Hello Frank .
The Summer ' Guild ' gave me the goldonian email and so here I am .

Freddy Tuck born 7/9/25 dumped into Barnardo's 6/4/32; ' Committed ' was the tender term they used to endorse the Papers at Stepney.

Did time at Epsom 1932 - 35; then Boys Garden City 1935 to December 1939; then to Goldings until December 1940 at which time I was ' lorried ' into Stepney to be kitted out with one mackintosh and two of every thing else - mostly grey that I remember - if I'd had a Granny she would have called it workmanlike and serviceable ! I was given a bible and was required to sign the ' Pledge ', then I and four others went by car to Standard Telephones and Cables where we were told we would be Apprentices and would be paid 21shillings for a forty hour week, 18 shillings to be given to our landlady who we were next taken to meet. Goodbye Barnardo's !

Back to Goldings. Only one year to recall. A stick of bombs straddling the school - killing the bandmaster ; a parachuted landmine landing two hundred yards from the school - it was there at reveille in the morning; the dog-fight overhead whilst we were parading for Saturday leave into Hertford , a cannon shell exploding in the middle of the parade sent us [reluctantly and under orders] to the shelters; the shelters being boarded trenches set behind the sick bay ; there were no injuries.

I could go on and on and on ' till the yawns run dry but maybe it's all old hat in a book somewhere, if so let me know and I'll dry up !

Fred Tuck

Note from webmaster: Fred keep it coming in and never dry up, but I believe you can get some cream from the sickbay if its a problem, keep the old electrons flowing with more of your memories of Goldings during the war years, you're just what we have been looking for. We will also supply the cream if sickbay is closed.

For information on how much 21/- is in money today click here >>>> Fred wer lucky getting a guinea, he was near upper crust, when I was a lad we ad to pay pit owner to work in mine, we used to get up 4 hours before we went ta bed,,,,,and you tell the kids ta'day they wont believe ya.

Question: If Fred had 20 shillings in a pound in his day, how many shillings in a pound today?