Vic Myers MY STORY.
I was born on the 5th June 1921 at 41 Balfern Street, a turning off Battersea Park Road between the "Latchmere" and the "Princes Head" and I was christened in Christ Church, Battersea as Victor Alfred George Myers.
My father worked for a firm of Paper Manufacturers at Acton and he went to work by train on the West London Extension Railway from Battersea Station, which was in the High Street. The firm was burnt down, he then had a job with S.G. Brown, still in Acton, and they made Radio Loudspeakers. This was in the days when most people listened to their cat's whisker radios through earphones. We must have been some of the earliest to have a loud speaker, sometime around 1927 or 28.
I went as an infant to Surrey Lane School and then at the age of 7 went to Ethelburga Street School. The Headmaster at the time was Mr. E.G. Horniblow, a member of the Royal Geographical Society who wrote Geography books I remember my first school master (in the infants we had women - a Miss Hubbard in the kindergarten class at the age of four, and then a Miss Morris; the Head teacher was a Miss Dee.). His name was Charles Spencer and in the first school summers holidays he asked us to send him a postcard to his address - Bedford Square, Sidmouth, Devon. After I left his class he left for higher things. I went into a class with Mr. Webb who coached us for the Scholarship exams. Although I sat for a scholarship and also for several School places I was unsuccessful. My parents did have a letter from Sir Walter St. Johns, saying I had passed the entrance exam and they would accept me as a fee-paying student. Unfortunately by that time my father was out of work and we couldn’t afford the fees of £9 a quarter, plus uniform and books. So I got a place at Battersea Central School.
Before I went to Battersea Central I was in Class Two at Ethelburga Street with Mr. A.G. Coates (known as Peter). During that time we had a Christmas play - Our class did the Court scene from "The Merchant of Venice". As I was a rather pallid youth I was cast as Antonio who was about to lose his pound of flesh. I remember a Gerald West as Portia and Harry Sendall, who after the war became a Borough Councillor, was Shylock. Still have a photo of the event. Also on the evening of the School Christmas Plays I played a duet with a George Penny. He played the violin and I was on the piano - we attempted Schubert’s Marche Militaire. We had practised at my house on our ancient piano. When we came to the performance, George had not re-tuned his violin and so we were horribly out of tune. On the next day’s performance I performed alone - George couldn’t face it. Whilst surfing the net recently I logged on to the War Graves Commission (actually looking for details of my uncle from WWI) and I came across an entry which saddened me. George was a Flight Sergeant- Navigator in the RAF Volunteer Reserve and he died on 28 Sept 1942. It doesn’t say how he died, but he was buried in Brampton Cemetery, London.
I went to Battersea Central School in April 1933, a little before my 12th birthday and opted for the Commercial stream. Our form master was Mr. S.D. Screech, who eventually obtained a PhD. got the job as head of the Matriculation Department at Battersea Polytechnic and changed his name to Dr. Waring.
Before I start life at Battersea Central a little of my life up to that date and my background. I didn’t have any brothers and sisters. My Mum was 38 when I was born - in later life I found out that after my advent she had a miscarriage and so no siblings. Her mother and father had died when she was 12 years old and she lived with her eldest sister in Southeast London. She went into service into a "big house" in Kensington, as did her younger sister, Kate. She eventually became the Cook and it was whilst in service she met my father. I think he was one of the delivery boys. Dad came from a larger family that lived in Highgate.
I remember visiting my paternal grandparents, usually about twice a year. By the time I came along they lived in Mortlake, near the Brewery and the finish of the Boat Race. My grandfather liked his social life at the local pub, where he was the organiser of outings, dart matches, etc., We only went to see the old folk on a Sunday morning, the train from Clapham Junction to Mortlake, and came away just as the pub was opening. My Dad was not one for life in a pub, as was his brother in law, who seemed to spend Sunday lunchtime there. My poor grandmother was blind, from cataracts, in those days not treatable. She had gone blind in 1926. I remember her just sitting in her arm chair.
Balfern Street was a reasonably quiet street to live in. We kids all played well together, out in the street. There was very little traffic, just Davis the milkman who came along with his hand cart around 6 am, then at 11 am for the "pudding" round and a final visit in the afternoon. In the early days he ladled out the milk from his big churn into our pewter containers, which were hung from a hook on the front door post. Later on we had milk bottles.
My Dad, who was quite clever as a handy man, had made me a car out of plywood and it had a bicycle chain and pedals for propulsion. It was a very handsome vehicle and I was somewhat the envy of some of the other boys. When I grew too big for it, I suppose when I started at Battersea Central, I passed it on to young Ronnie Bates who lived with his family and two sisters just up the road.
