AUTO

œAUTOBIOGRAPH OF DAVID MARSDEN



Spending the last five years tracing my family history and making a regular statement

of “I wish I had asked the questions when they were still alive” coupled with the

information Pam obtained from a short seven year autobiography of one of her

ancestors, I decided to put my thoughts of my life down on paper. I have not

researched this, relying on memory for the information but it will give an outline of

growing up in the middle of the 20th century in a working/middle class family.



I was born in The Springfield Nursing Home in Blackburn on the 11th November

1942. My father was Albert Marsden, a Police Constable and my mother Elsie

Marsden (nee Swaits). I had an elder brother, Edward who was born 30th January

1939. The family were living at 31, Norfolk Street, Morecambe.

We moved to 56, Water Street Great Harwood, in January 1942 and it was here we

were living when I was born and I have my first memories.









Edward and David 1944





Sheila was born on January 7th 1945.

I remember the parades at the end of the war and going to nursery school the day I

was 3 years old. I was told I was not happy with having to have a lie down to sleep at

school so when being made to do so I kicked the teacher and ran home. Not a great

start to my education.



We moved to 23 Collins Road, Bamber Bridge, in February 1946 but were only there

for a few months before my father was transferred to Leigh as Detective Constable.

We moved in April 1947 to live at 11 Beverly Avenue, just off Holden Road.

The authorities in Leigh did not take children into school till they were five years old

so I had to wait six months before I could be enrolled at Leigh Church of England

Primary School. I gather the long break made me reluctant to return to my education

having got used to home life with mum and Sheila. However big brother Edward

looked after me. He was frequently ill having developed severe asthma when about

five years old. He was as I remember always thin and used to do exercises to try to

build him up. He was not one for kicking a ball about or the play of the streets but

stayed indoors with a book. I gather he was very bright.



It was while a Leigh that my education really began. In no particular order I became

interested in cricket, woodwork and gardening and had a number of friends who were

like-minded, the Threllfall brothers, David Berry, Michael Carr and our next door

neighbour Allan Bray are names which spring to mind.

My teacher was Miss Hudson, now a faint memory but it was she who praised the

boats I made from wood to sail on the local “Avenue Lake”. She was also responsible,

together with my father, for introducing me to gardening. The school had a number of

gardening plots that were allocated to groups of pupils to look after, this was just after

the war when there were shortages.









Leigh C of E Primary Class 1949. David back row 5 from the left aged 6.





In Beverly Avenue we had a garden. I am not aware of our previous houses having

one. My father built a chicken run and we had a number a chickens and one white

Bantam which was Edward‟s pet. We always had eggs and the odd bird ended up on

the table. I did my gardening for a retired couple who lived next door, Mr and Mrs

Blackshaw.



Cricket was played in the street using a dustbin for wickets. My father managed to

obtain a real cricket bat for me. It was a bit big at the time but I was always in demand

since I had the bat and if things did not go right I could take my bat home! The first

feeling of power. We eventually graduated to a field, just up the road where the first

proper games were played. At this time I started to read about the game and could

recite the Lancashire team in batting order. It was still to be a number of years till I

saw my first real game.



I had two spells in hospital while in Leigh. I had scarlet fever and was in an isolation

department for three weeks and also had my tonsils removed. There are other

memories, the winter of 1947 with the very deep snow. Bonfire nights were a special

occasion. There was a basket maker living in the house that backed onto ours and he

saved all his waste for burning on November 5th. Sheila slipped and broke her leg in

1947 and was walking about with a „pot‟ leg for several weeks. I got the blame for

pushing her but I still deny this.



While at Leigh I spent many summer holidays with my grandparents in Blackburn.

Grandma was short and dumpy and always seemed to wear the same navy dress with

white spots. Though my grandfather had worked in the cotton industry he was

working night shifts in a bakery and I remember the fresh bread at breakfast time with

the traditional bacon and egg. It was my grandfather who played with me, read to me

and taught me to play cards. Grandma would take me out into Blackburn but most of

her time seemed to be cooking, cleaning and shopping. Looking back it must have

been quite a problem managing a very tight budget.



The house was a traditional mill workers „back-to-back‟ house, sadly now demolished

and the area redeveloped though several have been preserved. From the cobbled street

and pavement there was a step up to the front door of 5 Curzon Street into the rather

dark front room with a large sideboard and a couple of chairs. Through to the living

room furnished with a scrubbed table and chairs, a sofa and two chairs, one a rocking

chair which was my grandfather‟s and an upholstered chair for my grandmother.

Cooking and heating was from a black range, a coal fire with an oven heated by the

fire and a stand on which to place a kettle. My grandfather had built a wooden

extension, which did give some extra space, and here was a two-burner gas ring, a

luxury compared to other houses. In the yard, reached from this small extension, was

a coal house and, at the end of the yard, the toilet. A back gate went out to a narrow

back lane, also cobbled. Upstairs, accessed via a door in the living room, were two

bedrooms. Each was sparsely furnished; the one I used (and I suppose my father

before me) had only a bed and a wardrobe. There was a small bedside table on which

to stand a candle. There was no electricity upstairs and toilet requirements were

served by a “jerry pot” under the bed.



In my early stays with my grandparents there was an air raid shelter in the street. At

the end of Curzon Street was Griffin School which my grandfather and father had

both attended. I have book prizes awarded to them during their time there. My

grandfather left aged 12 and my father aged 14. Two other houses were owned by the

family. In number one lived aunt Lizzie (Elizabeth Lightbown) my grandfather‟s

sister, a widow. Next door at number three was aunt Alice the second of my

grandfather‟s sisters. She never married. She was the jolly type, always smiling and

always giving me a copper or two, which she kept by her radio in the back room, to

spend on sweets. Not an easy thing to do with rationing as it was. My trips to

Blackburn always ended up with me making a profit on my visit.

We played in the street, front doors were only locked at night and neighbours walked

in and out without knocking. Even as late as 1966 my grandfather left his door open

for visitors. It is since starting family history research I have found a second cousin,

David Lightbown, with whom I used to play in the street. In conversation we

remembered identical events and people though we had not seen each other since

about 1954. We remember playing marbles; cobbled streets made the games

interesting, the melted tar on hot days forming bubbles waiting to be burst and the ice

cream van, horse drawn with cone at 1d with a dash of strawberry juice if wanted.



It was at this time I was introduced to the pleasure of watching Blackburn Rovers. I

must have been taken when I was about eight years old, lifted over the turnstile (no

payment) and then to the line of boxes in front of the wall of the paddock side. Large

standing crowds and no trouble that I was aware of. This was a male family outing,

granddad, dad, me, and uncle Lawrence with Philip. We would walk to the ground

from Curzon Street only about a mile. In the early „60s I would park the car outside

granddad‟s and do the same walk to watch the team I have supported for over 50

years.



It was while we were living at Leigh that my father bought the first family car. It was

a 1939 Singer, registration number HG 7139. A wooden garage was built for it at the

back of the house. This made transport and visiting much easier. The money for the

car came from a legacy to my mother from Agnes Knowles. I have a copy of the

disbursements of her will. There was a connection to the Swaits family, a connection I

have not yet found. Money was left to four of the Swaits children of my great

grandfather, William Swaits and my great grandmother Elizabeth Bigland. Why the

other two children were left out I do not know. Since my grandfather, Edward James

Swaits had died, his share was divided between his four daughters each receiving

£629. Again, I do not understand why the children received the money and not my

grandmother but I assume it was a condition in the will.



This brings me to my other grandparents Lily and Edward James Swaits. They had

retired to a rented house in Heysham when my grandfather left the police force in

1939. I am aware of visiting the house, playing on the beach in Heysham Bay and

going into Morecambe. My memories of my grandfather are quite vague. I am aware

of him owning a car and being taken out in it while a very young child and of him

playing bowls in Regent Park but little else. He died in 1948 on my mother‟s 35th

birthday when I was only five. I do remember her tears when she received the news in

Leigh. I think my mother and grandfather were close. My father said he was a real

gentleman and it is obvious from the press notices of his retirement and his death that

he was held in high regard.





My grandmother continued to live in Heysham, for many years, then took a flat in

Morecambe near Regent Park where she also played bowls and was a very well

known figure in the town. She re-married Harry Wood in 1965 when I was best man.

Not many people can claim to have been the best man at their grandmother‟s

wedding. She died in 1971 and is buried close to my grandfather in Torrisholme

cemetery.

Edward James Swaits in 1917 and 1947 receiving the Visitors Cup









Wedding of Lily Swaits to Harry Wood in Morecambe







My grandma Swaits and I were never close. She spent a lot of time with Edward and

my cousin Josephine, her first two grandchildren. I suspect I was a bit loud and „wild‟

for her. She had never had to deal with young boys. She seemed to mellow in her later

years and I probably saw more of her in her last ten years than all the previous years

put together. I do know that she and my father did not see eye to eye, I gather that she

had not considered him good enough for her eldest daughter.



Life in Leigh continued. We had a cat, Buntie, who reached the local papers when she

had kittens in a car. The car was in Timm‟s garage a local repair and sales garage just

round the corner from Beverly Avenue. We got Buntie and her kittens back.

I remember fishing in the Avenue Lake for „tiddlers‟, taking them home and keeping

them in glass bowls. There were also lots of newts which once taken home always

seemed to escape overnight.



It was while at Leigh I saw my first Rugby League game at Hilton Park. Dad and I

became quite regulars. Dad knew the Leigh full back Jimmy Ledgard and I think we

got in free! I do know the excitement when Leigh signed Macdonald Bailey, the

Olympic sprinter and it was a full house the day he played. I never saw him again! I

gather he only ever played the one game and left.



While at Leigh I am reputed to have broken Sheila‟s leg by pushing her over and I

deny this! I do remember her falling and subsequently her walking around with a pot

leg.



Edward passed his 11 plus exams in 1950 and started at Leigh Grammar School. His

health was not improving in the fog and smoke of south Lancashire so he spent a lot

of time in Morecambe with our grandmother and went to Morecambe Grammar

School in late 1951 and into 1952. I have a number of letters he wrote home from that

period.



Other memories are seeing my first TV, not ours. We had to wait till 1960 for that. It

was in the home of David Berry, his father had a transport firm, and I can even

remember the address of 16 Moss Avenue.



The snow in the winter of 1947 being piled high at the sides of the roads.

Blackberrying on Warton Craig near Carnforth, a day out for all of us with lots of

cereal boxes to fill with those berries. There are a number of photographs to record

the event. These must have been annual visits for a number of years. The blackberries

were turned into blackberry jelly, a year‟s supply for one day of picking.

There was a local fish and chip shop and next to it a sweet shop.

Fish and chips were a treat to be had after a trip to Blackburn. On the way back, in

Atherton, was a shop. Dad would park under a street lamp and send mum to buy the

food. I fell in the Avenue Lake one day while fishing. I went up to my waist, hence

was very wet. I could not swim (and still can‟t) but managed to haul myself out.



