JOHN SAVAGE 1952 - 1956

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

My first knowledge of Elmbridge came in 1950. From my future brother-in-law, Fred Stahl. He had been sent to Elmbridge when Loxford School was evacuated there, during the War. My next memory is from Anthony Newham, who lived in the other flat in the same house as myself. He attended in 1951. Tony was a year older than I.

Sooner or later the conversation drifted around the possibility that I might like to attend Elmbridge after the Eleven Plus exams, it seemed like a good idea to me at the time.

The next major event in my life was the dreaded Eleven Plus Examinations. Duly taken at Dane School. And in my usual high scholarly manner, completely forgot even my name. Needless to say, I did not pass the hurdle of the Eleven Plus, much to Beal School's loss! (Or was that a sigh of relief by their staff??)

Well it didnt matter as I had already decided that I wanted to go to Elmbridge.

MR.N. Jackson

(One of the good guys)

Interviews for Elmbridge were held during the Summer Holidays. I was in South Wales, visiting my Grandmother at the time. So a special interview was set up for me, with Mr. Jackson (nipper) when I returned. Well, I obviously impressed Mr. Jackson with my scholastic brilliance and potential for a future! (Or maybe, he felt sorry for me and thought Elmbridge was the place to give me the best possible chance for the future, instead of Borstal).

That was that, for better or for worse, I was going to Elmbridge. Now what? Well, the first thing was to get all the items listed that I would need for a term at the school. the first of those items were a school blazer, tie, and cap. Then came the following list:


Two pair of short grey wool pants
Four pair of long grey wool socks
Light grey shirts, long sleeved.
5 pair of underwear
Three undervests
One roll neck sweater
One pair of running shoes (plimsolls)
* One pair of rubber boots
One windbreaker
One belt (snake buckle)
Two towels
Two face cloths
One toothbrush
One toothpaste
One comb
One shoe shine kit
One pair of dress shoes (black)
One scarf
One pair of gloves (soon lost..)
Four handkerchiefs
One laundry bag
One kit bag (ex navy)
All listed items to have our names in them. * Rubber boots had to be rolled down, for some reason this was the way the boys wore them. All of the above, except for the school uniform, carefully rolled up and lovingly placed inside kit bag. (At least that was the original plan...) What actually took place was, four or five tries before a large foot came into play and the top of the bag could be closed.

Now, to the necessities of life.
One Eagle comic
One Lion comic
Two Cadbury bars
One bag of crisps
One pocket knife

All these items were in a carrier bag for easy access during the long, long journey to the school (approx 1½ hrs). Needless to say, the comics were read and the tuck eaten, even before we left Ilford.

I lived at 142 Balfour Road Ilford, directly across the road from the boys entrance to Christchurch School The coaches for Elmbridge stopped at that entrance to pick up many of the boys.

So, struggling out of my front door with 200 lbs of kit bag (20 lbs maybe..) that was as big as me, I took my first steps towards Elmbridge. We were sorted into the Coaches along with guards (oops!) I mean Prefects who were responsible for our behaviour during the trip.

My first view of Elmbridge was turning into the drive and the coaches parking behind the Dining Hall. We were assembled and given our dormitory locations (for me, Fairlop with Miss Townrow). The other unfortunates went to Abbey, they did not have a house song like we did.

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FAIRLOP HOUSE SONG MISS TOWNROW WROTE NEW LYRICS

One small step for a man a giant step for a boy

As I said in part one, my assigned dormitory was Fairlop with Miss Townrow as Dorm. Mistress, also the school music teacher. Mr. Roberts was the other dorm teacher

The first lesson to be learned was how to make up your bunk bed. We were supplied with a matress, pillow, bed bag and blanket. The bed bag was a combination item which also held a pillow.The longer you were at the school, the more particular the teachers were in how neat your bed was made, for example, the hospital corners at the bottom of the bed. Beside each bunk was an open faced cupboard divided into four and each boy had a top and bottom in which to keep his clothes, neat of course. The larger items were placed at the bottom and grading to the smaller ones at the top.

As new boys, we made a mad dash to comandeer a top bunk (we were innocents at the time!). The older boys were quite happy to let us have them. The kindness suddenly made sense when there was a veritable outbreak of boys falling through the bunk and landing matress and all on the lower bunk, from which an old boy had quickly absented himself. Yes, it was a favorite pastime, removal of a row of support springs. We soon learned to check before leaping, ahh next term it's our turn!

Home Sickness I think we all suffered at one time or another and in varying degrees, my worst time being the first night after parents visiting Sunday. I won't dwell on that subject as I think we all have our own memories.

One thing we learned very quickly was not to go to the washroom at night in bare feet. Although most boys were deadly accurate with a sling shot or Dutch Arrow and other types of missiles, come night time, they could not hit the side of a barn! A favorite trick if you knew a boy was prone to having to make nightly trips was to hide his shoes, (what a bunch of heavenly angels we were). There was a danger in this activity because you had to sneak out of bed after lights out, it was usually at this time that there was a serious outbreak of loud coughing, which could wake a prefect and bring on the lights. Anyone for paper picking on your free time?

Stay tuned more to come.