At the end of Balfern Street there were street stalls. There was Redfern, who sold salads, and another green grocers and on the other side was Mr. Duffin, with his little covered hut on wheels, from which he sold cats meat. We kids used to love helping Mr. Duffin push his hut back to its "garage" just round in Edna Street. Mr. Duffin lived in Balfern Street.
During my elementary school days I was friendly with the boy whose father was the manager of the off license at the corner of Balfern Street and Battersea Park Road. I lost touch with him when he went on to grammar school.
Although life was very hard for my parents in the early 1930s, when Dad was out of work in the depression. The firm of S.G. Brown was eventually taken over by Pye radio and he lost his job making loudspeakers. Every day he would be out looking for work; Mum would try to make ends meet by going out "Charring" for two and sixpence a morning. Dad by the way got just twenty four shillings unemployment benefit, plus four shillings for me. To supplement income he and Mum used to act as cloakroom attendants at a Sunday night Dance Hall in Clapham. At first they would leave me at home with the old lady who lived on the ground floor - I always knew her as Granny Mallett. He husband, Grandfather Mallett died when I was about five. One night when they came home after mid-night they found poor Granny Mallett dead in her bedroom. They didn’t leave me alone after that but took me with them. I used to like being in the cloakroom with my Dad and got friendly with the fellows who came to the dances. There were a couple who, during the interval, would take me onto the floor and teach me to dance. I liked Bernie and Tich, who used to give exhibition dances. It is only in recent years that I realised that today they would be called "gay". On one occasion my mother had her bag stolen at the Club, and all the girls, and their fellows, rallied round and made a collection for her. They were that kind of good friendly people.
Life was very good at Surrey Lane Infants School. One incident that stands out in my memory was just as we were leaving the Infants for the "big boys" school. We were about 7 years of age. My friend Peter Jones, I remember his name, as it was the same as the department store in Sloane Square, decided to go to the Post Office exhibition of telephones at South Kensington. We had our rolls and butter, our fare, and off we went on the 49 bus from the Latchmere to South Ken. We spent a lovely day at the exhibition seeing all the gadgets and the one-millionth telephone that had been made for King George V in gold. It was getting late and we were hungry, so instead of getting the bus back home we spent our penny fare on a bar of Nestles chocolate from a machine.
When I arrived home at 9 o’clock I was greeted by my Mother saying that Dad had been worried about me and had gone to report me to the Police as missing. Mum gave me a meal of egg and chips and Dad came in. No fuss, no tantrums, just "Oh, you’ve come home - I had better go and tell the Police" so off he went back to the Police Station. I wasn’t hit, beaten, nor even told off - that dear patient old Dad of mine.
One occasion, during the depression, it was a Bank Holiday Monday, when Dad said let’s go out for the day. So we got the number 12 tram from the Latchmere to London Bridge - in those days it was two pence all the way for adults, and half for kids. We walked across London Bridge, then up through Ludgate Hill and Fleet Street to Trafalgar Square. We had a cup of tea at one of those cabbies roadside restaurants. Dad bought me a cheap fountain pen, I think it cost three pence. We walked all the way from Westminster to Battersea. I had had a wonderful day with my Dad.
My mother’s brother lived in Catford and I always went to stay with him and his wife in the summer holidays, the Christmas holidays and the Easter holidays. They had no children but put up with my Aunt's nephew, about my age, for every holiday and me. The first thing she did was to take us to the Barber’s for a short back and sides, then in the summer took us over the Foster Brothers where we were kitted out with a new suit and any other clothing. Uncle Alf and Aunt Bazz were marvelous to us, but strict disciplinarians. We had to mind our Ps and Qs, doff our school caps to Aunt’s friends, learn how to use a knife and fork properly, and when we cleaned our shoes we had to polish under the insteps. Uncle had been a Sergeant Major in World War One. Yes cousin Keith and I were lucky
At the time I joined Battersea Central School I applied for a job as a paperboy with "Harleys" he newsagents at the Latchmere. I became one of the five boys that delivered the morning papers and some evening deliveries. Harry Sendall, whom I mentioned earlier was one of them, and later on George Harding, all of us were at Battersea Central. We got 3/6d a week and if we had a week without mistakes we had a 3d bonus and a further bonus at the end of four weeks, when the cycle started all again. My round included all the roads south of Castle Street, which eventually became Shuttleworth Street, down as far as the Princes Head. Then up along Cabul Road to and under the Railway bridge to Latchmere Road and any in Latchmere Road and back to the shop, Took me about an hour. In the winter on very cold days I had a cup of hot Bovril from the little café under the Railway Bridge in Battersea Park Road, which used to supply the tram drivers with their flasks of tea.
