was a totally different character, even if as sardonic. Alan Church could verify this as well.

I wonder how many of the following party remember my organisation of the trips to the Coventry Air Pageant & King’s Cup Air Races 1956 & 7. I found the list for 1957: Church, Healey, Hutchinson, Munday, Piggott, Sutton, Yalden plus a couple of non-school types. It cost you lucky lads a whopping £1/0/6½d(£1.0271) for your return from Wimbledon to Coventry! Plane spotting was quite the thing then and I’m still a member of Air Britain.

It’s quite funny to see the different views and opinions of various masters but perhaps that topic can hold over for another day. Hope I haven’t libelled anyone and would be pleased to hear from any of you. By the way, Dave Littleproud, Tony Wicker & I were also ex Latchmere Road! The only ones of our year to go to Surbiton!

The Big Lunch held by EBRRA last weekend was a huge success by all accounts. Mavis and paul couldn’t make it, sadly, but we were more than ably represented by Nick along with son Alexander, who had a whale of a time.

You can see more details about it by clicking on the Ellerton and Bond Road RA link in Blogroll at the right of the screen.

Filed under: Neighbourhood, Ward info Tagged: roads, Surbiton, Tolworth

Something for the weekend……….

“My dearest Friend

I hope this card finds you well. Life alone at Rushton Manor since the divorce has been somewhat more eventful than one had anticipated. I am not without a sense of adventure, but I can’t pretend I enjoy being haunted.

It would be comforting to have some company in this dark house !

It appears that it was not just my loathsome ex-husband who wished to be rid of me. I do hope you could join me for an evening.

Your friend

Rose”

Join Rose for Winter at Rushton Manor at 7.30 on Saturday 24th or Sunday 25th July at the cornerHOUSE

RSVP for your tickets on 020 8296 9012

Winter at Rushton Manor is written by Dan R Martin and presented by The Knapper Experience. Their previous shows at the cornerHOUSE include The Butterfly House, News of Anath, and In Vegas.

Filed under: Boroughwide, Ward info Tagged: Cornerhouse

Chris – you must be very proud! Well done Miss Leaney!

As promised, information from Mike Aust re:get together…
“Our next get-together for a pint and chat will be on Saturday 4th September, at the usual venue, the Victoria pub in Surbiton, say from about 8 p.m. on. I have selected this date for purely selfish reasons, viz. I have to be in London the previous day to attend a ceremony at the Institution of Civil Engineers in Westminster where my eldest daughter is being presented with her certificates as a MICE and a C.Eng , so it’ll save me two trips ‘down south’ from rural Shropshire. Therefore all requests for alternative dates will be passed through the normal channels before being rejected!
I will again be contacting Bas Hunt in the hope that a sprinking of ex-SCGS teachers will be able to join us.
Look forward to seeing as many of you as possible”

To STOP RBK council spending £5,000 of our money on changing the name of the Drapers' car park in Kingston to 'The Rose Car Park '

We the undersigned request the Council to extend the Southborough Conservation Area, to include ALL properties on or leading from; Southborough Road, Southborough Close, Langley Avenue, Corkran Road, Woodlands Road, Ashcombe Avenue, Copse Glade, Sylvan Gardens and Hailsham Close. This would:- -simplify the boundaries for residents and planners, -bring about uniformity of planning procedures within Southborough, -allow better monitoring and protection of the Conservation Area, -enable the Conservation Area to enhance its visual amenity within the community and Royal Borough of Kingston.