My father asked for a transfer to an area where the air was „better‟ and in July 1952

we moved to Ulverston, 39 Victoria Road. I remember the enthusiasm shown by my

parents for the house, the area, and the fact that there was a stream/river running just

in front of the house. This was indeed the case. Across the road were the Grammar

school playing fields, a huge area to run about in although it was private land. We had

to climb a wall to get into that area. Built at the bottom of the field were „squatters

huts‟. These were prefabricated buildings, probably used as temporary

accommodation during and just after the war and now abandoned. A great play area

for us and the friends we were making and for Buntie since there were mice in the

field, during what was a ten week summer holiday. There was also a park with tennis

courts, a bowling green and a play area with swings at the bottom of Victoria Road.



I was to start at Lightburn Junior School, Edward at Ulverston Grammar School and

Sheila at Dale Street Junior School, in the September of 1952.

My form teacher was Geoff Fox, he seemed a nice bloke and played rugby. I did a

match report on one of his games for the class newspaper The game was played on the

local pitch at Dragerly Beck. I had already made some friends in the area and they

also attended Lightburn. Fifty plus years later I can still meet some of them in

Ulverston!



On the night of September 14th 1952, Edward had a heart attack and died. We had

been only a few weeks in our new home, thinking this would help Edward‟s health,

but it was not to be. His room was tied closed and Sheila and I were told of the death

the next morning. The funeral was held in Morecambe and Edward was buried in the

grave of his grandfather Edward James Swaits. Though only nine at the time, I have

vivid memories of that day. All the family, grandparents, aunties and uncles, cousins

and friends of the family were at 1 Eardley Road in Heysham for what must have

been a terrible day for my parents. My cousin Josephine still remembers it as I do, the

grave covered in flowers and then the children playing outside away from grieving

parents and grandparents.









Edward Marsden 1939-1952





Edward‟s clothes, scout uniform and his “children‟s newspaper” collection were kept

for years afterwards though his death was never discussed with us as children, a

situation which would not happen today. Though I missed Edward, because he had

spent a lot of the previous year away from home, the loss was not so marked at that

time as it was later in life. He would have been 65 years old in January 2004 and for

many years I have wondered what our relationship might have been and what he

would of made of his life. Pure speculation.

Back in Ulverston we got on with our lives. Back at school it was the football season

but it soon became apparent that though I was enthusiastic I was never going to play

for the Rovers. Sheila had her eighth birthday in January 1953 and all the guests at the

party were boys! It was then January 30th, Edward‟s birthday, and a visit to the

cemetery in Morecambe. We always visited at least twice a year, close to the dates

January 30th and September 14th, we did go at other times as well but always for these

two anniversaries. It was always my job to collect a watering can, fill it from the

water tank and carry it to the grave and later return it to its hook. It was during one of

these visits that my mother mentioned that her grandparents were also buried in the

same cemetery and showed us where. It was while starting out on our family history

research that I rediscovered this grave, the only one in a long line with no headstone.



Easter 1953 was the start of a new cricket season in a new town and a new school.

Lightburn School had sports teams and I was soon playing my first competitive game.

Our pitch was across the football pitch, leaving very short straight boundaries so a

straight hit was only two runs. It was the start of what was to be over forty years of

playing.



Ulverston had a cricket club though I did not become a member there. My friends

John and Glen Ireland‟s father was a player so we made trips to the ground. It was

here I first started to learn how to score, not officially but it helped to concentrate on

the game. I had my own score-book! We had to walk through a number of fields to

the ground but it was worth it for the picnic we could have once there.



I started to become interested in making money! We had two little businesses on the

go. One was cutting up wood and chopping it for firewood for sale to the neighbours.

The wood came from the huts across the road and no one seemed to mind us

removing planks. The second business was in conjunction with Donald and Dennis

Rogers. Behind their house was a plot of land in which we used to sow seeds and then

sell on the plants raised.



My grandparents came to stay about this time. It is the only occasion I can remember

them being at any of our houses until the final years of granddad‟s life when he was

with us because he needed looking after. In the back garden was a huge overgrown

hedge. I think granddad was invited to cut it down to a more manageable size. This he

did with me working as his labourer. All the cuttings I carried across the road, over

the wall and deposited them at the base of the hedgerows round the playing fields.

There are photographs of Sheila and me with granddad taken at this time in the

garden. As usual, no pictures of grandma. I have only three photographs of her, one

taken about 1915 with granddad and the two children, Lawrence and Albert, the

formal one of my parent‟s wedding and another of poor quality taken about 1930.

They were not photograph people. Family members I have managed to find also seem

to have a lack of pictorial evidence.

Granddad Marsden with David and Sheila in Ulverston 1953





In September 1953 I moved into the top year of Lightburn School with a new form

teacher, Jack Butterfield. He was an interesting teacher who would from time to time

tell us about his experiences of the war. It was only eight years since the war had

ended.

It was also the year of the 11 plus exam. All the adults seemed to think this was a “big

deal” but as far as I can remember we just got on with it. I do know I had some

practice papers sent from Uncle Lawrence which I had to do in the evenings.

Homework was not the done thing in junior schools. We took the exams in February,

sitting them in the hall of the local secondary modern school. The practice papers

must have helped since I passed. Even now I don‟t know how someone who was so

poor at spelling as I was (and still am) could get to the grammar school. I must have

done well on the arithmetic paper, which I was good at, and the general knowledge

paper.



The next step was my father being promoted to sergeant, back into uniform which I

could not remember seeing him in before, and him being transferred to Dalton-in-

Furness, a move of about 5 miles. The new house, 2, Cleater Street was yet another

police house. This one was just behind the police station but, unlike Ulverston, had no

garden, just a back yard and the front opened virtually straight out onto the street. I

assume dad took the post partly for the challenge but also because it would not affect

my school, I would still be going to Ulverston Grammar School. The difference was

that I would have to catch a bus there and back instead of walking to school and

would have to make yet another set of friends. A number of Lightburn pupils had

passed the 11 plus but not many of them were in my friendship group.

Sergeant Marsden in Dalton-in-Furness



Travelling by school bus in a brand new uniform with a group who I did not know

was quite an ordeal. However there were others who were new like I was. Once at

school the 96 new students were allocated forms, half girls and half boys and taken to

our form rooms by our form teacher, Mr. Jackson. No longer just one room and one

teacher but a huge building and lots of different teachers. Would we ever find our way

round and learn all the names? We did of course, like every new group every year,

and settled down to the routine of a seven period day.



Lessons were routine chalk and talk, not at all like school today. Homework was

provided every day and detentions arranged for those who failed in this department.

Pupils were bussed in from miles around and there was even a group who came by

train from Grange over Sands. The school day started at 9.00am and ended at 3.40

pm. Considering the distance some pupils had to travel it was amazing how many out

of school activities there were. Boys‟ and girls‟ sports, winter and summer, various

clubs and societies including scouts, cadets, stamp club, chess club and every

Christmas a Gilbert and Sullivan production. I joined the scouts but gave it up after a

couple of years for the cadets. It was here I learned to shoot on the TA rifle range and

was awarded a marksman badge for the arm of my uniform. The cadets ceased at the

end of my fourth year, I think the staff who ran it retired and there were no

replacements.



Boys‟ games were the province of Bill Ferguson. He was a county rugby union player

so it was rugby union we played. In the summer a range of teachers took cricket, some

who could play, most could not though without them we would not have had the

chance to play. I played rugby without any enthusiasm or skill. My sight had suddenly

deteriorated; I was short sighted, and you can‟t play rugby in glasses. Wait for the

cricket season to start.



Woodwork was taught by the deputy head, Sam Gawthrop. What he said made sense

and it was not long before other pupils were asking for my help with their woodwork.

This made change since I was finding some of the subjects very difficult, particularly

languages.



The school ran sports teams at U13, U15, second team and first team levels. There

were only about 45 boys in each year so the best in the first year had a chance of

playing in the U13 team. Net practice was the order of the day; the cricket square was

so small that practice matches were difficult to fit in. We played some mid-week

games and Saturday afternoon which was going to create problems for some of us in

later years when there was a conflict between school and club. I was on the team

fringes in the first year and a regular in the second year. It was not until the fourth

year when I was 15 that Fred Pilkington who ran the senior teams saw me play. The

first team nets were short of bowling so I was asked to bowl at “the big boys”. These

were young men not boys and I was probably equal to them in height. The first team

captain was batting and I gather I caused him considerable discomfort with my

bowling. It was no surprise to me; I had been a regular player for Dalton colts for a

couple of years and I could not understand why my talent was never recognised at

school. A case of a face not fitting? The following year I was in the second team and

playing occasional first team games. Once into the sixth form I came into my own and

had two years of success. It was while in sixth form I made my first ever 50 with the

bat, opening against Barrow Grammar School. Our regular opening bat was late so I

volunteered to go in first. From then I was an „allrounder‟ not just a bowler.

I joined Dalton cricket club in the summer of 1955. Several of us spent most evenings

at the ground, playing our own little games on the outfield. Senior players noticed

who could play a bit and when we were about 13 we were asked to bowl in the nets

and occasionally were allowed to bat. I was getting known because I was scoring for

the second team on a regular basis. Dalton ran one colts side that being U17 so we had

a few years to wait to be old enough or good enough for this team. The club did

however run three senior sides and by the time I was 15 I was playing regularly for

the third team and was top of the bowling averages in 1959, my first cricket award. At

16 years of age I was in the second team and by 17 playing first team cricket. Teams

in the North Lancashire League each had professional, some of whom were test

players. Here I was at 17 opening the bowling against Sher Mohammad who the

previous winter had taken hundreds off the MCC touring side!



It was in July 1960 I had my first serious back injury, not while bowling but batting in

a school match. The damage was bad enough to prevent me from walking, it took an

hour to get changed, my father came to get me and on arrival in Dalton I could not get

out of the car unaided. The doctor said „rest it‟, not good news for someone just

breaking into senior cricket. I did not play again that season.



Dalton also ran a table tennis section and during the winter I played for the club junior

team in the local league. I was one of the team which won the league in 1959 for

which I still have a trophy.



I was awarded my cricket colours in the form of the school cricket cap, I had made it!

The next year, 1961, saw me in Dalton 1st team, opening the bowling but still not

regarded as a batsman at this level. I was picked for Lancashire Schools but was again

suffering from back problems. It was during this season I made a move from Dalton

to Lindal Moor, a village club a short bus ride towards Ulverston.

Back at school in 1955 I was in form 2A, the top form out of three. I was finding

much of the work quite difficult and at the end of the year after a discussion with the

head, G. F. Longbotham, when he put to me “Would you rather be at the top end of

3B or struggling at the bottom end of 3A, you were 90th out of 96 on entry”, I chose to

drop down a level. I was still doing very well at woodwork with a new teacher Rob.

Quine. It was about this time I decided that I would like to become a Woodwork

teacher and play cricket. I had no idea what it would involve but I knew the long

summer holidays would give lots of time for sport and I was regarded as being good

at woodwork!