To further supplement my income I did deliveries at lunchtime and in the evenings and on Saturday mornings for Mr. Ford who owned the Oil Shop at the corner of Balfern Street. It was in this way that I met a Miss Walters who lived in Prince of Wales Drive. Somehow in talking to her she found I was interested in music and had had piano lessons when I was 11 (these ended when Dad was out of work). And so after school, on a couple of afternoons a week, I would meet her at the "Veterans" Club run by the Congregational Church. It was open most afternoons for older men and unemployed to meet, have a cup of tea, play billiards, draughts, etc. Miss Walters and I would play duets on the piano to these men, which always seemed to be appreciated.
My mother also met Miss Walters when she went to the Women’s Fellowship that met weekly at the Congregational Church. Miss Walters was the Secretary and did all the arranging of the speakers, etc., and my mother became the Treasurer.
Apart from my stints with Miss Walters I did belong to the Crusaders at the Church and to the Sunday school. I also was a member of the Boys Club at the Church. This led me into, (a) pumping the organ for Friday rehearsals and the two services on Sunday (another income) and also to taking a Sunday School class and occasionally playing for the hymns.
All these activities kept one busy and developed a social life.
At Battersea Central I had a very happy life (that's me on the left). School was a very friendly place - I never met any bullying. Academically I was successful, coming first in class at every half yearly exam. I still have my school reports that my dear Mum had kept for so many years. I am quite proud of the comments by Mr. Brown, my form master - "Is head and shoulders above the class in practically every subject. I can only congratulate him on the usual, unusually successful result." And the last year "The usual excellent result. Has been top of the form in every exam since 1934. Shows exceptional ability in all subjects".
I was never very good at sports. Actually it wasn’t until my last few months at school that I realised I was short sighted. It was when several of us at the Church decided to play tennis and I then discovered that the ball had blurred edges. However I did enjoy physical training and was in the School team as one of the leaders.
As I mentioned earlier in this narrative In 1936 our Physical Training team made a film for Gaumont British, which was introduced by the then Minister of Health, Sir Kingsley Wood, and the President of the Board of Education, This was shown around the cinema circuits. We also put on a demonstration at a Congress of Physical Medicine. We had a photo take of us with our PT master, Mr. L.C. Williams (who is mentioned on the Hawkley website)
BATTERSEA PARK
Living in a turning off Battersea Park Road, just five minutes from the Park, it was always a part of our life. I have no doubt that my "nanny" pushed me through the Park in my pram and then pushchair in my early years. Winnie, who was about 11 when I was born, lived in Balfern Street and she was always there to look after me. I doubt if she was ever paid, monetarily, but she shared in family meals and treats, was there on Christmas Day to help me open my presents. I loved Winnie and it was a sad day when she died at a young age. When she started work she went to Morgan Crucible Factory, known as the "Plum", short for plumbago, which was the substance, used to make the crucibles. Like so many she contracted consumption and in her late teens and early twenties was in and out of Sanitariums. I believe she was an orphan who had been fostered by a family who lived in Balfern Street.
We always went into the Park through the southwest gate, which was at the junction of Prince of Wales Drive, Albert Bridge Road and Cambridge Road. Just outside the gate was the ice cream man with his Wall’s cart - "Stop me and buy one". He sold penny Snofrute and tuppenny bricks. I remember him as his left hand was a stump covered in a black silk stocking - a result of W.W.I. Past the caretakers cottage and up past the paddling pool and the cinder covered football pitches towards the Tennis Courts on the left and the Band Stand and on the right an area of trees and shrubs which led to the lakes. On the lakes one could hire boats for pulling, at something like sixpence an hour.
In my early teens the part I liked was the pathway that went up and over through the trees and was where we used to go for a "snog" and a cuddle. We had a very friendly Park Keeper who used to give us a warning if any adults decided to come up that way. We would never go too far, as youngsters seem to these days.
Up by Chelsea Bridge was the Running track where most schools had their Sports Days. It was a very famous track in its time used by the Belgrave Harriers, whose members were known nation wide. The Central School Sports for all Central Schools in London were usually held at Crystal Palace and we had a day off for those.
The large grass fields north of the bandstand and bordering towards the road were known as the "Civil Service" Fields and in the summer these were always marked out and let to Cricket Clubs. I remember our Congregational Church Cricket Club using these fields, as well as travelling to Motspur Park for cricket pitches, where the Battersea Borough Council had a playing field next to their cemetery.