THINGS WE DID GOOD AND BAD

These are some of the little day to day things we got up to,also snipets of memories.

Do you remember scraping a plate against a mug to see the sparks?

What about the noise of the "Rookery" in the mornings? ?

The Blue Bells in the spring?

Crystal radios that never seemed to work?

Damming up the little creek at the bottom of the playing fields?

Making butter with the cream from the morning milk ration?

Sneaking over to Dunsfold air field to watch the planes?

Collecting Bubble gum cards with movie stars pictures?

Watching the Cranliegh snail (train) and looking for slow worms by the tracks?

****For pictures click on photo of slowworm****

Model plane construction in the room near Mr Jacksons dark room, the smell of glue and dope. What did we know about getting high? We thought we were just happy because we were building model planes.

Hanging around the kitchen door and trying to sweet talk the ncc staff into giving us some potatoes or bread, to be taken to the dug outs and cooked (burnt more likely)?

Do you remember when you were up in front of Mr Blowers (Bert) for punishment, the kind where he used his basketry cane it was wiser to be first in line as it took him a couple of boys to limber up and get into his stride?

Did any one ever see the Steam Roller that we were sure was brought in at night to compact "Plot 8 " the garden that was used for detention digging, because it was just as flat and hard the next time?

Does any one remember the name of the boy that sprained his ankle when he stepped into a hole dug in Plot 8 and carefully covered with twigs and earth? Next day digging again.

Who was it took an evil delight in closing the cover to the escape ladder on the air raid shelters when the scouts were cooking on a fire inside? For once I was an innocent victim!

The exitement and panic caused when on visiting Sunday a sister or mother would discover the pet grass snake in your locker. My sister would not go into our back yard at home after she found out that I had let my snake loose there.

The dicovery of the fiber glass insulation from the water tower at the abandoned air force camp. That made such wonderful itching powder.

THE CRICKET MATCH

I remember watching a cricket match where our First Team were playing another school. Our team were not doing very well, our star bowler could not hit his stride. This match was being played up near the Young Farmers field by the bee hives. all the running backwards and forwards by our bowler at that end must have upset a couple of bees, suddenly he let out a shout that he had been stung once in the mouth and then above the eyes! The change in his performance was dramatic. He bowled the opposing team out in quick order so winning the match. For a few days afterward until the swelling went down he was a source of amusement to us juniors as he looked like a neanderthal man. What lovable bunch of brats we were

The Great Chocolate Bar Caper

One of the great pastimes at school was to send away for free samples, once in a while you could hit lucky and a company would send you something. A favorite was the cheese companies, we would write telling them that we were collecting the labels that they put on their small cheeses, if you were fortunate they sometimes sent you a sample of the cheese.

Well if it worked for the cheese companies why not try Cadbury chocolate?

So putting pen to paper and investing in a stamp I wrote to them explaining that we were studying the making of chocolate at school during our geography lessons and was it possible they could send me any literature that would apply.

Now began the expectant wait, (boy I could already taste those free samples! Think of the possibilities,if this worked )

Nothing happened for about a month, then one day I was informed that Mr Day wanted to see me in his office, ( now what had I done I wracked my brains but could not come up with any serious indiscretions that I might have committed).

With a bad case of the jitters I knocked on his door. "Come in" was the utterance from inside the office. With knees knocking and sweating brow I entered.

"Ah! Savage did you write a letter to Cadbury"? In a very small and quavering voice I answered "yes Sir"

"That explains this letter I have received"Mr. Day exclaimed,"this just arrived this morning. Cadbury does not send this kind of item to a boy but does send it to the school."

With this he showed me a beautiful wooden display case containing small sample jars of all the ingredients that go into the making of a chocolate bar,also a booklet about chocolate.

These samples went from the coco bean to the finished products.

Mr. Day was very pleased with this gift and my efforts to acquire it (whew!)

But where oh where were my free samples of chocolate bars?????

THE BOXING MATCH

Mr. SKERRETT

One fine day Mr. Skerret the teacher who looked after P.E at the school decided it was about time that the boys learned the manly art of self defense.

This was to take place in the gym which was located behind Rodin dormitory. Well I do not know about learning self defense as it was decided to hold a Round Robin tournament and I do not remember any instruction being given.

Benches were set up to represent a ring and boys were paired up for bouts. Who my opponent was I cannot remember, (it might have been Fred Merry).

There I stood in shorts and plymsols, with two pillows tied on my hands ( well at least they felt like pillows).The Gladiators were ready and the spectators stood waiting for an action filled demonstration of the pugilistic art.

Mr.Skerrett (acting as referee) Gave us our instructions, no biting, gouging, kicking, touch gloves and start boxing. Well things got off to a good start, gloves were touched and that is the last thing I saw!

That sneaky guy must have had someone else in the ring who hit me on the nose when I was not ready, with bleeding nose and watering eyes the bout was over before it began, who would believe that those big soft gloves could do that. So ended a promising career in the fight world and the start of a budding flower arranger.

I much preferred wrestling as you could keep the other fellows arms tied up so he could not punch you, I think if I had worn a nose guard the bout might have lasted another fifteen seconds!

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