I managd to cope well enough in the new form and my reports showed good progress.

At the end of the third year we had to think about GCE exams. The classes were

rearranged again, into two top groups one taking Sciences the other taking Arts and a

lower group. This was now a problem for me. The top science group did not do

woodwork but French, the lower group did woodwork and not French. Try as I might

I could not get out of French and do Woodwork. There was a compromise, I could do

woodwork in addition to my other subjects by dropping out of PE. This I did and did

much of the O level on my own.

O levels came, as did the results, I passed all but two. French and English Language

were my failures, English by a very small margin. I did pass my woodwork and was

awarded the school woodwork prize.



Into the sixth form to do Maths, Physics ,Chemistry, none of which I was to find easy.

I was also having to retake my English Language at Christmas. In addition I was

allowed to continue with woodwork in my own time, fitting it in in place of games

and PE when possible, with a view to taking this also at A level. I had been good at

Maths at O level but pure and applied maths was totally different and I could not

adjust to this “abstract” form of maths, it was another language. Chemistry I enjoyed

particularly the practicals and felt I could manage this. Physics was all chalk and talk,

take notes and learn them. There were very few practical applications of what we

were being told and so much of it seemed learning it for learning‟s sake. I retook O

level English Language and failed it again by the same margin. In the summer I took

it for the third time when I passed with a good mark. I had changed my question

selection and it paid off. During this year I had the first operation on my fingers. Hand

operations were to become regular occurrences, five more were to follow over the

next forty years.



It was at the end of the lower sixth that I had by back injury. On my return to school

with only a few days of term left I managed to persuade the Head to allow me to drop

one of my subjects if favour of continuing woodwork for A level. I wanted to drop

Maths but was persuaded to drop Physics since “you will need the Maths for

Chemistry”.



Into the upper sixth as a „prefect‟ and a badge to wear to prove it.

What to do next was uppermost in people‟s minds, where to go what subjects to do. I

was determined to go to College to train as a woodwork teacher and sent off for

details to a number of them.



I applied to St. John‟s, York, had an interview in November and was accepted by the

college in January 1961. The offer of a place at St. John‟s was “for either the Heavy

Craft department or the Science department”. There was never any question of me

wanting to do science as my main subject so my reply was to accept a place in the

Heavy Craft department and if there was not one available I would apply elsewhere.

A place to do Heavy Craft was confirmed.



There was now no pressure on me for A level, I was in college on my O levels alone.

The first part of the A level was assessment of my woodwork coursework by an

external examiner. After seeing the work the examiner asked to see me and asked me

what my intentions were for the future. I told him I had a place at St. John‟s and he

replied that if there was any problem with the place to contact him and he would give

me a place at his college. It happened to be Alsager which was on my original list. It

was a nice gesture, and gave me confidence for the future in York. A levels came and

so did the results. Not good. I passed Chemistry and Woodwork but failed Maths very

badly, but they were only the stepping-stones to other things.



Away from school and cricket I did have a life in Dalton. Very early on we lost our

cat, run over by a car on the main road outside the police station. Buntie had been

used to wandering across the road in Ulverston but it proved fatal on the busy road in

Dalton. The only pets I had from then were rabbits, five in all at one time. Three of

them were brought home by mum and dad as baby rabbits which they had picked up

in the road one night. It was my job to rear them which I managed to do. Some years

later I gave them all away to a friend of the family where they continued to thrive.

Mum had taken a part time job in a baker‟s shop in Dalton, very casual and it lasted

for a year or so. She then got a full time post with a local firm of solicitors, in the

office. She had trained as a shorthand typist and had worked as a clerk for the police

force till January 1938. This is when she became one of the first police-women on the

Lancashire force. As a result there was a bit more money in the family but not a lot to

spare.



I found a job delivering greengrocery goods on Saturday mornings. Start at 9.00 and

finish about 12.00 all for five shillings. The shop owner was Tommy Townson whose

main occupation was running a market garden, produce was then sold in the shop. He

had a brother, George, who had another market garden close by. Tommy offered me

work in the garden, washing plant pots, pricking out seedlings while George wanted

me to water his greenhouses on a regular basis, a 6.00am start! This carried on for

some time till George died and the garden was sold. I continued with Tommy until

about 1960 when my father took me to help him doing some work for a friend of his,

Gordon Crook.



Gordon was a bookmaker. He and his wife Dorothy had been friends of my parents

for some time. He bought a large dilapidated house in Ulverston and dad said he

would help him „do it up‟. I was taken along to mix concrete for laying paths in the

garden and other bits and pieces. This led to being offered a job on Saturdays and

some evenings at local shows and hound trails. The £1 a day I was paid was a small

fortune so I left my market garden and shop for the excitement of assisting an on-

course bookmaker. Seeing the life-style Gordon had and counting the money after

meetings I never bet on horses or dogs until years later when we went to a few

greyhound meetings!

The winter months some evenings were spent playing table tennis. Dalton cricket club

had a junior table tennis team in the local league. Lots of practice and I eventually

made the team. In 1959 I won my first ever sports trophy, a league winners cup for

table tennis.



Saturday night was dance night at the local Methodist Hall. A very mixed age range

attended but the group I was attached to went along. It was here I was taught the skills

of ballroom dancing! We had been taught some dances at school as part of the PE

programme. This was put to use at Christmas dances, always well-attended with, in

the early years, boys ranged down one side of the school hall, girls down the other.

We only met up to dance!



Sundays was church day. I was confirmed in 1956 and always attended the church

youth club. There were a variety of activities, always an outside speaker and a dance

session. Trips away were organised and I will always remember one trip to Blackpool

and dancing in the Tower ballroom. I eventually was elected to the committee and

became treasurer of the club.



Easter 1961 saw me at the wheel of a car for the first time. One of dad‟s former

colleagues had started a driving school so I was booked in for a series of lessons.

These I did as a crash course in just three weeks, took my test and passed first time. I

did not drive a car again until I bought my first one Easter 1965 and promptly took it

onto a motorway!



When we moved to Dalton, dad was one of two sergeants and above them was an

inspector. Soon the other sergeant went and later the inspector, leaving dad in charge

of the town. He rapidly gained a reputation for standing no nonsense. This was the

fifties, teddy boys and the start of rock and roll. He had many friends in the local

community but, as in any society, there were people who resented his way of policing

the town. The „yob‟ element was scared of him and some of this did rebound onto us

as a family. His answer was simple, “There are some people who matter and some

who don‟t. Don‟t take any notice of those who don‟t.” After he retired some people

who had caused problems in Dalton grudgingly admitted he was always fair in his

dealings with them.



In September 1961 I took the train to York. My luggage was coming by road in a

trunk my father had used when he was first away from home. Dad was a friend of Bob

Brady who owned the transport firm. There were student rooms on the first floor, set

round a quadrangle in the main college building. There were two other residential

areas, The Croft and the Limes set a short walk away from the main building. My

accommodation was to be in College. My room was „Nottingham 1‟, a small room

with a bed, a table and chair. Having found the room it was time to meet up with

others on the corridor and then down to the pub!



After a few days I was in a tutorial with the Vice-Principal, Chris Chapman. He asked

if I had any problems and looked quite alarmed when I said “Yes”. Asked what the

problem was, I said my bed was too short! Within days a new longer bed arrived for

me. When I moved rooms at the end of the year my bed went with m,e much to the

amusement of others.

The group I was to work with for the next three years in the Craft Department was

nine strong. We came to know each other very well, a set of interesting people a

number of whom I am still in contact with. Our tutors were Jack Edbrooke and

George Cramer. Jack was the boss and dealt with woodwork and technical drawing,

George was metalwork and a silversmith by trade.









The Craft Group, York,1964









The department was housed in an old school building behind the college building, lots

of space but by modern standards poorly equipped. We had to buy our own tool kits,

no bad thing, but machinery for wood was restricted to a lathe. We had more

equipment in the school I had just left. Metalwork was just as poor.



The group of ten had come from a variety of backgrounds, many of them had been

taught three craft subjects to O level and a number had two craft A levels. I quickly

realised I was at a disadvantage having come from an academic grammar school.

There was going to have to be a very steep learning curve to keep up with the rest of

the group. Woodwork posed no problem but Metalwork and Technical Drawing

meant lots of extra effort. Both tutors were used to the wide starting range and quickly

made us comfortable in asking for help.



I took General Science for my second subject. Having done the A level this posed no

problem since the academic standard was not particularly high. Education lectures

dealt with a range of subjects many of which we considered a waste of time but they

were part of continuing education; we were only 18 years old. We were instructed and

demonstrated lesson planning and class management. There was a model school

attached to the college for this purpose.



We were thrown into School Practice in the first term. I missed the first week, being

in the sick bay with German measles! I made the rest of it, an introduction to the real

world of being in front of a class. The school was Selby Technical School and just

one week was not a lot of time to make an assessment of my potential.



During the winter I played for the college at table tennis. There were eight teams in

the York leagues, I made the second team. The format was different from my previous

experience, each team was of three players not four and there were nine singles and

one doubles games to a match. The College first team was composed of three

Yorkshire county players and there was no way I was ever going to be of that

standard, so I was happy to play second team out of eight, itself a very good standard.

I became great friend with a fellow student from the year above and fellow team

member, Neil Randerson. We practiced for hours and had much success in our league

matches. I remained in contact with Neil and his wife Ann until Neil died aged just 49

in 1992.



In the summer I joined the cricket club. As it was a short term, we were restricted to

about eight matches. I was still having back problems so I concentrated on batting and

only bowled a few overs a game. I played mainly second team, with some success

with the bat.



These sporting activities continued for three years. In my third year I captained the

Table Tennis Club having been awarded College colours the previous year. I was also

asked to captain the College second team at cricket; though I had been playing a

number of games in the first team I had not had much success. I found I enjoyed

captaincy! I also took the Cricket Coaching Course under the guidance of the then

Yorkshire coach, Arthur Mitchell. This was a qualification I was to use for many

years to come.



Work at College continued, we were expected to produce an exhibition at the end of

each year of all the practical course work we had done so there was always an

incentive to do well. Work was also assessed and there were practical and theory

exams.









End of 1962 .

My pieces in the craft

exhibition.









The first year passed very quickly with the work and sport and so into the second

year. This included a month‟s teaching practice. This I did in Scarborough, staying in

a holiday hotel. The school arranged for us to work on about two-thirds time-table.

This was negotiated successfully and my education tutor gave me very positive

feedback. The rest was a continuation of lectures, practical work and the sport, with

some time for a social life.

The third year was the year for the “final job”. Mine was the dressing-table and stool

which over 40 years later is still with me. There was also a woodwork thesis, a

metalwork thesis and an Education thesis to complete. At the end of it all were final

exams and a six week final teaching practice which I did at Acomb Secondary

Modern School.. This was a real workload.

My theses were “The life of William Morris”, “The production of iron and steel” and

“Examination at eleven”. These took hours of work both in term and over the

Christmas and Easter holidays. My mother then did the typing for me. She borrowed a

typewriter from work in order to do this for me in evenings and weekends. She even

made a carbon copy of each these “just in case”.