Queen Mary was very fond of Battersea Park and would often drive around the park in her Rolls. She also liked to visit the Greenhouses in the autumn when the chrysanthemums were in flower. They always had a very excellent show in the nursery greenhouses up by Albert Bridge.
Talking of Albert Bridge I always loved the notice at the beginning of the bridge which said, "Officers in charge of troops must break step". Being a suspension bridge a platoon of men all in step would make it rattle and shake.
I was a little sad when they turned part of the Park into a "Festival playground". Does anyone remember Rotten Row that circled the park parallel to the carriageway and was used by horse riders.
Katherine Low Settlement, although I had heard of it and I believe it was in Battersea High Street quite near Orville Road I never had any dealings with it. Orville Road was almost an off bounds area in my young days - a very rough tenement, three storey houses. However a few notes about Battersea High Street and Battersea Square.
[The future of Battersea's Park - May 2002
Battersea's favourite 'back garden', is actually the first major redevelopment of the park for 50 years getting underway
.... and the Festival of Britain features?
"The elements of the 1951 Festival Gardens designs being restored include the water gardens with their fountains and water features.
These should be spectacular.
A number of truly extraordinary designers worked on the plans, including famous garden designer Russell Page and artists John Piper and Osbert Lancaster.
Many people still remember visiting the Festival Gardens, so it obviously had a great effect on people.
The Festival of Britain was a national event, although the main events were in London, with the biggest on the South Bank/Battersea Park. Events were held all over the country
More ….. about The Festival of Britain 1951 ]
BATTERSEA SQUARE.
When about 9 years old and onwards I remember going down to Battersea High Street to a coal merchants and buying 28 lbs. (pounds to youngsters, pre metric days) of coke; this eked out what we could afford in buying coal. I seem to remember that 28 pounds was only a matter of coppers. I used to cart it on an old pushchair.
South of Battersea Station (on the West London Extension Railway, which went from Clapham Junction to Paddington) was the stalls, which sold fruit, vegetables, meat and anything else. That part of the roadway was always closed to traffic. If you wanted to get northwards to Battersea Square you went via Simpson Street. North of the Railway bridge one came to Sir Walter St. John’s Grammar School and almost opposite was Trott Street, which led to the Catholic Church.
Shuttleworth Road came out into Battersea High Street by Southlands; this was were there was the branch library, the District Register Office and other general council offices. Then the other side of Battersea High Street was Vicarage Crescent, which swept around in a large arc back to Battersea Square. Vicarage Crescent had become during my childhood a huge LCC Council Housing Estate and it faces the river. On the river side of Vicarage Crescent was a public garden and recreation area. Also in Vicarage Crescent was St. Mary’s Vicarage and old Battersea House, which I believe is now a local Museum.
Battersea Square is full of history, with its old pubs and links with the past. Charles II is said to have visited the pubs through secret passages from the Thames to meet his ladyloves. There was "The Raven" and I have momentarily forgotten the names of the others where I used to have a drink (once I was old enough). From Battersea Square there was Westbridge Road - used to be called Bridge Road West and it led to one end of Surrey Lane. On the corner was the old Vestry Offices, the for-runner of the Borough Council. Prior to the Borough Council formation the Vestry Clerk was a Marcus Wilkins. He became the first Town Clerk of the new Borough. He retired just before 1914, but came back during W.W.I to take over from Mr. Austin who was in the forces. He again retired after W.W.I and lived on into WW2 - I believe that he received his pension for a longer period than he ever received his salary. Marcus Wilkins was still alive when I first went to work for Battersea Borough Council.
And so Surrey Lane leads us back to Battersea Central School, in Surrey Lane South
This (left) was taken in 2000 when I was in Perth, Australia, where I met identical twin brother, who were Queen's Scouts. I met them through their father when I was in Perth in 1993. They retired from Rovers in 2000 - Unfortunately I didn't get to the "Boot" party - i.e. when Rovers attain 26 and are booted out of the Rovers. However I was invite to the Governor's Annual Thinking Day Award Ceremony at Government House, when the Queen's Scout awards, etc., are presented, I was pleased to learn today (August 2003) that the then Governor of Western Australia, Major General Jefferies, has now been appointed Governor General of Australia.
More…….from Vic on the following topics:-
1. My time at Battersea Central School from 1933 to 1937
2. My teenage years when I first started work at Battersea Borough Council.
3. My years at the Battersea Congregational Church - the one almost opposite the School - in the `1930s.
4. My early Scouting years in Battersea.