Dressing Table and Stool.

Final Assessment of

practical work May 1964.









It was also time for applications for jobs, writing a CV and hoping. I had two

interviews, one in York the other in Lancaster and was rejected at both. I then applied

to The Royal Wolverhampton School, an Independent school with both boarding and

day pupils. It had been an Orphanage in earlier times and still took a number of

children in this category, fees paid by charitable foundations. I was offered the job

and accepted. It had the attraction of living in, accommodation and food provided for

some duties and a payment to the school of £50 a year. All my work was completed,

exams taken and passed and in June 1964 I left St. John‟s College as a qualified

teacher of Heavy Craft with General Science as my second subject. I did manage to

obtain a credit for my final teaching practice.



Back in Dalton my parents had bought their first house, 1 Market Place. For this stone

built house with large garden they paid £1950. Dad had organised a job for me for the

holiday periods. It was at a brewery in Barrow, Case‟s Brewery. It was a privately

owned concern. I was to work on the delivery side, not driving but a “dray man”.

Loading and unloading lorries and delivering to local pubs and clubs. Case‟s

delivered to quite a wide area of Cumbria. Work started at 7.30am sharp. This work

played some part in strengthening my back! It certainly taught me how to drink.

Every pub we delivered to would present us with a pint after our efforts. It was hard

work but as with all jobs there was a technique for getting barrels down cellars and on

to stillages. A hogshead was 54 gallons, a barrel 36 gallons. A gallon weighs about

10lbs plus the weight of the wooden container. Getting them off the lorry was a skill

in its own right! I did this for three years and was paid cash in hand of £10 a week.



I had split cricket seasons, College and Lindal Moor. In the North Lancashire League

we only played on Saturdays. All games were league matches, no such thing as a

friendly. I was now bowling regularly again though not as quickly as I was at the time

of my injury. I was used as “first change” and my batting improvement gave me a

place at number six in the first team. At college I had experimented bowling off spin

and used this style on my return to Lindal to bowl off spin at medium pace.



My Grandmother died on April 2nd 1963. I attended her funeral at Pleasington

Crematorium, the first cremation I had been to. A very sad day for us all. I had been

very close to her in my childhood. I gather she had a stroke and was just worn out

through her hard life. She was 76. Granddad was devastated and never fully

recovered from his loss. When I now look back I wish I had listened to what she had

to say about her family. If I had done so I would not have spent the many hours trying

to work out her father‟s very complicated families. Her saying of “thine, mine and

ours” might have made sense now I know of the eleven children, three step-children

from one marriage and a further three step-children from another marriage that my

great-grandfather had. He had died when my Grandma was only 15.



I set off for Wolverhampton early September 1964, the start of a teaching career that

was to last until July 2001. A train to Wolverhampton and a taxi to the school. The

Royal is an imposing building from the Penn Road. It is set on a slight hill and the

front has formal gardens and a fountain. The building was built about 1850 and the

inside has sweeping staircases and lofty ceilings. I was shown to my accommodation,

a study in a block with three other staff studies. My bedroom was separate – by about

150 yards through what was then called “the long dormitory”. It was about the same

size as my first room at college, but at least I had a separate study, probably about 10

feet square.



The boys were to start arriving in a couple of days‟ time. I was also to be a form tutor

to a fifth form group as well as teaching woodwork, technical drawing and games.

The school was quite small in numbers, about 350 pupils in all. This was divided into

two forms each year plus the sixth form. There was a small contingent of girls, housed

in a separate building and under the watchful eye of Miss Wright.



Being a small school there was a small staff. Some were living in like me but others

hade a life outside the school. Given these conditions a rapid „get to know the ropes

and people‟ took place. I received help and advice (not always taken) from my

experienced colleagues. Stan Henley was my Head of Department. He had served in

the Navy during the war and had been torpedoed several times. Quite a character. A

good metalwork teacher, full of concern for the welfare of the pupils, his great love

was producing the annual school play. Not only did he produce it, he ran all

rehearsals, built the sets and with help was instrumental in costume design and

making. Craft lessons at school play-time became make all the bits and pieces time.

Stan taught me a lot. He could have his moments regularly storming out of rehearsals

with his often used expression “I‟m going home”, only to return minuets later to carry

on as if nothing had happened.

Dr. Donald Cole was in charge of Science. An intense Liverpudlian, with a string of

letters after his name. I had to work with him when dealing with any science lessons

and he always had advice. I was only expected to deal with the first three years but he

was always there to help. He was able to boost confidence and I will always

remember after one series of lessons that he asked if I had ever though of doing

science full time and he would be delighted to give me a reference to do a crash

degree course. Don also lived in and had rooms across the school.



Roy Lymme was in charge of games, not the PE teacher (with whom I had been at

college though he was two years ahead of me). Roy was the Geography specialist and

I later learned he was a qualified football referee and cricket coach. He had also

played for Warwickshire.



Eric Pope was the “second master”, deputy head. He had been on the staff for many

years. A Cornishman, ex-boxer and county rugby player. Known to generations of

pupils as “Bull”, he was a Maths specialist. He was also a boxing referee and he took

me to a number of tournaments. He also ran boxing as one of the school sports and

there were regular house competitions in this and other sports.

The Head was Peter Howard, a science specialist.



Martin Brown joined the school at the same time as me. We had studies next to each

other. He was an RE specialist and had a great interest in rowing. He was to be the

best man at my wedding and we remain in contact to this day.



In January 1965 a new PE appointment was made, David Holliday. We worked

together closely on games over the next three years. We also remain in contact.

The other member of staff with whom I had a friendship was Brian Kingshott. He

was a historian, had a love of canal boats and remained at the school till he retired in

2002. We are also still in contact.



Being an Independent school, there was a wide ability range amongst the pupils.

There are a number who I came to know very well over the next three years. There

was very little of “us and them”, we were all in it together.

I ran woodwork groups in the evenings, games teams and encouraged table tennis to

be taken seriously as a recreation activity and organised matches against other

schools.



The workshop I was in was newly built and equipped, thanks to a fire the previous

year. The room was a good size, good hand tools but only a basic circular saw bench

and a lathe as machinery. There were no hand power tools.

The drawing office was alongside. Some aspects of the Technical Drawing syllabus I

had to work on before teaching but there were no real problems.



At the end of the first month I had my salary paid into my newly opened bank

account, a shade over £36 for the month. This was a salary of £630 a year less £50 for

food and board. It was £1 a week less than working in the brewery and for longer

hours since we were in residence 7 days a week, taught on Saturday mornings and had

evening and weekend duties. Staff ate in the evenings at 7.30 pm unless on duty.

There were regular “come and have a sherry before dinner” requests from the senior

resident staff which we would accept. Behind the school was the “26” club, an RAFA

club which we used. It had a couple of full-sized snooker tables that we could use, not

that I ever became proficient at the game. I think my highest break was 27.



During the Easter holiday 1965 I bought my first car. It was a Morris 1000, black,

CEO 330, made in 1957 and it cost me £150. Dad‟s friends were useful, the car was

part exchanged in a local car sales department where one of dad‟s friends, Arthur

Chapman, was the sales manager. I don‟t think the car went through the firm‟s books.

The front seat was re-positioned for me and bolted in its new place. It was often said I

drove the car from the back seat but that was not the case. I set off back to

Wolverhampton a few days after buying the car, 150 miles and motorways! I made it

safely but I‟ve always wondered what my parents were thinking during my journey.



The summer term was my first experience of having pupils entered for O level. The

results of my pupils were fine, I had only had them for one year so it was difficult to

know how much influence I had. The following two years showed good results so I

was on my way. I did some cricket coaching in the summer term. It was then I started

to upset some people, particularly the head who fancied himself as a cricketer. My

brash Northern league competitive attitude did not go down well! I was coaching to

get results and not „public school technique‟. I was prevented from taking charge of

teams in the future!



There was no sense of a career structure „three years here, move on, another two years

and move‟. There was certainly no career development plans within the school

management, no advice at all. Living in a closed community was a recipe for conflict.

I was only 22, I thought I knew it all. I did not.



The first year negotiated I went home for a well-earned break.

Not having played any cricket, except in the nets, I joined a Lindal team which was

well into its league season. I was only going to be available for six matches that

summer but I went straight into the first team and made a contribution.

September 1965 saw the start of my second year at Wolverhampton. Just prior to

going back Sheila was married to Bill Mackereth. This left Mum and Dad on their

own for the first time since 1939. Dad retired from the police force in 1965 after 30

year‟s service. He found another job working in the office of a local brewery in

Ulverston for a short time and then became a court officer in Barrow for the following

nine years to his 65th birthday in 1978. This then gave him three pensions! Mum

carried on her clerical job till she was 60 in 1973.



My second year meant I was no longer the new teacher. I had made my mark with

pupils and teaching was easier with a greater knowledge of the syllabuses. I was

doing the same subjects but after a year of practice, the second time round was much

better, not as much learning before delivering! The car gave greater freedom at

weekends. I rarely went out after a day of teaching, far to much to do.



The summer term came round and since I was not going to run a school team I joined

Wolverhampton Cricket Club. The club ran four teams, net practice (in whites) was

compulsory if you expected to play at the weekends and they played Saturday and

Sunday as well as occasional midweek fixtures. It was a far bigger club than I had

been used to. It did not take long to work out they were very serious about their

cricket and I was only going to be available for the first half of the season.

I started in the fourth team, rapidly moved on to the third team and then into the

second team. The second team was a very good standard and had two minor county

players, unable to make the first team. I was bowling more regularly and my batting

had improved a lot. The work at the brewery and careful use in bowling had done its

job. My elevation to the second team came after taking 8 for 7 in one match, taking a

catch to remove the ninth and running out the other! I can‟t claim to have taken all 10

(I never achieved this) but I had a hand in all of them. I then opened the batting and

we knocked off the 36 runs needed in 5 overs.



The following season I played second team, I never did make a first team appearance

but they knew I was only there until the end of June. In my final game in June 1967 I

scored my only 50 for the club. Had I been available all season I‟m sure I would have

made the first team.









Summer holidays 1966 was World Cup year. When the final was played I was with

Lindal playing in the wilds of Cumbria (Penrith I think). We batted first and were

dismissed for a very low score. Some players seemed more interested in the soccer

than in their cricket, a great lesson in concentrating on the job in hand.

Back at Wolverhampton I decided that this would be my last year. I was unhappy with

the Head and some of the other staff. The pupils I got on with very well and it was

going to be a wrench to leave them, but I wanted a „normal‟ life. Stan Henley and

Don Cole were upset at my decision and tried to talk me out of it. Martin Brown was

also of the same opinion as me and he was also determined to leave. David Holiday

also left to move into junior education a subsequently became a headmaster. (He was

also an international athletics judge).



I started to look through job vacancies in the early spring of 1967, looking for ones

advertising a promoted post (scale1 as it then was). This was usually second in a

department, taking responsibility for a subject within that department. I found one

advertised for Francis Bacon Grammar School in St Albans. I had no idea where St.

Albans was but I put in an application, was asked to go for an interview and was

offered the job which I accepted. This was late April/ early May. This was my first

meeting with Ted Locke who was to be my Head of Department, and Ralph Sexton

who was to be my Head for the next 20 or so years. The interview was rather more

them trying to sell me the job rather than me try to persuade them that I was the right

person for it. One other person I remember from the interview time was Tony Bailey,

the head of PE with whom I talked cricket and football in the staffroom. I had stayed

overnight in St Albans, it seemed a nice place and the school was only seven years

old, set in extensive playing fields, and surrounded with what looked like good quality

housing.



I returned to Wolverhampton and resigned my post as from the end of August. Martin

Brown had also been applying for posts and he obtained one in North London.

I had learned a lot about teenagers at Wolverhampton, living and working alongside

them seven days a week for forty weeks a year. Most of the staff had been helpful and

though I made a number of mistakes these were brushed aside and I left a far better

teacher than three years earlier. I had realised I did not know it all and that education

was a never-ending series of changes. There was no party, no drink session, I just

walked away having said goodbye to those who I would miss.



Back to Dalton to pick up cricket with Lindal in what was to be my last season for

them (though I did not know that at the time. My grandfather had come to live with

us, as he was becoming unable to look after himself properly.



I had to find accommodation in St Albans. I never even thought of buying a property,

that was what older people did. I placed an advert for a room to rent in the Herts

Advertiser and got a number of replies, some of them rather odd! Dad soon pointed

out which ones I should look at. I eventually settled on 7 Elm Drive, a nice semi not

far from the school and owned by a retired couple. I had a furnished bed sit with a

small side room which they had made into a kitchen diner. There was a shared

bathroom and I could use their fridge to store any bits and pieces. The rent was £16 a

month. There was a reduction for school holiday times. I had accommodation, a job

with more money, and a car. September 1967 was the start of the next phase of my

life at the age of 24.

I had made a couple of visits to Francis Bacon School before I started that September,

though as yet I had no time-table I did know what I would be teaching and to whom.

Woodwork and Technical Drawing would be my responsibility with Ted Locke

watching. I was also to do four sets of games a week, a situation that had been

negotiated with me. September 3rd was the date of the start of term staff meeting. This

was a morning session only and I had arranged with Martin Brown to meet up for

lunch after the meeting. He had found a very nice flat in Islington to rent so we were

only an hour away from each other.



The following day was the start for the pupils.

It was a totally different life from Wolverhampton. No pressures of duties in

dormitories and dining halls from 7.30am. Just get to school by about 8.45.

I became involved in games, not only in school time but running a football team after

school and refereeing on Saturday mornings.



On September 14th I got the news that my grandfather had died, the same date that

Edward had died 15 years earlier. I returned home for the funeral in Barrow

crematorium. I was never to visit Curzon Street, Blackburn, again. Granddad‟s house

was sold for not very much, about £500 I believe, the whole area was due for re-

development and in the early 1970s whole streets were demolished and re-built. Some

of the terraced houses were kept but Curzon Street and surrounding areas including

Griffin School and St. Philips church were demolished. The replacement buildings are

named Curzon Place. Marsdens had lived in that area for over two hundred years and

in Curzon Street since it was first built; four generations had lived there, but no more.

It was the end of an era.



I joined St. Albans table tennis club and played for the town for some of that season.

Other events were becoming more pressing and practice time was limited so I

dropped out after Christmas.



By about half term, the Head was asking for a set to be built for „his‟ production of

the Mikado. This I did with the help of pupils. Other staff were involved in painting

the set, costume making and make-up. It was during this time I became aware of Miss

Pam Robinson, teacher of French. Pam had joined the staff at the same time as I had.

The staff was about thirty five in number so we all quickly got to know each other.

The younger staff had occasional parties at their homes and an invitation to dinner

came from some. Living in a bed-sit, it was difficult to reciprocate this hospitality. As

well as meeting in the staff room I met Pam at a couple of these functions. We were

involved in the school play and shared in the organisation of the staff Christmas party.

I did invite her back to „my‟ place for a meal and arranged to take her out for dinner

on our return from the Christmas break. Both sets of our parents said in later years

that they knew ‟something was in the air‟.



On my return to St. Albans in early January I booked a table at the Crooked Chimney,

Lemsford. I picked Pam up from her lodgings in Battlefield Road and drove to

Lemsford. While eating the lights went out, candles were lit for the diners. By the

time we had finished and went back to the car it was snowing. Within a month we had

been out several times and by the end of January we were engaged. I had so little

money at the time Pam even paid for her own engagement ring! It was then a case of

telling the families from a phone box. We later drove down to Wales for me to meet

her parents. I was made most welcome and always had the same reception for the next

thirty-seven years. I gather that Pam‟s father had told her not to bring back „an

intellectual‟; this she successfully managed!! We went up to Cumbria to meet my

family and I know they took an instant liking to Pam. Trips to Wales and Cumbria to

visit parents and other relatives have been a feature of our lives since that time, at

least three times a year until now when we no longer have parents to visit.

Our announcement to the staff caught them all. No one it seemed had any idea. Events

now required planning. A house, a wedding.



Out first move into property investigation left us both wondering if buying a house

was the right thing to do. The first agent virtually laughed at us when we said we

wanted to buy a house in St. Albans with a maximum price of £4,500. To us this was

a small fortune and the maximum a building society would advance to us on our joint

earnings. Fortunately another agent was more sympathetic and took us to see 28,

Sadleir Road. The house was a centre one of a block of four, built in the 1930‟s, two

bedrooms and bathroom upstairs, and a lounge and kitchen diner downstairs. There

was a small garden front and back and a detached garage. The area was quiet and so

we bought it for £4,450. We were still paying our rent for our bed-sits so as soon as

the purchase went through I moved into the house. Our mortgage repayments were

£29. 10 shillings a month. Mortgages were rationed at that time and we were lucky to

get one through the Civil Service Housing Association, administered by the Burnley

Building Society. The interest rate was 7.125%.



The French department were running an exchange trip to France. This was for three

weeks at Easter 1968. Pam was to lead the party and I was to go with her. This would

be my first trip abroad and I had to apply for my first passport. A long trip by sea and

train to near Grenoble. The pupils were to stay with families and Pam and I were

given a farm-house outside the village. It was very quiet. No TV, I don‟t even

remember a radio. The noisiest things were the sheep in the fields. We walked each

day into the local village for food and newspapers and to check that pupils were OK.

At least the weather was good. We did have a meal with the host staff family and

were taken out by car on roads which seemed to hang from the mountain sides. There

were no real problems on the trip except for a very late arrival by one pupil at the

station for our return journey. Back in Engand I knew that if we could survive that

trip, we could survive virtually anything.



While looking for a house, we had driven through Redbourn and seen the cricket club

on the common. I had been warned off joining St. Albans and with hindsight this was

probably an error on my part from a cricketing point of view. I approached the club

with a view to joining. A totally different cricket set up than at Wolverhampton and

Lindal. All games were „friendlies‟, the club ran two teams each Saturday and

Sunday. A new pavilion had just been built and the ground was in a lovely setting so I

joined the club in May 1968.



The playing structure was to change over the next five years. Hertfordshire were

introducing Saturday league cricket. The „senior‟ clubs formed the Herts league and

the rest who wished to play league cricket formed the Herts competition. The two

were not to combine for many years but now the Herts league has 12 divisions with

promotion and relegation.

This was Pam‟s first experience of cricket and cricketers‟ wives! The first question

she was asked was who she was with and the second was when can you do teas.

The first weekend I was selected I opened the batting at 2.30pm and was back in the

pavilion after two balls! The following day I batted all through the innings for a very

boring 65 not out but I had made my mark. I soon establish myself in what was a very

good team, opening the batting and coming on first change and doing a lot of

bowling. Eventually I dropped down the batting order and concentrated on bowling.

I played for fourteen years for Redbourn, was club captain for the last six years or so

and also took on the club secretary post. I scored my first ever century in 1970,

batting through an innings for 127 not out. In the early 1970s I had my best bowling

return of 9 for 16 against Leighton Buzzard, coming on at 43 for 1 there were only

nine to get! I regularly topped the batting or bowling averages, on occasions both. I

scored over 1000 runs in two seasons and took over 100 wickets in a season on a

number of occasions. There were regular reports in the local Herts Advertiser of our

games, a number of the more favourable cuttings I have!









When I started with Redbourn I was one of the younger players, as time went on some

of the good players left, retired from the game or stepped down to a lower grade. Few

of these players were replaced with ones of similar quality and so it became a battle

trying to maintain a high cricketing standard. Often teams had far too many young

players in them, youngsters with real talent and ability but not ready for first team

league cricket. Secretary and captain meant selection meetings every week, committee

meetings at regular intervals, correspondence to deal with and groundwork to do.

With this and a disillusionment with the playing standard I decided to leave at the end

of the 1981 season and join Dunstable Town Cricket Club.



My first year at Francis Bacon was coming to an end. I was called to see the Head

who informed me I had successfully completed my probationary year! I replied I was

of the opinion I had done that three years ago while at Wolverhampton. His only

answer was that perhaps my teaching in a public school did not count.

Our wedding had been organised for August 24th in Trebanos so once term had

finished this was the next event on the horizon.

I had met most of Pam‟s relations who lived near to her parents by the time of the

wedding. Some of these kindly accommodated some of my relations and best man for

the wedding.

The day was fine and warm and I was faced with how to spend the morning! The

wedding was in Pam‟s local church followed the reception in the church hall.

Although used to teaching I had never made a set speech in my life so some of the

morning was spent going over the details of what I had to say. I was never very good

at learning poetry or set works while at school and so it was with a speech script.

Lunch and then dressing for the occasion. Martin managed to keep me reasonably

calm and so to the church.. I know you are supposed to remember all the fine detail of

your wedding but my memories are restricted to worrying about Pam turning up, the

music starting and her coming down the isle on Bill‟s arm. I think we both managed

the vows without a problem with the „obey‟, a requirement of the Church in Wales.

Then to the reception. The new Mr. And Mrs Marsden greeting family and friends.

The cake had been made by Pam‟s Uncle Haydn, a partner in the bakery business.

Cake decoration was a speciality of his and this wedding cake was quite spectacular.

Pam‟s Uncle Tudor, a headmaster, made a speech which I had then to follow. This I

managed without embarrassing anyone (I hope).

Then off on honeymoon for a few days in the Feathers, Ludlow. We then returned to

Sadleir Road and had only a few days before starting our second year at Francis

Bacon. Pupils were then faced with Pam‟s change of name, some of them, nearly 40

years later, still (in jest) call her Miss Robinson.



Another year of teaching, school play, exams and sport. At Easter 1969 we

accompanied Ted Locke and a school party to Switzerland, near Interlaken. This was

my first time flying and though I can‟t stand heights there was no problem, I was

pleased to find. It was to be many years before we were abroad again.

There was lots of marking and preparation but nothing like as restricting as it was to

become in later years. There was time for a social life with staff from school and

some of the people we had met at cricket. There was now a house to look after – what

to do when water comes through the ceiling or damp patches start appearing on walls

in one of the bedrooms. It was a learning curve.



The terms seemed to fly by. Both of us were promoted onto the next pay scale for our

„services to the school‟. It was not a big increase but it did make a difference at the

time. We travelled to Cumbria and Wales at the end of each term, Christmas was

always in Wales and New Year in Cumbria, a tradition which continued while our

parents were alive.



We changed the car to a Ford Cortina about 1970 and then again a year later to a

Vauxhall VX 490. There then followed three Hillman Avengers, a Vauxhall Astra (for

13 years and 120K miles), a Hillman Imp (for Pam to run about in), three Vauxhall

Cavaliers, a Nova, a Corsa and a Vectra.



At the end of January 1971 my final living grandparent died. Grandma Swaits had

become a very well-known person in Morecambe even featuring on the cover of the

tourist brochure in the 1960s. Her second marriage to Harry made her final years very

happy. I did not attend her funeral, something I now regret but I have visited her

grave. She is buried close to my grandfather and her grandson, Edward, with a

headstone bearing the simple inscription „Mother of Elsie, Lily, Eva and Edna‟.



In early 1971 Pam became pregnant. This was to be a major change to our lives, more

so for Pam since this was still a time when women were expected to give up work and

look after children. I think maternity leave and child -minders were a few years in the

future. So Pam resigned her post as from August, a teaching career just four years old.

When our first child was due there was a problem with high blood pressure, a difficult

birth and Rhodri, born on October 1st 1971, then had jaundice and had to remain in

hospital for several days. We did all end up at home and a new routine had to be

developed. Pam‟s mother and father came down to help out for a few days. It was

Pam whose life changed dramatically. I still went off to school every day, refereed

football matches on Saturdays etc. I did pick up yet another promotion, the problem

being that pay scales were constantly being changed and even though I had three

promotions I was still low down on the scale. There was an annual increment plus pay

rises so we did manage on our single salary, but there was little to spare.

We were grateful for our bit of lawn at the back, a space for Rhodri to start to learn

about a bat and ball before he could even crawl.

Christmas 1971 and New Year 1972 saw our parents with their first Marsden

grandchild, a scenario to be repeated till the Christmas of 2005.

Rhodri‟s growing up was rapid and well-recorded by camera! From a baby in a pram

being pushed round the lake in St. Albans park to entertaining us in his baby bouncer

suspended in a doorway, he was quickly mobile, not crawling but shuffling on his

backside. Sleepless nights for Pam were almost forgiven! The next stage was walking

and into everything. By the summer of 1972 Rhodri was attending cricket matches as

a regular supporter of his dad and Redbourn C.C.



Spring 1973 and we felt it was time to try and find a larger house with an extra

bedroom. It quickly became clear that St. Albans was out of the question so we started

to look further out. A number of the school staff lived in Dunstable, a sixteen mile

journey from school. Car sharing would reduce travelling costs and property was

considerably cheaper. We looked at a number of properties and settled on 25 Radburn

Court. It was a modern open plan house with a very small garden/ courtyard at the

back, a small garden at the front but open to a large paved play area suitable for young

children. We made an offer of £11,700 and it was accepted. We sold Sadleir Road for

£10,750. There were problems with the sale and we needed a bridging loan for a

period. Fortunately my mother was still working for „our‟ solicitor; the firm gave us

the loan and mum did all the work for us, reducing our legal fees. This was to be her

swan song before retiring. While negotiating for the new house we found we were

expecting a second child. We moved to Dunstable in the late spring of 1973 and the

„car club‟ to and from St Albans started. This was to continue with a variety of

colleagues for years to come. In the last few years only me, which is probably a good

thing given the early start I was then making to the working day.



On the 21st February 1974 at 9.00pm I rushed Pam to the Luton and Dunstable

Hospital where Susannah was born an hour later. This time there were no problems

(as I remember). My mother was staying with us at the time to give a helping hand.

Rhodri was now just over two years old and the arrival of his sister threw him a bit.

He was an early developer in speech but the new arrival caused him to develop a

stutter for a time. When the 1974 cricket season started I had three supporters!



Easter 1974 I stopped smoking, a habit I had started as a teenager since both my

parents smoked. At one time I must have been smoking over 20 cigarettes a day as

well as a pipe. Not an easy time for me or the rest of the family but I did manage it

and have never smoked at all since. I‟m sure it was this and other pressures which led

to me ending up in Walsall hospital in July 1974. We were travelling to Cumbria

when I felt ill, pulled onto the hard shoulder of the motorway and collapsed at the

wheel. An ambulance was called and I was taken into hospital with siren going. I had

tests, nothing was found and was discharged without an explanation of what had

caused the problem. It was only months later after being prescribed tranquillisers that

a comment about hyperventilation and what it can do to the body made me understand

what had happened. The pills went down the toilet.



1975 and 1976 were the hot summers and the years I took on the captaincy of

Redbourn Cricket Club. First the Saturday side and then added the Sunday first team.

Rhodri was growing up quickly and was showing signs of playing the game. He was

very quick to learn and took to scoring when about five years old, working with the

regular scorer, Roy Crask. It was not long before he was doing the job on his own and

producing charts of scoring shots for each batsman, genuine multi-tasking. Pam was

still doing her turn on the tea rota so the job for Susannah was to carry the collection

box round the ground. There was a significant increase in revenue when she did this!

Both the children had gone to Linden House Nursery in Dunstable and Susannah also

went to a mother and toddler group founded by Pam and others. This gave them a

start to mixing with other children in anticipation of starting school. They both went

to Ashton Lower School, to Ashton Middle School and then to Manshead Upper

School. Once Rhodri had started at school, Pam was offered a part-time job as an area

supervisor for a jewellery firm founded by her cousin. I was asked to make display

stands for the jewellery and this additional income was very welcome at a time when

the children were becoming more expensive in their demands. Rhodri was showing

musical talent and started piano lessons when about six. Within a few years he had a

second instrument provided by the school, a bassoon. This led to us buying him his

own bassoon, though these lessons were provided by the school. Susannah followed

into piano playing and then took up the violin and again needed her own instrument as

her ability increased.









Trebanos 1979.









Francis Bacon School was changing rapidly. When I joined the staff it was a three-

form entry Grammar School. The changes in education policy raised the school

leaving age to 16 and comprehensive education was introduced. The school first

moved to „wider ability‟ before becoming a five-form entry comprehensive school.

New building went up including a new craft block to house the Art, Pottery, Domestic

Science, Needlework and Woodwork rooms. The original Woodwork and Metalwork

block was converted to two Metalwork rooms and a heat treatment room. This was

the start of changes and re-location of rooms and facilities which were to continue for

the next 30 years. At no time was there a proper suite for Technical Drawing.

The increase in numbers also led to temporary classrooms being erected and a new

„business studies‟ block built with funds provided by the parents‟ group. At this time

funds were also being raised to build a swimming pool, a facility which is still being

extensively used today.



The other major change was in the examination system. Out went the O level exams

as the single qualification and in came C.S.E. exams to cater for the full range of

pupils. The C.S.E. exams had course work elements and a range of „modes‟. Some

syllabuses could now be internally written, written at county level or still follow a

national scheme. These exams then became „16+‟ when the C.S.E. and O level were

amalgamated and in turn G.C.S.E. as they are today. It was a major task working out

which exam board provided the right syllabus for school, pupils and teacher!

The change to comprehensive education allowed for examinations in all the practical

subjects in the school. As a Grammar School, woodwork had been a recreation

subject though metalwork and Technical Drawing had been exam subjects. With an

increase in pupil numbers (nearly doubled) more staff were needed and more

responsibility posts available. The craft department doubled its staff from two to four

and I was promoted again.

Two other changes occurred at this time; students asked for A level Geometrical and

Engineering Drawing to be started, and a different pastoral system of year heads was

instigated. The A level drawing was going to be my responsibility. My O level results

had always been good but A level was different altogether. Part of the syllabus was

based on the O level but the Geometrical side went into areas I had never seen before.

This was to be another steep learning curve but by using old exam papers and a

couple of very good text-books I managed to obtain very good results with the first

group. This set the standard for future years when there was always an A level group.

In all the years there was only one student failure at A level Geometrical and

Mechanical Drawing and that in the final year I taught it. The student was from

another St. Albans School, part of a consortium of schools and he should not have

been in the group! It did rather spoil an unblemished record.



The change to the Pastoral System was one I looked forward to. I was selected as „a

super form teacher‟ to become one of the new year heads, with responsibility for 160

pupils. This was eventually to lead to my becoming Head of Upper School and finally

Director of Pastoral Care. My final post was in charge of all students in years 7-11,

their form tutors and year heads. All this was some years ahead.



Back in 1976 I decided that with a growing family, a commitment to Redbourn CC

and the increase in the scope of work within the Craft Department, I could no longer

divert my energies into school sport. I decided that I would not teach games within

school (though I could still be told to do so) and I would take no further part in after

school football and cricket. I had given up nearly every Saturday morning, many

lunchtimes and countless evenings after school to coaching, umpiring and refereeing

for a period of eight or nine years. I thought I would be thanked for the effort I had

made in these areas and was quite dismayed to be told by the Head that I could not do

that. I replied that I could and followed by saying (probably not very wisely) “Watch

me” and was I expected to continue to give up my own time for the rest of my

teaching career?. Ted Locke also made representation on my behalf and the following

September I was not down to teach games. It was quite sad since although there were

staff to take football there were none to continue the standard of cricket which had

been established. Cricket within the school died. This would have probably been the

case anyway since all other schools were finding it increasingly difficult to finance

and staff the sport. The county were also cutting back on ground maintenance and so

the whole scenario was one of a downward spiral. Any pupil with an interest in

cricket I told to join a local club.



The late 70‟s moved into the 80‟s. Rhodri and Susannah were well-established in

school and we made a decision to move within Dunstable, hoping to find a house with

a proper garden. This we did by finding 14, Beacon Avenue. The house was on the

market for £31,300 and we were able to sell Radburn Court for £27,750. Teachers‟

salaries had increased and with the extra that Pam was earning we could afford the

increase in mortgage. We moved in September of 1980. The place needed rewiring

and the whole heating system had to be changed. Central heating was installed during

one half-term holiday by Ted Lock,e with me working as his assistant. The rewiring

was done for £500, I chased out all to walls for the cables and boxes. Mum and Dad

came to do the decorating, including papering all the ceilings. The old kitchen had

been in since the house was built and this was soon removed. I built a set of base and

wall units in pine, the theme of that time which gave adequate storage and looked a

lot better than the thirty year-old shelves and bases. These units were to last for

twenty years and some of them are still being used in the garage.

I started to clear the garden and after a few months found the bottom! There was a

swing which had been hidden for ages. I removed what I seem to remember was 120

sacks of rubbish to the tip. Dad then came and helped lay a concrete path from one

end to the other and he paid for a greenhouse which we erected. We also made a

number of concrete slabs to be used to lay as paths across the garden, many of which

are still in use some 25 years later. As with all houses changes have been made over

the years to the inside and to the garden. The house was further away from the

schools, not a major problem when Rhodri and Susannah were at the same school. In

1980 Susannah was at Ashton Lower and Rhodri at Ashton Middle.



Francis Bacon School was going through troubled times. The local secondary modern

schools had closed with the introduction of comprehensive education. A lot of the

intake was now from London Colney, an area that the school had drawn upon for part

of the grammar intake but now had the secondary modern set as well. It took some

time for integration to take place and the „us‟ and „them‟ culture to vanish. Parents of

our previous catchment area started to look to other schools to send their children.

This led to a fall in numbers. At this time there was a significant movement of

families from Bangladesh into St. Albans, and Francis Bacon was quite close to the

area where they were housed. It was logical that the school would take the children.

The problem was the education level (in English terms) of the Bengali children. Many

of them could not speak English or only had a smattering. This placed enormous

pressure on the staff and the existing pupils. Specialist staff were appointed but only

one was bi-lingual. No Bengali parents could speak English so there was little

communication from home to school and from school to home. The sight of what

seemed so many „‟foreign‟ pupils coming to school caused even more of the local

parents sending their children to alternative schools. Numbers dropped even further.

At one point it was down to an annual intake of less than 100, a point which would

make the school vulnerable to closure. When the head teacher, Ralph Sexton

announced he was to retire in about 1986, the local authority did not appoint a new

permanent head but promoted the deputy head, Edward Lederer, to be acting head. To

many in the local community this was a statement that the school would be closed in

the near future and even more parents were reluctant to send children to a school were

their education could be interrupted.



Twelve months later the authority did appoint a permanent head, Bob Marshall, who

was to lead a fight-back against the LEA. He appointed his senior management team,

roused the staff and parents into action and took the school down the path of Grant

Maintained Status, a move which placed the school as the first school in St. Albans to

achieve this status. There was new hope in the school; closure was not now possible

so all students and staff felt secure. The second generation of Bengali students were

coming from the primary schools, most were bi-lingual and the girls in particular were

excellent students, most of them determined to make the most of their chances. Many

of the boys, sadly, did not show the same commitment to education. There was now

more communication with home and the appointment of a bi-lingual EWO was of

great benefit to all.



It was Bob Marshall who asked me to take on more pastoral responsibility. This was

to be to our mutual benefit. My subject area was changing out of all recognition.

Woodwork and Metalwork as separate subjects were to be abandoned and grouped

under „manufacturing‟ in a subject renamed „Design and Realisation‟. Technical

drawing had already gone, to be replaced with „Design and Communication‟. These

were GCSE subjects. At „A‟ level, Woodwork as a subject was abandoned in 1990

though the Geometrical and Mechanical Drawing syllabus did continue into 2000.

Since there was no „O‟ level to base the „A‟ level drawing on then, I had to teach the

„O‟ level syllabus in half a year and the „A‟ level in the remaining year. This with a

combined group of years 12 and 13.



I frequently asked the question, „Where will the next generation of craftsmen come

from?‟ and never received a satisfactory answer. Schools are now producing students

who have never experienced woodwork and metalwork, do not understand the

materials and have never mastered drawing instruments. The whole discipline of

„craftsmanship‟ is rapidly disappearing. Even teachers now going into schools to

teach „Technology‟ have no appreciation of tools, machinery and materials. Is it any

wonder this country has lost 1m manufacturing jobs in the last 10 years? Very soon

most, if not all, craft skills will be lost since there will be no one left to teach them.

Noises are being made in some quarters regarding these issues but unless there is a

dramatic change of emphasis in vocational education and a move away from „a degree

for all‟ then the downward spiral will continue. It had been obvious to many „craft‟

teachers what was happening and its consequences, but in the world of education to

speak out against the „new ways‟ is a sure way to be passed over for promotion, no

matter how good teaching skills and knowledge might be, in favour of someone who

has the PC philosophy. The career-orientated county advisory staff were the worst of

them all. They were in a position to see what was the long-term consequence of these

misguided policies but their own careers would always come first.



Bob Marshall knew the way I felt about the craft situation. He also knew there was

nothing he could do about it, but what he could do was to give me pastoral

responsibility, an area in which I had proved myself over many years. I was asked to

take over as Head of Upper School, initially years 10 and 11. This later extended to

include year 9 with an assistant head and finally to my becoming Director of Pastoral

Care. This gave me responsibility for all students in years 7-11, their form tutors and

their year heads. I was responsible directly to Bob Marshall, though worked very

closely with the deputy heads. My teaching responsibilities were down to about 15

periods a week, some of this was „A‟ level. I could be called upon at any time to deal

with situations. I worked with all the outside agencies, social services, police, EWO,

and parents. It was a demanding, tough, highly rewarding post.



There were other sides to this post, presenting assemblies, organising PSE

programmes, involvement with OFSTED, and presentations to parents and staff. The

hours were long, I would try to be in school by 7.30am and leave after 5.00pm.

Evening preparation was required most nights and weekends. I did work it out that a

60 hour week was quite normal.



My new position allowed me to make innovations within the school. Home visits

became a normal course of action, direct involvement with parents led to a marked

improvement in discipline. My office door was open to all, particularly at lunchtime,

And both students and staff knew where I could be found. Assemblies were formal

and I introduced a rota for senior staff, and all year heads and form tutors were

expected to play their part. Assemblies were not religious but would have a moral

theme and staff presenting them could use the theme in their own way.

Personal and Social Education became a „hot potato‟ during this time. A compulsory

part of the curriculum and hated by many staff and students as a waste of time. With

careful planning of topics and some imagination we gradually won over most staff

and students to see there was some value in the idea. I took on presenting a number of

topics, my main ones being „smoking‟ and „bullying‟. These were developed from

ten- minute assemblies into a full one hour presentation. The assemblies and PSE

demanded a lot of preparation of material for my own presentations but also for other

staff to feel confident with topics for their classes. I said that when I retired I would

turn my notes into a text-book for secondary school use. This I have still to do!



I also introduced a scheme for recording every student in every lesson and within that

a chance for staff to refer any student to me for praise or criticism. The system was

described by one OFSTED inspector as „foolproof‟ in student monitoring. It would

have been if staff were foolproof in their efforts to return all the information

everyday. Schools in the future will use swipe cards for every lesson and teachers will

communicate via networked laptops for student referral but in 1990 it was a good

system.



OFSTED was always a worry for schools. The first one for Francis Bacon went very

well. I presented the opening assembly on the theme of „honesty‟ as no other senior

staff wanted to do it. They then had to follow mine for the next four days. I gather my

effort was very well received by the inspectors. I also delivered a PSE session which

was observed and the inspector‟s comment to the class teacher on leaving was, “Now

that‟s what I call real teaching”. Nice to impress outsiders! The school received a very

good report, few weaknesses were identified and it was felt all the effort had been

worthwhile. Some of the very positive comments we were able to use in advertising

and for this period in the mid 1990‟s the school was oversubscribed and expanded to

six -form entry. Quite a change from being considered for closure only a few years

earlier.

About 1982 Rhodri had graduated to the County Second Youth Orchestra. They were

to play at a youth orchestra festival held at the same time as the Edinburgh Festival

and off he went to spend his first period of time away from home. We followed him

there to watch the concert, spending two or three days in Edinburgh. It was here I saw

small wooden items being sold to the tourists and thought that this could be a little

earner if I could make a few different things and sell them through local outlets. I had

made small furniture for friends and family since my teenage years but had not

seriously thought about it as a money-making venture. To start with I had the use of

the school workshop and while making for friends I had no problem with the moral

aspect of using these facilities. When it came to a money-making venture I knew I had

to have my own facilities.

We visited craft fairs, I wanted to see the range of goods, their quality and price in

order to get a feel for the business. I started by making by hand in the garage and at

times in the kitchen but it became obvious very quickly that this would not pay.

In early 1987 I bought some machinery, a small lathe, a band saw, a scroll saw and a

pillar drill. This was quite an expensive outlay on what was a hobby. I had converted

what was the old coal-bunker into a small shed some time before. This was to become

the turning shed and has been ever since, though the lathe is now a much better one.

The other machines were at the rear end of the garage and consequently dust was

always going into the house. Pam did not complain too much! It was not until about

2000 that I built a second „workshop‟ alongside the turning shed to house the

machines and provide a permanent workshop set-up. I reconstructed the bottom of the

garden to provide a large enclosed timber store and an area for a new garden shed.

I approached a couple of local craft galleries to see if they were interested in taking

my work on a „sale or return‟ basis. Nearly all the people I saw were prepared to give

it a try and some were quite successful over a number of years. Sadly for me, owners

retire and sell up for the shops to be turned into different business and this happened

to three of the more successful places. Some shops tried the work but felt they could

not sell enough to warrant the space it took. It was all trial and error. As I write this I

have three outlets as well as a number of „private clients‟ who know what I do and

where I am! I have been making steadily now for twenty years and nearly all I have

made has sold. Timber supplies have been helped by salvaging trees, taking off-cuts

from a local firm and buying when there is no alternative! I now make about twenty-

five different items all of them small so timber waste in minimal.



In 1981 I made a change to my cricket career. Rhodri had shown signs af being a

good player even at the age of 10. I rang the cricket coach of Dunstable Town CC

with a view for him to have proper coaching sessions. Reluctantly, coach Pat Feakes

asked me to take him along to winter nets, which I did. His reluctance was generated

by the number of parents who thought their offspring had real talent! He was

impressed with Rhodri and we were invited back to the next session. There was a

shortage of bowlers so I asked if I could have a go. After three balls he turned and

said “Alright, who do you play for and why have you brought Rhodri to me?” I

explained that I wanted another coach for Rhodri and said I was unhappy with the

attitude at Redbourn and his response was to say, “Join Dunstable.”



This I did at the start of the 1982 season. I was asked by one senior player which team

I hoped to play for. My response was, “The first team, but I play where I am picked.”

I played a number of games in the second team, took a few wickets and then scored a

century when the team was in a difficult position. I well remember Rhodri leaning out

of the score box shouting his head off as I passed the 100 mark. This was my second

and final century.



The following weekend was a Bank Holiday and I was selected for the first team to

play an all day game against St. Albans. I was well known to the St. Albans players,

the club had been trying to get me from Redbourn for years! We batted first, obtained

a good total and declared. Coming on very early in the St. Albans reply, I bowled over

thirty overs and took four wickets for sixty-four runs. This established me in the first

team for the rest of the season and, as it transpired, for a few more to come.

Dunstable CC toured South Wales in late July and August. All the games were local

to where Pam‟s parents lived and so our summer holiday to Wales would for several

years include the tour. About 1985/6 Rhodri was part of the playing side of the tour

and we played in a couple of games together. One famous occasion at Mumbles he

took five wickets while I only managed to take one. The tour venue was changed

some years later to tour Devon and this only lasted a couple of years before the idea

of a tour was dropped completely. Changing times.



The Dunstable club was friendly. The first team were of high quality, all of them

having played some form of representative cricket from first class to minor county to

junior county. Pam was soon involved with making teas within the club, helped by

Susannah.



I joined Pat Feakes in coaching the colts‟ teams. This continued for about six years

and involved a lot of evenings each week. I was playing both days at a weekend,

senior nets were on Thurdays, colts nets on Tuesdays plus mid-week and colts

matches. I also took it upon myself to extend the practice area from one net to four

and prepared and repaired these pitches. All the work within the club at that time was

on a voluntary basis and for the most part helped to create a good atmosphere. All

good things come to an end. Pat left the club for some reason to join Luton as coach. I

was required to put in more time with my changing role at school and I was not

getting any younger. Susannah and Rhodri were now teenagers and were not as keen

to follow Dad around at weekends to cricket. I withdrew from the colts coaching and

the net area preparation. I was regularly asked to return to coaching but I always

declined.



1983 and 1984 were super seasons for me. In both seasons I took over 100 first team

wickets and in 1984 was awarded the bowling prize for seven wickets against

Southgate. The 1984 season was shortened by a severe back injury, a slipped disc,

which also resulted in a couple of weeks off work.

Dunstable Gazette 1984









Prior to the 1985 cricket season I had the first of my finger operations in Mount

Vernon Hospital, a place I was to return to for three more operations over the next

fifteen years. It took some time to regain full use of my hand and when I went back to

cricket I was aware of an initial reluctance to stop a ball with the „damaged‟ hand.

Nevertheless I was straight back into the first team and my playing days continued.

It was about this time I took the umpire exams. A ten-week course and a written exam

with a 75% pass mark. I managed over 90% and was now „qualified‟ to umpire.

Although I had played and coached for many years it surprised me how much about

the laws of the game I did not know and even now I refer to the laws frequently to

check up on details.



Dunstable CC also had a table tennis section and I was persuaded to take up the game

again after a break of more than fifteen years. It was as if I had never been away! The

club was in the second division and we had several good seasons and I always

finished in the top group of the league averages. I kept me reasonably fit during the

winter months.



By the end of the 80‟s it was becoming more difficult to recover from a weekend of

playing and by 1990 I had just about given up net practice. In the early „90s I started

to choose games to play rather than be available for all of them. I stopped playing on

Sundays to concentrate on the Cherwell League games on a Saturday. I was on the

point of retiring from playing when Dunstable moved to their new and very

impressive ground and were elected to the Herts League after many years of trying.

The second team captain knew I was thinking of retiring and asked me not to do so

but to play „for him‟ in the second team in an attempt to gain promotion in the new

league structure. This I agreed to do and so started the final phase of a forty year

playing career.

Dunstable Town 1992



During the 1992 season I was asked to play for Bedfordshire (over 50s). This I did for

the following four years. A very high standard of cricket was played even though age

had diminished the pace of the game! Dunstable second team obtained their

promotion in 1995 and I was awarded „player of the year‟ by the club. I took sixty

wickets in the league and did not miss a game. I had another very successful season

the following year, not quite as many wickets but it was a higher division. It was

starting to take even more time to recover during the week from the Saturday game. I

was bowling twenty-five overs in many of the games. I made a decision to make this

season, 1996, my last one. I played my final game for the county against Staffordshire

in July and my final club game in early September. I bowled through the innings and

took three for thirty-two. It was a good way to end. The family was there to see this

event. Despite many requests to return to play I have resisted the temptation and now

restrict my activities to regular umpiring.



Having not played for nine years as I write this, it is nice to reflect on comments made

on my cricketing ability. “He was something special; under the right conditions he

could bowl out any side,” George Blair, former captain of Redbourn. “No one bowls

like you. Come and play for St. Albans and you will play for Hertfordshire,” Micky

Dunn, Herts minor county opening bowler. “You are one of the best cricketers I have

ever played with,” Colin Ennever, captain of Dunstable. They can‟t all be wrong!



Back at school I was taking on more and more responsibility. I was appointed

„Director of Pastoral Care‟ which gave me responsibility for the whole pastoral

system in years 7-11 via the form tutors and year heads while still being the Head of

Upper School. In early 1997 the government proposed a change to teachers pension

regulations. It had always been the case that teachers could take early retirement with

a slightly reduced pension and I had been looking at working full-time to about the

year 2000. The new law would prevent me from taking a pension till I was sixty. The

last chance to retire would be Easter 1997. I put in for early retirement, Bob Marshall

obtained four years added to my time through re-structuring. I had a break of one day

and returned after Easter to continue to do my old job but was only paid as a part-time

teacher working 0.9 of a week. None of the staff knew this and so I officially retired

at the end of the summer term. I returned in the September as a part-time teacher

working two days a week (all I could do with the pension I was receiving) and

teaching Technology and Science. This I did for four years and then had my second

retirement in 2001. I have not been into a classroom since in spite of a number of

requests to do so. I taught for thirty-seven years, enjoyed the vast majority of that time

and I believe had an influence on many students and a number of staff. I have been

asked by a number of people why I never became a head teacher. My reply was

always „no degree‟ but the truth is that I know my limitations. I was a very good

„second in command‟ but I was a teacher and not a politician.



During my final year of teaching I took part in an investigation into Human Resource

Management which involved taking Psychometric and Personality Tests as part of a

team. The report back from these tests was interesting and stated,

“ Serious, quiet, earns success by concentration and thoroughness. Practical, orderly,

matter of fact, logical, realistic and dependable. Sees to it that everything is well

organised. Takes responsibility. Makes up own mind as to what should be

accomplished and works towards it steadily, regardless of protests or distractions”. An

observation was made that though I came out as being an„Introvert‟, I was by no

means that at work!



A second set of tests gave my strengths as “Organising ability. Practical common

sense, hard-working and self-disciplined. Drive and a readiness to challenge inertia,

ineffectiveness ,complacency or self-deception. A capacity for contacting people and

exploring anything new. An ability to respond to challenge”.

On the other side of the coin were comments ”Lack of flexibility, prone to

provocation, irritation and impatience.” I think the tests were about right!



Back to the family. My mother and father celebrated their Golden Wedding on 16th

April 1988. There was a family celebration in a local hotel and we managed to spring

some surprise guests onto Mum and Dad. I made a speech to the gathered family and

friends. It is not as easy as doing it to a hall full of students! I managed without notes,

I had prepared it in the car while driving to Cumbria. Over the next 18 months Mum‟s

health deteriorated though I was not aware by how much. Christmas 1988 was our last

one together, though we did visit them in the summer. Mum died on November 2nd

1989 following a heart attack. I did manage to make it there in time to visit her the

afternoon before she died. The funeral service was in Dalton Parish Church followed

by cremation. Some of her ashes were scattered in Swarthmoor and some on

Edward‟s grave in Torrisholme cemetery. Dad continued to live alone in Swarthmoor.

Sheila and her family were close by but Dad only went out to collect his pension from

the post office and to do a weekly shop in Barrow. He was quite proud of his ability to

cope with the cooking, washing and cleaning. Hid did miss Mum very much; they had

known each other since 1930 when he was working in the men‟s department of

Blackburn Co-op and Mum was living at the police station in King Street. I missed a

great opportunity to find out more about his early life for fear of upsetting him. It is

only since I started our family history that I have found out how many relatives we

could have and he could have solved some of the problems I now face. Dad lived next

door to his grandfather for seventeen years but I can‟t recollect him ever mentioning

him or any other of his relations, including his cousins I have subsequently found.



In January 1998 I had my third hand operation and it was at that time Sheila rang to

say Dad was not well. He was staying in bed, most unusual for him. She sent for the

doctor and there seemed to be no real problem but he did not improve. Just before

Easter an appointment was made for him to go to hospital and I drove to Cumbria, my

first major drive for 10 weeks following the operation. Dad was still in bed but was

chatty enough and so we managed, with some effort, to get him to hospital the next

day for his tests. He never came out. While in there it was his Diamond Wedding

Anniversary on April 16th. The family visited him throughout the day. The next day

Sheila and I were told of his scan results; he had lung cancer. We did not tell him and

never had to since he died on 18th April. At least he did not have to go to a hospice but

I wish he could have been returned home where he had spent his retirement years with

Mum. Clearing the house was not easy, but he had organised all his paperwork in one

small file and had few belongings of any monetary value. The house sold very

quickly; perhaps we should have kept it and rented it out since it is worth three time

as much today as seven years ago, but the sale managed to set up Sheila and Bill in a

business for a few years.



Dad‟s funeral was at the crematorium in Barrow. There were a few friends together

with the family but I suppose that at 85 and being quite a self-contained person there

were not many left who knew him. His ashes we took to Morecambe to be scattered

on Edward‟s grave. I promised both Mum and Dad years ago that I would look after

the grave and I have made a couple of visits to it since Dad died.

I still miss them both very much as I do Edward. I regularly wonder what he would

have done in life and what difference it would have made to our family life had he not

died.



Pam went back to part-time teaching at a local middle school in October 1988. Rhodri

took his „O‟ levels in 1987 having gone to upper school a year early. He passed his

„A‟ levels two years later and started at City University in October 1989, obtaining a

degree in Music in 1992.



Susannah took GCSE in 1990, her „A‟ levels in 1992 and started in the Music

Department at City University in 1992. One followed the other and I gather it took the

staff there a year to find out they were siblings.



Both Rhodri and Susannah had worked their way through the county music system

and were both in the County Orchestra. This gave them an opportunity to travel to

various countries as well as take part in countless concerts in Bedford which we

attended without fail. We even have taped recordings of most of those concerts. Their

playing together continued in the City University Orchestra when Rhodri was asked

back to play as a guest player for some concerts and again we were regulars in the

audience.

They continue playing together, Susannah being the keyboard player in Rhodri‟s

band. We have not yet had the pleasure of watching them live but do have copies of

the CD‟s!!

After four years of retirement, I wonder how I found the time to work. Woodwork, the

garden, family history and regular trips to Rhodri‟s and Susannah‟s flats in London

seem to keep me fully occupied. Researching my family history has been an obsessive

activity for the last five years or so and I have a considerable quantity of information

as a result. The easy part has been done and it is filling in as many gaps as possible

down a number of branches which will continue to keep my working at it for some

time to come.



I have restricted these memories to direct family. I have many other memories of my

uncles and aunties and my nine cousins. Though my parents‟ generation have died, I

am now in contact with all my cousins in one way or another. Details of the wider

family can be found in the family history that I am still compiling. I hope that my

efforts will be of some value to the „family‟. Some details have been distributed to

branches in Canada and Australia as well as many areas of this country and all my

cousins have a copy of the parts that affect them.



11.07.2005.

Our house in Leigh

Our house in Bamber Bridge









Leigh Parish Church Leigh C of E Junior School